"Who would say that pleasure is not useful?" - Charles Eames
There will always be differences of opinion in the world of High Design about what chair constitutes the pinnacle of aesthetics and functionality.
That said, many votes would support the iconic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, originally released in 1956 and manufactured by American furniture maker Herman Miller.
Designers Charles and Ray Eames, referred to as “the first couple of design," began developing furniture that could be mass-produced and affordable. They pioneered the use of new materials—molded plywood and fiberglass chairs, desks and storage units set on wire frames—challenging conventional ideas about furniture materials. A colorful, ergonomic, cozy approach to furniture were themes to what became known as the "Eames look.”
They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art where Charles intended to study industrial design and Ray was an aspiring abstract painter.
The Lounge Chair was the first chair the Eameses designed for the high-end market. Inspired by the traditional English club chair, Charles’ vision was to achieve "the warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt."
The chair is composed of three curved plywood shells—headrest, backrest, seat—covered with veneer. The layers are glued together and shaped under heat and pressure.
The first Lounge Chair and Ottoman were a birthday gift for friend Billy Wilder, the Academy Award-winning film director. The pieces made their public debut on Arlene Francis' Home show, which later became the Today show.
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman are part of the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art.
Herman Miller continues to manufacture the set. Current list price is $6,895. There is a Herman Miller showroom in West Palm Beach.
@herman miller
Hive Home, Gift & Garden is a Herman Miller distributor.
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Charish offers a vintage Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman for $38,450. Here is their description:
"This extremely rare collectible is one of the earliest known productions of the 1956 Eames lounge chair with ottoman, non-stamped frame, and the holy grail spinning ottoman. In classic black and rosewood lacquered shell, this piece has been professionally restored by and includes all the original details: three screw armrests, down feather filled cushions, special sized dome of silence, non-numbered back, underneath the seat, rectangle foil tag (not the round medallion), and the most important "design flaw": the spinning ottoman. Only the first few Eames chairs built had a swiveling ottoman. Eames worried a spinning ottoman may be dangerous for children so it was quickly discontinued within the first few chairs. A spinning ottoman with a bronze bushing and boot glides is the stuff of Eames Lounge chair legends. This is a true collector's item."
@chairishco
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