Product/Collection Name: Rohde Easy Chair

About This Product: In July 2024, Herman Miller reissued the Rohde Easy Chair as part of a wider collection of pieces designed by Gilbert Rohde, the company’s first design director.

In the 1940s, Rohde took inspiration from the abstract art movement and the language of biomorphism. This strongly informed his work for Herman Miller, including the Rohde Easy Chair, which features a distinct rounded back, an enveloping seat, and luxurious tufted upholstery in a diamond pattern. When it was first introduced in 1941 as the last piece Rohde ever designed for Herman Miller, this curvy, freeform silhouette was ahead of its time.

Over eighty years later, with the brand’s ongoing commitment to re-introduce iconic designs from its archives, Herman Miller has reissued the Rohde Easy Chair, giving consumers the opportunity to integrate this staple of the modernist design movement into their homes. With the help of the Rohde family, as well as old drawings and photographs uncovered in the Herman Miller archives, the Rohde Easy Chair has been faithfully reproduced and masterfully updated with modern finishes and materials for a contemporary audience – including plush fabric and premium leather options by Maharam, and solid wood legs in walnut or oak.

Rohde’s pioneering modernist approach was pivotal to Herman Miller’s transformation away from traditional reproductions to original designs that better served people's needs and their rapidly changing ways of living. Through his innovative work, Rohde helped set the standard for human-centered design – and the reintroduction of the stylish and exceptionally comfortable Rohde Easy Chair honors his progressive design legacy and contributions to the modernist design movement at large.