Coinciding with Salone del Mobile 2016, Herman Miller launched The Double Dream of Spring, an environmental installation by London-based designer Michael Anastassiades.

To debut his inaugural collection of occasional furnishings created exclusively for Herman Miller, Anastassiades created an "enigmatic environment" said to be "inspired by the tradition of metaphysical surrealism and steeped in his own minimalist aesthetic." The Double Dream of Spring was on view at Herman Miller at Corso Garibaldi 70 in Milan’s Brera district from 12-16 April 2016.

For The Double Dream of Spring, Anastassiades recast the architecture of the Herman Miller showroom in Milan as a neutral, rational backdrop in which to display furniture. In the space, his elegant and spare Spot stools and Stasis tables for Herman Miller are shown in walnut and white oak paired with a carefully considered shade of brass, complemented by monumental lighting sculptures created by Michael Anastassiades—the designer’s eponymous brand—especially for this installation.

Hermann Miller Milan showroom

Michael Anastassiades launched his studio in 1994 to explore contemporary notions of culture and aesthetics through a combination of product, furniture, and environmental design. Positioned between fine art and design, his work aims to provoke dialogue, participation, and interaction. Anastassiades' work is featured in permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Crafts Council in London, the FRAC Centre in Orleans, France and the MAK in Vienna. He has designed products with various leading manufacturers including FLOS, Puiforcat, Lobmeyr, Svenskt Tenn, and now Herman Miller.

In 2007 he set up Michael Anastassiades—the company—to produce his signature pieces, a collection of lighting, furniture, jewelry and tabletop objects. The studio's philosophy is a continuous search for eclecticism, individuality, and timeless qualities in design. Anastassiades trained as a civil engineer at London's Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine before taking a masters degree in industrial design at the Royal College of Art. He lives and works in London.

(Source: woodworkingnetwork.com  Author: Bill Esler)