George Nelson was a leg man. No, I don’t mean that in the usual sense; I’m referring to his focus on the legs of the furniture he designed, especially the pieces in the Nelson Swag Leg Group. Nelson, who was born in 1908 and died in 1986, is regarded as one of those responsible for founding American modernism. He worked extensively with other designers, especially when he became the design director of furniture manufacturing company Herman Miller.

One of Nelson’s pieces that continue to be produced by Herman Miller today is the Swag Leg Round Table. Measuring 29 inches high and 48 inches wide, it’s big enough to accommodate a group of four to six people – appropriate for establishments that have enough space for large-ish modern bar tables or restaurant tables. The stretchers are made of solid walnut, which are firmly screwed to the legs, ensuring the table’s stability. The table top is characterized by its laminate surface and walnut edge.

This round table remains true to Nelson’s concept of “swaging,” a process in which metal tubes are curved and tapered through the use of pressure. You can see the results in the table’s legs – as well as in the other pieces of furniture in the Swag Leg collection. Back in the 1950s, Nelson wanted furniture legs to be made of metal, formed by a machine, and prefinished. In addition, he insisted they be easy to assemble and disassemble, and he found swaging was able to fulfill all these requirements.

Nelson was a giant in American furniture design, having won numerous awards for his work, including the American Institute of Graphic Arts’ Lifetime Achievement Award. His Swag Leg Round Table and his other works live on, a lasting legacy to modern design and decoration.