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Got Game? Herman Miller Walnut Tops Bring Beauty and Brains to the Home or Office

In the design world, work and play aren’t exactly strange bedfellows. These Herman Miller tops can encourage serious thought

By Janet Gyenes /

Credit: Courtesy Herman Miller

Herman Miller’s trio of walnut tops, inspired by Ray and Charles Eames

Charles Eames once said, “Toys are not really as innocent as they look. Toys and games are preludes to serious ideas.”

Ponder that for a moment and nod in agreement. Reading this blog might be considered play to some (writing it, too), but I’ll bet some synapses are firing already at the prospect of finding ways to make work more, well, playful.

Herman Miller, which has been producing office furniture since the 1930s, has certainly dedicated plenty of grey matter to the subject. 

Herman Miller Tops – Toys or Brain Food?

And now, as part of its limited edition Select collection, Herman Miller pays homage to Charles and Ray Eames – and the act of play – with its trio of tops.

Each year, Herman Miller teams up with designers to reinvent a classic or create something new. Case in point: NYC design studio KleinReid’s walnut beauties, a “playful spin” on Ray and Charles Eames’ passion for toys. Watch them whirl here. See how mesmerizing they are.

Eames Inspired

In some ways, these sculptural tops are a smaller version of the trio of Eames walnut stools that, to me, resemble chess pieces. After all, they can be moved strategically around the room, used as seat, side table or object of beauty. Like the stools, the tops are so beautiful that it only makes sense that these come in a set. How could you choose just one?!

So instead of tap-tapping away on that PDA, enjoy a little dreamy downtime by watching these tops whirl on your desktop. But be quick. They’re only available for a limited time. $184 (set of 3), Gabriel Ross