Highlights

• Michael Anastassiades has designed a range of stools for Herman Miller, his first line for the company
• Spot Stools by Anastassiades are suitable for multiple settings, from office to home to restaurant
• Designer’s trademark minimalism and attention to detail are evident in Spot Stools

A deconstructed cylindrical shape refined to its essence, the new Spot Stools by Michael Anastassiades for the Herman Miller Collection display the purity of form and honesty of materials that are the designer’s trademark. The minimal stools consist of a circular seat and base held together by parallel posts. The result is a spare and elegant design equally suitable for use in workplace, hospitality, or residential settings.

Spot is the first design by London-based Anastassiades for Herman Miller. The relationship between designer and manufacturer was sparked by a shared passion for design’s timeless qualities. Anastassiades describes how he considers the physical presence of an object, understanding how its proportions relate to the human body, and how its existence affects the user and the surroundings. “I always like trying to understand how things relate to people. And then move on to how the different elements of that product relate to each other.”

In the design brief for Spot, Anastassiades was tasked with creating a stool, using wood as a primary material, which could live in both office and domestic environments. To start, he deconstructed the elements that make up a stool, and reconfigured those elements into a balanced arrangement. As he explains, “Not balance in the literal sense, but balance in the sense of a holistic object.” He continues, “It’s not about being in your face, it’s about being a part of the backdrop and if you notice it, then that is when you begin to discover all the qualities that it has and that it has been exquisitely realized. That everything has been thought of so it feels in balance with the architecture around it, and with the scale of the human body.”

Materials play a key role in the designer’s work, and are integral to the design process itself. Anastassiades favors materials that are presented honestly, with exquisite details and flawless connections. He states, “When an object is made out of only a handful of elements, you have to make each one absolutely perfect.” Herman Miller executed Spot at this level, using only two materials: Wood and metal. A wood base is paired with a matching wood seat whose surface is subtly indented to create a comfortable surface for sitting. Base and seat are joined by parallel posts, one in wood and a thinner one in metal. On the counter- and bar-height stools, a minimal metal crossbar on the metal post attracts the eye and provides a functional footrest.

Offered in three heights, Spot Stools are suitable for a variety of settings in office, hospitality, and residential spaces. The counter- and bar-heights are suitable for café spaces and beyond, while the low stool can function as a seat, side table, accent piece, or plant stand.

First introduced in Milan at Herman Miller’s presentation during Salone del Mobile 2016, and premiering in North America at NeoCon, Spot Stools will be available to the trade in Fall 2016.

About Michael Anastassiades
Michael Anastassiades launched his studio in 1994 to explore contemporary notions of culture and aesthetics through a combination of product, furniture, and environmental design. Positioned between fine art and design, his work aims to provoke dialogue, participation, and interaction. Anastassiades' work is featured in permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Crafts Council in London, the FRAC Centre in Orleans, France and the MAK in Vienna. He has designed products with various leading manufacturers including FLOS, Puiforcat, Lobmeyr, Svenskt Tenn, and now Herman Miller. In 2007 he set up MICHAEL ANASTASSIADES—the company—to produce his signature pieces, a collection of lighting, furniture, jewelry and tabletop objects. The studio's philosophy is a continuous search for eclecticism, individuality, and timeless qualities in design. Michael trained as a civil engineer at London's Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine before taking a masters degree in industrial design at the Royal College of Art. He lives and works in London.

About The Herman Miller Collection
In 1948, George Nelson created the first Herman Miller Collection, with the goal of "a permanent collection designed to meet fully the requirements for modern living.” He understood that the Collection would evolve as human behavior changed and new materials and manufacturing technologies emerged. Today’s modern living embraces the blending of life and work, with greater appreciation for contemporary design and mobile and ubiquitous technologies offering new freedom of choice in where and how people express their lifestyles and pursue their professions. The Herman Miller Collection welcomes and enriches this new era, as Herman Miller endeavors to realize Nelson’s vision for the modern home, office, and public spaces.

About Herman Miller, Inc.
Herman Miller is a globally recognized provider of furnishings and related technologies and services. Headquartered in West Michigan, the global company has relied on innovative design for over 100 years to solve problems for people wherever they work, live, learn, and heal. Herman Miller’s designs are part of museum collections worldwide, and the company is a past recipient of the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. Known and respected for its leadership in corporate social responsibility, Herman Miller has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the past 12 years, and has earned the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s top rating in its Corporate Equality Index for the past eight years. In fiscal 2015, the company generated $2.14 billion in revenue and employed over 7,000 people worldwide. Herman Miller trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol MLHR.