What kind of person thinks up a chair that looks like a chunk of coconut? How about the person who came up with the Marshmallow sofa. The person who said, "Total design is nothing more or less than a process of relating everything to everything." Who brought modernism to American furniture. George Nelson. 1950s.

Call it what you will—classic, icon, slice of hard-shelled tropical fruit. Half a century later, it's as wonderful to look at—and sit in—as ever.

Introduced in 1955, the coconut chair is one artifact of the burst of creativity issuing from George Nelson's design studio and changing the look and feel of American furniture.

Once our founder, D.J. De Pree, convinced Nelson to become his director of design, a warm personal and professional relationship between the two led to a stunning range of products—including the Marshmallow sofa and the first L-shaped desk, a precursor to today's workstation. And this chair.