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At Herman Miller, they believe in the power of design to make things better for people.

Humble Beginnings

Who was Herman Miller?

In 1923, the Michigan Star Furniture Company became what we now know as Herman Miller
when D.J. De Pree and his father-in-law (you guessed it—Herman Miller) purchased the
company. De Pree renamed the company after Miller, who was a well-regarded
businessman in the community.

Designer-driven: Founder D.J. De Pree (back, middle) with director of design George Nelson
(seated, middle) and the cadre of designers they hired: Robert Propst, Alexander Girard
and Ray and Charles Eames.

Modern in the mid-century

By the middle of the 20th century, the name Herman Miller had become synonymous with
“modern” furniture. De Pree first hired designer Gilbert Rohde in 1930, who ushered in an era
of problem-solving modern design. A decade and a half later, he would hire George Nelson, who
changed the course of the entire company. Design-driven – and with support from De Pree – Nelson
brought in his contemporaries, such as Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard, and Isamu
Noguchi, to produce pieces that would become modern classics.

Herman Miller today

Today, in addition to the classic pieces and new designs for the home, Herman Miller is a
recognised innovator in contemporary interior furnishings, work chairs, healthcare solutions and
technologies and services. In 2021 we became part of the MillerKnoll collective, an unparalleled
platform of brands that design the world we live in.

In 1939, Herman Miller opened America's first. Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom designed by
stand-alone manufacturer's showroom in George Nelson & Associates, 1948.
Chicago, dedicated entirely to modern
design and designed by Gilbert Rohde.