Partial view of the seat and back of a black leather Sled Chair.
Product designer Ward Bennett seated on a Sled Chair.

Our Designers

Ward Bennett

Ward Bennett’s career began at age 13, when he quit school to work in New York’s Garment District. At 16 he went to Europe and continued working in fashion.

Despite attending art schools in Florence and Paris, he was mostly self-taught, with skills ranging from jewelry-making to interior design. “I learn from people,” he said, referencing influences including Georgia O’Keeffe.

Bennett eventually settled in New York, where his reputation earned him many high-profile clients. Lyndon Johnson later asked Bennett to design a chair for his presidential library—“a cross between a barroom chair and a courtroom chair with a little Western saddle.”

“I design interiors and furniture and flatware and so forth, but I think the way I live is maybe the most meaningful.”

- Ward Bennett

Bennett began working with Geiger in 1987. Our first collaboration—a 20-piece collection—was introduced in 1990. In 1993, Geiger acquired Brickel Associates, for whom Bennett had designed more than 150 chairs as their sole designer from the 1960s through the mid-1980s. Recognizing the timeless simplicity and enduring comfort of these designs, we’ve reintroduced several classics from Bennett’s Brickel era.

Bennett died in 2003. Today, he is considered the first American to use industrial materials for home furnishings. He was hailed by the American Institute of Architects for “transforming industrial hardware into sublime objects.” Many his designs are in the permanent collection at MoMA, as well as in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Products by Ward Bennett

  • Bumper Chair with standard arms and five star base with casters, front view. Bumper Chair with standard arms and five star base with casters.
    Bumper Chair Ward Bennett
  • Bumper Lounge Chair with standard arms and four star base. Bumper Lounge Chair with standard arms and four star base.
    Bumper Lounge Chair Ward Bennett
  • Bumper Side Chair with standard arms and four legged base, front view. Bumper Side Chair with standard arms and four legged base, side view.
    Bumper Side Chair Ward Bennett
  • A square Claw occasional table with a glass top, metal cross brace, and four legs, viewed from the front. A square Claw occasional table with a glass top and metal frame, viewed at an angle. Select to go to the Claw Tables product page.
    Claw Tables Ward Bennett
  • An Envelope side chair with black leather upholstery and a tubular steel frame, viewed from the front. Angled view of an Envelope side chair with black leather upholstery and a tubular steel frame. Select to go to the Envelope Chair product page.
    Envelope Chair Ward Bennett
  • A square Full Round side table with a black wood top and tubular metal frame. Angled view of a square Full Round side table with a black top and tubular metal frame. Select to go to the Full Round Tables product page.
    Full Round Tables Ward Bennett
  • A two-unit H Frame Storage credenza with a dark wood finish and modules for box drawers and enclosed cabinets. Angled view of a two-unit H Frame Storage credenza with a dark wood finish. Select to go to the H Frame Storage product page.
    H Frame Storage Ward Bennett
  • An H Frame coffee table with a metal frame and stone upper and lower surfaces. Angled view of an H Frame coffee table with a metal frame and stone upper and lower surfaces. Select to go to the H Frame Tables product page.
    H Frame Tables Ward Bennett
  • A square I Beam coffee table with a glass top and black cast-aluminum pedestal. Angled view of a square I Beam coffee table with a glass top and black cast-aluminum pedestal.
    I Beam Tables Ward Bennett
  • A Landmark side chair with light gray French upholstery, a dark wood frame, and standard-height arms, viewed from the front. Angled view of a Landmark side chair with light gray French upholstery and a dark wood frame. Select to go to the Landmark Chair product page.
    Landmark Chair Ward Bennett
  • A light gray club chair from the Rolled Arm Sofa Group, viewed from the front. Angled view of a light gray club chair from the Rolled Arm Sofa Group. Select to go to the Rolled Arm Sofa Group product page.
    Rolled Arm Sofa Group Ward Bennett
  • A Scissor lounge chair with ivory-colored leather upholstery and a wood frame in a dark finish, viewed from the front. Angled view of a Scissor lounge chair with ivory-colored leather upholstery. Select to go to the Scissor Chair product page.
    Scissor Chair Ward Bennett
  • Front view of a Sled Base Storage unit with a dark wood finish, four box drawers, and two file drawers. Angled view of a storage unit with a dark wood finish, four box drawers, and two file drawers. Select to go to the Sled Base Storage product page.
    Sled Base Storage Ward Bennett
  • A Sled lounge chair with black leather upholstery and an X-shaped steel frame, viewed from the front. Angled view of a Sled lounge chair with black leather upholstery and an X-shaped steel frame. Select to go to the Sled Chair product page.
    Sled Chair Ward Bennett
  • U-Series Settee upholstered in Vionette Desert Mix. U-Series Settee upholstered in Vionette Desert Mix.
    U-Series Lounge Seating Ward Bennett