Basic Cabinet Series

N° 4600 Series and N° 4700 Series

Wood: walnut, primavera, or black
Fronts: walnut, primavera, or black; or lacquered in bittersweet red, forest green, or gun metal
Pulls: zinc alloy with a bronze, copper, or silvers finish, later available in chrome
H 24", 34", 40"; W 24", 34", 40", 56 3/16; D 12", 18 1/2"

The Basic Cabinet Series, or BCS, was a collection of wood storage solutions designed to sit atop the Platform Bench, stand alone, or as part of a wall assembly. As the Herman Miller catalogs from 1949 and 1952 illustrate, the system offered space for storing tableware, glasses, a house bar, records, books, or children's clothing.

The cabinets were offered with a huge combination of choices, including: several heights, widths, and depths; five different handles; doors on the right and left, adjustable shelves, and drawers in various heights; and a finished rear wall that allowed the cabinets to be used as room dividers.

Special versions included a vanity with a mirror and an integrated light that could be installed between two chests of drawers, modules with fronts that could fold down to be used as a desk, as well as cabinets for radios, record players, and loudspeakers. Beginning in 1952, a television could also be integrated into the system. For the bedroom design, special storage headboards and bedside units were developed to match the other components of the series.

Produced by Herman Miller from 1946 to ca. 1958, reintroduced 2011.

Basic Cabinet Series

From the Vitra Design Museum Collection.

Basic Cabinet Series
1946 / produced 1946–ca. 1958 and since 2011
Ernest Farmer, an associate at George Nelson's office
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