Desk

When businessman H. F. Johnson Jr. set out to build new offices for the S. C. Johnson company in Racine, Wisconsin, he wanted “to get the greatest architect in the world.” To him, that was Frank Lloyd Wright, renowned for his designs based on the principles of nature that integrated exterior, interior, and furnishings. The curved forms and earth tones of this desk and armchair (1972.311) echo Wright’s architectural designs for the project, which included rounded brick buildings filled with columns that widened as they reached the ceiling. Although Wright was known for resisting changes to his designs, the three-legged chair proved unsteady and he altered later versions to have four feet.