Deconstructing Purpose

One of the largest post production houses in Chicago went out of business a few months ago.  They were known for throwing down mad piles of cash in order to pony up for all the latest and the greatest.  In a last ditch effort to recoup some of their investment in their company the owners hired an auctioneer to liquidate anything that wasn’t bolted down.  Millions of dollars of office furniture and equipment were hawked to the highest bidder for pennies on the dollar.  

I was at the auction on business looking to score a few deals for my office, which I did, however I wasn’t opposed to picking up a few items for myself.  We were able to inspect all of the items the day before auction where an alien spaceship-looking set of bar stools caught my eye.  I knew I had seen the design before but I couldn’t place a finger on it.  I really wasn’t planning to bid on them, but they really were pretty unique and we did need something for our soon-to-be breakfast bar.  In the end I wound up walking away with six “really cool looking” bar stools.

As it turns out those “really cool looking” bar stools are a pretty famous design, the Covey Model Six Stool.  They were originally designed for Herman Miller by Jeff Covey.  The stool’s name is derived from the six parts that fit together to create a very sturdy structure, with an incredibly unique and delicate looking form.  But don’t take my word for it, take a look at this quote from the designer:

“I enjoy the quiet elegance of structure & utility. The stool as a whole was based on it. When it shipped flat, you would attach the legs to the hub and then the triangle would slip over the tops of the legs, indexing into their appointed areas, thus creating a rigid form. Very satisfying. A surprise.”

I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do with six bar stools, I really only needed two, but figured I could get rid of them on Craigslist.  Anyone interested in 3 fine examples of Herman Miller design?

Tagged: Bar Stool, Breakfast Bar, Covey Model Six, Craigslist, Herman Miller, kitchen, Kitchen Design, Real Estate