NORMAN CHERNER

Although best known for his furniture design, Norman Cherner's work included almost all aspects of design: from graphics, glassware and lighting, to his pioneering work in prefabricated housing. Educated in the Bauhaus tradition of interdisciplinary design, he became interested in housing as industrial design. His first houses were built in 1948 for a cooperative housing development in Ramapo, NY. These homes were examples of this total design concept and included affordable furniture designed specifically for these low-cost modular dwellings. One of the first pre-fabricated houses in the United States was Cherner's "Pre-built". It was designed, produced and assembled in 1957 for the U.S. Department of Housing. After being exhibited in Vienna it was shipped back to Connecticut to become his first home and studio outside of New York City. Norman Cherner's furniture designs include the "multi-flex" modular storage system, the "Konwiser Line" of furniture and lighting, and molded plywood seating for Plycraft which he designed in 1958. The molded plywood ‘Cherner Chair' became his most recognized design and is found in furniture collections worldwide. Norman Cherner studied and taught at the Columbia University Fine Arts Department and was an instructor at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. At the same time he also began his own practice, embarking on a lifetime exploration of architecture and furniture design. Norman Cherner's books include: "Fabricating Houses from Component Parts" (1958) "How to Build a House for Less the $6,000" (1960), "Make your own Modern Furniture" (1953) and "How to Build Children's Toys and Furniture" (1954) Benjamin Cherner is the son of the furniture designer Norman Cherner and co-founder of the Cherner Chair Company. He heads the multi-disciplinary design studio Cherner design. His most recent work, a duplex penthouse in New York's East Village has been featured in Dwell magazine and the New York Open House tour. His building designs often incorporate his father's as well as his own furniture designs. Benjamin Cherner is a registered Architect in New York and Connecticut. The Cherner Chair Company is the sole licensor of Norman Cherner and Benjamin Cherner designs. Vintage designs are sold at fine galleries and auction houses.

related links:
http://www.chernerchair.com/
http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_search.php?i_creator=Norman+Cherner
http://www.bonluxat.com/d/norman-cherner.html
http://www.architonic.com/pmpro/cherner/3100254/2/2/1
http://www.artnet.com/artist/424827228/norman-cherner.htm1

images: (click on images to enlarge)
Cherner molded plywood armchair originally produced by Plycraft (top)
Task chair (2nd)
How to build a House for $6000 [Fabricating Houses from Component Parts] New York: Reinhold, 1957 (3rd)
Bar stool (4th)
Konwieser table (bottom)