USM Haller Sideboard, Metal Grey/Red

USM Haller – modular furniture system of steel tubes and balls

The architect Fritz Haller and the engineer Paul Schärer developed the system from 1962 for USM, a metalworking company founded in 1885 in Münsingen near Bern. USM patented the ball connector in 1965, and the system went on sale in 1969. The principle: chrome-plated steel tubes meet in balls of chrome-plated brass, with panels of powder-coated sheet steel in between. The same parts are used to build sideboards, shelving units or cabinets. Since 2001, USM Haller has been part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

USM Haller sideboard in grey and red metal

This USM Haller piece is configured as a sideboard, with panels in grey and red. The tubes and balls are chrome-plated, and the coloured surfaces are made of powder-coated sheet steel. Thanks to its shallow depth, the sideboard fits in hallways, under windows or against a wall in a living room or study. The two colours structure the front and soften the strict shape. It is one of a kind.

Storage and space

The sideboard takes up around 1.52 m of wall and projects only 37 cm into the room. At 1.1 m high, the top is roughly at hip height. It makes a handy surface at standing height, for example for post, keys or a lamp. The compartments hold files, books or crockery; exactly how much depends on how they are divided. If a compartment has a drop-down door or a pull-out, leave enough space in front of it to open it fully.

Elements and additions

USM Haller is designed for change. With additional tubes, balls and panels, the sideboard can be lengthened, built higher or reconfigured. For this, USM offers doors, pull-outs, glass display units, as well as organisation and cladding elements, with panels in 14 colours. For reconfigurations, USM refers you to its authorised retail partners. According to the manufacturer, today's parts can even be combined with first-generation pieces from the 1960s.

Caring for chrome and sheet steel

USM recommends cleaning the piece dry with a soft duster. If necessary, wipe it over with a soft, well wrung-out, barely damp cloth, and for heavier dirt use a diluted neutral cleaner with a pH below 9. Never leave the surfaces damp for long. Abrasive cleaners, rough sponges and solvents are off-limits, and according to USM, some microfibre cloths are abrasive too.

Why buy a pre-owned USM Haller?

USM makes the system in Münsingen, Switzerland, and since 1988 it has been protected by copyright as a work of applied art. USM itself calls USM Haller a design classic. The metal tubes, balls and panels can be taken apart and reconnected, and according to the manufacturer, additional parts remain compatible for decades. A pre-owned sideboard remains as adaptable as the system itself. This piece has been inspected in eight stations.