Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair
Who doesn’t recognize the Eames lounge chair and ottoman? It lives in museums like MoMA in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago, in stylish interiors everywhere, and as a tattoo on a devotee’s arm. It has been the subject of documentary films and books. It even has its own fan website. Calling it a classic is an understatement. It’s the quintessential example of mid-century design—elegant and profoundly comfortable too.
The first Eames lounge chair and ottoman was made as a gift for Billy Wilder, the director of “Some Like It Hot,” “Irma La Douce,” and “Sunset Blvd.” The heritage of the chair goes back to the molded plywood chairs pioneered by the Eameses in the 1940s. Charles Eames said his goal for the chair was that it be “a special refuge from the strains of modern living.”
The first lounge chair and ottoman produced by Herman Miller, in 1956, made its public debut on Arlene Francis’s Home show, a predecessor of the Today show. Commenting on the unique design, Charles Eames told Francis, “We’ve never designed for a fashion, and the Herman Miller furniture company has never, ever requested that we do pieces for a market.” During the interview, a short film was shown in which a man–Charles described him as “a typical Herman Miller employee”–assembled and disassembled the lounge chair, showing how simple the design was.
Like all classics, the chair and ottoman just get better with age. Both are hand-assembled with great attention paid to the details. Shells are 7-ply cherry, natural cherry, walnut, or santos palisander, a richly grained veneer that looks like the Brazilian rosewood used on the original chair but is a sustainable tropical wood. Cushions are individually upholstered and replaceable; back cushions are interchangeable. The back braces and bases—of both the chair and ottoman—are die-cast aluminum. The chair base has a built-in swivel mechanism. Shock mounts are resilient natural rubber. Stainless steel glides are adjustable. Click here for more product information.
