If you've ever flipped through the pages of a design magazine, or scrolled by a photo hashtagged #midcenturymodern on Instagram, chances are high you've come across "the Eames Chair." Officially the Eames Lounge Chair (after all, the Eameses produced many notable chairs—more on that later), the iconic wood-and-leather seat, set on a six-legged base and often paired with a coordinating ottoman, is one of the most enduring symbols of midcentury furniture—to this day, it remains a ubiquitous statement in modern, contemporary, and even traditional homes. But what, exactly, makes the chair so special? And how did a designer couple best known for their experimentations in plastic and plywood produce a lust-worthy status symbol of a seat?
The History
Well first, let's back up a bit, to the 1940s at the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art, the Michigan school that produced such design talents as Florence Knoll, Eero Saarinen, and Harry Bertoia. That's where students Charles and Ray (then Ray-Bernice Alexandra Kaiser) Eames first met. Following their graduation, the Eameses moved to Los Angeles, where they founded the Eames Office and began conducting experiments with cheap materials like plastic and plywood, to create furniture that could be easily mass-produced.
"When Ray and Charles Eames designed a piece of furniture, they always took a human-centered approach," notes Amy Auscherman, Head of Archive and Brand Heritage at
Herman Miller, which has produced the chair continuously since its debut. The Lounge chair, however, was their take on luxury—a reinvention of the classic club chair with a modernist's use of technology and eye for comfort. "The Eames Lounge and Ottoman was a continuation of the Eameses' experiments in molded plywood that took a more luxurious approach. It was their first attempt at creating a luxury item that was intended as an heirloom," Auscherman says.
The Design
First produced in 1956, the Lounge consists of a frame constructed using a bent-wood technique, which the Eameses pioneered using their "Kazam! machine" to press together layers of thin wood veneer. It's shaped to sit at the optimal angle for ergonomics and comfort, and topped with upholstery in luxe, supple leather. The material, according to the Eameses, was meant to give the seat “the warm receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt," an effect, they said, which made the chair “a special refuge from the strains of modern living."
"The chair draws inspiration from a classic English Club Chair, which makes it familiar, but also is a technological innovation that redefined beauty," explains Auscherman. "These two qualities make it at home in any environment."
The Manufacturing Process
Authentic Eames Chairs are still manufactured by Herman Miller to this day. And while the company may have streamlined the bent wood process a bit since the Eameses early Kazam! experiments, he process remains much the same as it was for the first-ever Lounge. "From the molding of the plywood to the leather cutting of each upholstery piece to each of the individually sewn seat cushions, every detail is carefully inspected throughout the process to assure every lounge going out our door is of the same quality as the ones that made this look famous all those decades ago," Auscherman assures.
The company has also developed a way of ensuring each chair has the best leather: "We use a specific cutting table that is able to scan each leather hide for defects and uses that information to determine the best cut for the hide," says Auscherman.
How to spot an authentic Eames Lounge
Herman Miller is the sole registered manufacturer of the Eames Lounge in the U.S. (meaning it's the only company licensed to make it here). If you're shopping in Europe or the Middle East, Italian company Vitra will be your licensed manufacturer. That means that any authentic Eames Lounge will have been made by Herman Miller or Vitra.
You'll have the best luck buying Eames chairs through the manufacturers directly, but you can also shop at authorized retailers, including Design Within Reach and the MoMA Design Store. Note that while the original chair featured black leather, both manufacturers have since expanded offerings in upholstery and wood options, so you've got some variety in choice.
If you're looking to score a deal on a vintage Eames Lounge, you can peruse resale sites like 1stDibs and Chairish. You'll want to make sure these bear the labels of the Eames studio and/or Vitra or Herman Miller (see here for a guide to some of the common labels throughout history) to ensure they are authentic—remember, you should always feel free to ask a vintage dealer for additional photos!
Even on the vintage marketplace, the Eames Lounge is certainly an investment—but, if 65 continual years in production is any indication, it's a pretty sound one.
Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
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