If ever there was a chair that made you want to sit and relax, it’s the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman. The chair was designed by husband and wife team Charles and Ray Eames and went into production in 1956. It immediately became synonymous with luxury and style.
Story
The history of the chair and ottoman dates back to the late 1940s when Charles and Ray Eames took on the challenge of reimagining the concept of the 19th-century English armchair. The Eames chair was designed as a fresh, modern take on the comfortable, chunky armchairs found in the elite gentlemen’s clubs. Charles Eames once said he wanted to create a chair that had “the warm, receptive look of a much-used first baseman’s glove.” The chair should be very inviting and extremely comfortable, but still look elegant and light. The Eames Lounge Chair first took the spotlight on the Arlene Francis Home Show, which aired on NBC television in 1956. He was an instant hit.
The chair was inspired and produced for Billy Wilder, the famous Hollywood director of Sunset Blvd., Some Like it Hot and The Apartment.
Furniture company Herman Miller saw the potential of the chair and ottoman and began commercial production a few years later.
design
The shape of the Eames lounge chair and ottoman is clean and modern, but not entirely minimalist. Its appearance is particularly well illustrated by Ray Eames himself, who wrote in a letter to her husband that “the chair looked comfortable and undesigned”. The shape of the chair, with its famous curves, has received worldwide recognition and praise from design critics. In fact, it became part of the permanent collections of the New York Museum of Modern Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago. However, this masterpiece of interior design is not just for display. It is still manufactured and commercially available today.
The chair’s shell is made of curved plywood that hugs the person sitting in it, giving the chair its famously cozy, intimate feel and providing “a special haven from the stresses of modern life”. The plywood used for manufacture consists of seven layers. Dry sheets of plywood are put together alternately with those covered with glue. The crossing of the wood grain during the stacking process provides additional strength. Layer boards are then pressed into the desired shape. The shell is covered with a thin layer of veneer. Rosewood was originally used to achieve this shine, but was replaced by more sustainable alternatives in the early 1990s. Customers can choose from cherry, walnut and rosewood. While only the rosewood has a grain similar to the original Brazilian versions, the chair is also available in many other versions. The shell is divided into three main segments: a seat shell, a backrest and a headrest. The sections are connected to each other by steel couplers. The rubber damper mounts, another item on the pair’s list of inventions, sit between the couplers and the shell to allow the chair to adjust to the user’s position. The high wearing comfort is due to the high-density urethane foam, which is then covered with supple, high-quality leather. Two buttons in each segment give the upholstery parts a quilting and give the chair a comfortable look. The chair leans back slightly, giving a comfortable, relaxing feeling. It stands on a five-legged base and rotates at the whim of its owner. To achieve the ultimate in comfort and relaxation, customers can combine the Eames Lounge Chair with the matching Eames Ottoman. The ottoman is made from the same materials and processes and is a perfect complement to the chair.
