Herman Miller® Eames® Lounge Chair & Ottoman by Charles & Ray Eames
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman are considered among the most significant and collectible furniture designs of the 20th century. The rich veneer and supple leather suggest old-fashioned luxury translated into modern forms, setting an enduring standard for comfort and elegance.
The Eames Lounge Chair can be purchased with or without the matching Eames Ottoman. The Ottoman can be purchased individually here.
The Original Look. Classic Aesthetic. The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman are now available in Santos Palisander, a lustrous veneer that has the same characteristics as the original color and grain.
Environmentally Sound. The wood is harvested exclusively from sustainably managed forests.
Classic Comfort. Luxurious Feel. The chair has 6-inch-thick urethane foam cushions and rich leather upholstery.
A Place to Relax. The contours of the seat and high back welcome the sitter, and a swivel mechanism is built in.
Quality and Craftsmanship. Attention to Detail. All pieces are hand assembled. Shells are seven-ply cherry, natural cherry, walnut, or santos palisander veneer; the base and back braces are die-cast aluminum.
Practical Features. Cushions are individually upholstered and replaceable; back cushions are interchangeable; shock mounts are resilient natural rubber.
The Eames Lounge Chair is molded by three curved plywood shells. The shells are made with several thin layers of wood veneer adhered together and shaped under heat and pressure. The plywood and cushions are the shaped the same (i.e., composed of two curved forms interlocking to form a solid mass). The head rest and back of the Eames Lounger are proportional.
Charles and Ray Eames were pioneers, constantly looking for new materials for their innovative designs. The couple's first plywood chair - the Eames Lounge Chair Wood (LCW)-used of a heavy rubber washer glued to the backrest of the chair and screwed to the lumbar support. These 'shock mounts' allow the backrest to flex slightly. This innovation is used in the design of the Eames Lounger. The backrest and headrest are screwed together by a pair of aluminum supports. The Eames Lounger is suspended on the seat via two connection points in the armrests. The armrests are screwed to shock mounts on the interior of the backrest shell, allowing the backrest and headrest to flex when the chair is in use. This is part of the Eames' Chairs unusual design. The rubber washers are solidly glued to the plywood shells.
Charles Eames' innovation in material selection is also apparent in the seat cushions. Instead of stapled or nailed upholstery, cushions are sewn with a zipper around the outer edge that connects them to a stiff backing. The back is adhered to the shells with hidden clips and rings. This design allows the visible veneer to be unmarred by screws or bolts. The Eames Lounge Chair has a low profile and set to recline. The Eames Lounger swivels on a cast aluminum base and has glides that are threaded so that the chair may remain level.
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman is the premier chair in American design. This is a chair on display in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. It is a chair about which documentary films have been made, books have been written, and critics have written at length. It is handsome, well-made, perfectly balanced, beautiful, luxurious, elegant, and deeply comfortable. There is no chair extant that can match the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman in style, quality, and enduring sky-high regard.
The Eames made the very first Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman as a gift to legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder, who they'd noticed had been rigging up makeshift lounge chairs during his shoots to take short naps. The Eames chair was modeled on the angles of Wilder's creations, and by the feel and look of "a well-used first baseman's mitt," according to Charles Eames. The materials of the chair weren't hard to come up with: The Eames' had been champions of molded plywood since the 1940s, when the Navy had commissioned them to use their new material in making stretchers, splints, and glider shells. Charles Eames said his goal for the chair was that it be "a special refuge from the strains of modern living."
And is it ever. The most important (and most surprising, if you're a student of modern chair design) attribute of the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman is that it's comfortable. More than comfortable: luxurious. Even the most brilliant designs of the modern architectural/design movement usually don't last long in the homes of art lovers, because they can't compete with the comfort of a simple armchair or couch. But the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman matches an piece of furniture in the comfort department, and knocks them out of the park when it comes to design. It's a win-win, for the owner and the designers. The Eames wanted you to slip into their chair, "relax" into it. It's an escape hatch from modern anxiety and and a hurried world.
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman is a generational inheritance. While the chair is responsibly made out of common wood stock and responsibly manufactured with 24 percent recycled material (and is itself 29 percent recyclable), this is a chair you won't be recycling. This is a chair for your children, and your children's children. An unparalleled classic of design, with an unparalleled insistence on comfort and familiarity, it's a family chair that will last a long, long time.
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman is the culmination of Charles and Ray Eames' efforts to create comfortable and handsome lounge seating by using production techniques that combine technology and handcraftsmanship. Its heritage goes back to the molded plywood chairs pioneered by the Eameses in the 1940s, and it's part of the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art.
Charles Eames said his goal for the chair was the "warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt." Every one is a special refuge from the strains of modern living.
The first lounge chair and ottoman, produced in 1956, made its public debut on Arlene Francis' Home show, which later became the Today show. Charles Eames appeared on the Arlene Francis' Home show with the Eames Lounge Chair the week it was introduced (See Video). Stardom ensued. Yet, as popular as it's become, the Eames Lounge Chair remains grounded in the details that continue to distinguish it.
Enduring Character Some things make a mark and never fade. That's the case with the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman. Perhaps this is because every chair made since 1956 carries on the spirit of the first one--present from Charles and Ray Eames to their friend Billy Wilder, the Academy Award-winning film director.
Perhaps it's because they gave the chair the welcoming, "warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt." Or maybe it's because they used production techniques that join technology and hand craftsmanship. Whatever the reasons, in homes, executive suites, and corporate lobbies, the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman endure.
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman are eligible for free standard shipping within the contiguous US. If purchased together, the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman are shipped in 1 box that weighs 94 pounds and measures 40" h x 37" l x 37" w.
The Eames lounge chair and ottoman is up to 29 percent recyclable at the end of its useful life and is comprised of 24 percent recycled materials. All die-cast aluminum components are are made from 100-percent recycled material and are 100 percent recyclable. Steel components contain approximately 25 percent recycled content and are 100 percent recyclable. Most metal components have a powder-coat paint finish that emits negligible volatile organic compounds (VOCs).Foam materials are part of an open-loop system and can be recycled into everything from automotive components to carpet padding at the end of their current life. The Eames lounge chair and ottoman's packaging materials include corrugated cardboard and a polyethylene plastic bag. These materials are part of a closed-loop recycling system, meaning they can be recycled repeatedly.
Herman Miller is an industry leader in the integration of cutting edge technology to furniture and other household items to make everyday life more comfortable, convenient, and stylish. Herman Miller stands out at the forefront of such fields as ergonomic technologies, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, and customizable furniture items.
In addition to producing some of the most outstanding office furniture in the world, Herman Miller has also taken on the responsibility of manufacturing some of the most celebrated furniture designs by some of the world's most famous designs. These "modern classics" include works by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi. Herman Miller celebrates these famous mid-century designers' works through its extraordinarily precise manufacturing techniques and industry-leading green production processes.
Herman Miller is a global company with operations, sales offices, dealers, and licensees in more than 40 countries in North America, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, serving customers virtually anywhere in the world. Herman Miller is headquartered in Zeeland, Michigan, while manufacturing facilities are located in the U.S., China, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
