1. “George Nelson: Architect/Writer/Designer/Teacher” A full-color, 352-page exhibition catalog from the first comprehensive retrospective of Nelson’s work at the Vitra Design Museum, including numerous and previously unpublished illustrations. Get it at Amazon.com.

2. Basic Cabinet Series Designed in 1946, the clean-lined beauty of the series is matched only by its functional versatility. Available in numerous configurations, the cabinets can be used alone or mixed and matched with others or with the dimensionally matched Platform Bench. Create your own series at HermanMiller.com.

3. “How to Wrap Five Eggs – Traditional Japanese Packaging” by Hideyuki Oka Illuminating a period before mass production, Nelson praised this book and its presentation of traditional, day-to-day Japanese packaging. In his words, “a totally unexpected monument to a culture, a way of life, a universal sensibility carried through all objects down to the smallest, most inconsequential, and ephemeral things.” Wrap it up at Amazon.com.

4. Swag Leg Desk + Chair The Nelson Swag Leg group possesses the perfect scale and function for a world of laptops and tablets. Its distinct swag styling — swaging is a process of bending and tapering metal tubes with pressure — remains fresh and modern 50 years later. Head over to HermanMiller.com to own them.

5. “How to See: Visual Adventures in a World God Never Made” by George Nelson Written by the designer himself and published in 1977, this well-illustrated primer guides the reader in understanding and decoding the meanings behind everyday visuals — architecture, art, industrial, product and graphic design — in the modern world. How to Buy: Amazon.com

6. Coconut Chair Residing in the permanent collections of museums worldwide, the Coconut Chair is perhaps the most unique slice of Nelson’s bountiful creativity, “relating everything to everything.” Striking in its shape and remarkably comfortable in its proportions, this iconic classic endures as a true original. Pluck one for yourself at HermanMiller.com

If you’re in the Detroit area this summer or fall, check out the retrospective, “George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher” sponsored by Herman Miller, at Cranbrook Art Museum, June 16 – October 14, 2012.

Photos: Linked to their sources within text

When it launched originally, in 1946, the wooden cabinets met the needs of a generation who would come to embrace the clean modern lines of contemporary designers like Nelson and the Eames. Today we’ve relaunched the series because we recognize again a need for modular, hard-working designs that allow for a genuine flexibility. And also a desire for beautiful pieces that enhance the way we live. We think the cabinet series does all that!

This particular piece also contains a reproduction of George Nelson’s signature, as well as the production date (May 2010) hand printed inside the top drawer. It also comes with a certificate of authenticity signed and dated by the Herman Miller Classics Product Manger and Design Facilitator.

All proceeds from this auction will go to the newly formed George Nelson Foundation (stay tuned for more on the Foundation).

You will be hearing much more about this Series very soon. We’re launching it at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York at the end of the week. I’ll be there blogging live from the event.

But for all you impatient Nelson fans here is a sneak peek of the Nelson Basic Cabinet Series. The modular storage solutions were designed by George Nelson, Herman Miller’s Director of Design from 1945-1972. A select group of items from the Series are being reintroduced plus a metal leg option for the Platform Bench. Come visit us at ICFF (Javits Convention Center, May 15-18) to see the new pieces.