For the agency Sandgren & Murtha in 1975, she came up with a supergraphic logo for Dunkin’ Donuts.

Industrial designer Lucia DeRespinis attended Pratt at the same time as Charles Pollock; they later both worked in George Nelson's legendary studio. She still teaches young design minds at Pratt, who may or may not know she came up with Dunkin' Donuts logo and color scheme in the late 1970s.

More prized possessions that made the cut: A George Nelson Half-Nelson lamp sits atop an Alexander Girard bedside table.

A George Nelson pendant hangs in the reconfigured entrance hall, whose stairs echo the concrete steps off the back deck.

In true mid-century fashion, a George Nelson Bubble Lamp is paired with an Eames Lounge by Charles and Ray Eames in a corner of the living room. The glass walls and mitered corner are original features of architect Saul Zaik’s 1956 design.

A George Nelson cabinet for Herman Miller, a Paul McCobb chair, and a Gilbert Watrous table lamp for Heifetz adorn another bedroom.

A George Nelson Saucer Pendant hangs over the table. Behind it, a vertical slot window frames a Douglas fir tree while editing out the windows of a nearby town house. “All the openings were composed in direct response to appealing fragments of the site and to avoid relationships that would leave the owners feeling exposed,” Schaer says.

In the eat-in portion of the kitchen, a George Nelson Bubble Lamp hangs above an Artek table and chairs by Alvar Aalto.

A Nelson Ball Clock and subway sign decorate one hallway.

George Nelson’s Bubble Lamps were first conceived in 1947. Since they were first produced, the Bubble Pendant Lamps have been a staple of modern lighting, and can be used in a variety of interior spaces. The Pear Criss Cross Pendant is an authentic member of the Bubble Lamp family, and can be used over a dining room table, or with other Bubble Lamps to create a graphic, sculptural display in a living room.

Now considered an icon of midcentury design, the Ball Clock is a distinct departure from traditional clocks with faces enclosed in glass—alternatively, the Ball Clock is comprised of twelve brass spindles that end in solid hardwood spheres that mark the time, instead of a conventionally numbered face. The clock hands have clearly marked indicators, which is consistent with many of George Nelson’s other clock designs. This clock, along with other Vitra designs, is 15% off until October 22, 2015.

Resident Ty Milford peruses a book by the George Nelson–inspired built-ins fabricated by Big Branch Woodworking

From the previous owners, Lange spied several key pieces of vintage furniture, including two rare George Nelson Thin Edge dressers for Herman Miller.

Produced in 1948, the Ball Clock’s playful colors speak to the nation’s optimism and the scientific potential of the era. But the shape—reminiscent of an atom—also carries the shadow of atomic warfare, which haunted the national psyche during the Atomic Age.

Ball clock, designed by George Nelson. Loaned by Vitra Inc. Available at the Dwell Store.

In Sweden, architect Bengt Mattias Carlsson created a pavilion adjacent to a residence dating from the late 1800s. The pergola is made from glue-laminated timber beams set atop steel posts; it protects the pool from falling pine needles. George Nelson benches offer places to sit.

The adjacent volume houses the galley kitchen; the Ball clock is by George Nelson Associates.

Greene purchased the vintage George Nelson dining table and cane-back chairs together. “We assume they were originally a set, but there is no way to be sure,” he says. A pass-through fireplace from Regency Fires separates the dining platform from the living space.

252 Bedford Street SE, Minneapolis, was the first house Lisl and Win designed. Built in 1938—the same year the Closes started their practice and the year they were married—for Ray Faulkner, E. Ziegfeld and G. Hill for $7,643, the Faulkner house is also known as the Lippincott house. Just across the street is a famous neighbor: the 1934 Willey House by Frank Lloyd Wright. Photo by Tom Trow.