DESIGNERS

Michael Welsh

A sea kayaker who finds inspiration in nature, Michael Welsh leads Haworth’s Seating Studio with the sole purpose of improving people’s lives at work and at home. Born in Cincinnati, he attended The Ohio State University, where he graduated with a B.S. in Industrial Design.

Michael’s professional career began as a designer in a small consultancy, creating consumer electronics, exhibits, and furniture. His debut in the contract furniture industry led him to explore desking, storage, and, lighting. Michael then gravitated toward design of the “mini-environment”—the spaces where the human-product interface is more intimate. At its core is the chair, where he discovered his passion for supporting seated postures. Like the kayak, the chair is a natural extension of the body, requiring different postures depending on the user’s purpose.

Michael’s design approach balances the complexity of performance with simplicity in design that makes seating feel natural. Since joining Haworth, Michael was lead designer for the Zody® chair, collaborating with Germany’s ITO Design. Then he moved on to lead the design of the Very® task chair, the Very multipurpose family, Shetland lounge seating, and the revolutionary Fern™ seating program. Michael is driven to create life-enriching designs that provide a more human, natural, and desired experience.

Nicolai Czumaj-Bront

Nicolai believes that design should be about passion and love for life, to find new ways to create beauty, to tell stories, to care, to inspire, to challenge ideas, and to solve problems. Design should not be dictated by trends nor should it remain in a particular style or field. Design is everything.

"I want to bring an idea down to its essence without sacrificing what makes it desirable."

OFFICIAL HAWORTH RETAILER

We're an authorized Haworth retailer. This means we're official. We sell new factory-direct items complete with Haworth's own warranty. You can purchase confidently from Office Designs knowing you'll be receiving genuine Haworth product.

BRAND STORY

Founded by G.W. Haworth in 1948, Haworth is a privately held, global leader in the contract furnishings industry. What began from humble roots — crafting wood furnishings in a Midwestern town on the shores of Lake Michigan - has evolved into a global company with a focus on Organic Workspace® that helps people perform their best. Over the years, our company has grown and evolved, investing in research, design, and acquisitions that expand our portfolio and network to meet changing market dynamics. We align our strategies to ensure we’re providing our customers with the workplace knowledge, innovation, design, and global expertise required to enable their success. The Haworth Values define our business behavior, inform our decisions, and communicate our brand in the global markets we serve and the communities in which we live. Learn how these deeply-rooted Values influence our purpose and culture each day in this video, The Story of Our Values. It begins with a nod to our legacy in crafted wood furnishings and follows the growth of a small acorn into a mighty oak tree, an important symbol of our company’s principles.