You've seen an Eames Lounge Chair. Even if you think you haven't, trust me, you have. OK, OK, I'm no mind reader, but the Eames Lounge Chair is an icon of the Modern design movement. First launched in 1956 as the Eames Lounge (670) and Ottoman (671) (the latter being the footstool that comes with it), the chair's co-designer Charles Eames said he wanted it to "resemble the warmth, familiarity and comfort of a well worn baseball mitt". It's that discrete, familiar comfort that made this most of famous Eames chair (for Charles and his wife Ray designed many) an icon of the Modern movement and as ubiquitous a piece of unshowy but stylish design as a Vettriano painting.
It's also why anyone who has ever watched an American TV series or film has seen one. Even if you don't think you have. Joey and Chandler had one in their apartment in "Friends". Donald Draper and Dr Gregory House both have them in their offices. Doctor Who took a doze in one back in the Sixties. It's hard to describe the piece without pictures, but I'll try. The Eames Lounge Chair is almost a bucket seat in design. Its back, arms and seat are joined together sequentially, screwed together by aluminium supports. The whole thing leans slightly backwards on its swivel base, pulling the sitter back into its mitt-like shape. The raising of the sitter's legs makes the accompanying footstool (it's that Ottoman again) near essential and the whole thing almost ridiculously comfortable.
My referring to so many appearances on television isn't accidental. The Eames Lounge Chair's popularity and multitudinous appearances on the box are symbiotic. Its first public appearance came in 1956, when it was featured on the "Home" show, NBC's hugely popular daytime magazine programme fronted by actress and game show panellist Arlene Francis. A huge advertising campaign followed immediately. The campaign focused on the chair's versatility, showing it in a whole host of unlikely locations. It's that same versatility which explains its continuous place in popular culture - and, in particular, the American popular imagination. The Eames Lounge Chair is comfortable yet smart, stylish yet understated. That's why it can sit as easily in Frasier's luxurious Seattle apartment as it can in Iron Man's cluttered workshop.
The Eames Lounge Chair has been in continuous production ever since. In America, Herman Miller have continued to turn out units since its premier in 1956, while Vitra have continued to produce it for the American market. It has also inspired replicas, imitations and knock offs of varying quality - particularly in the European market, where "originals" are far more expensive. Some of these are dire to say the least. Spray painted cushions, exposed screws and poor quality materials are amongst the complaints that have come from those who bought cheap, fast buck knock offs. On the other hand, some replica Eames chairs have been hailed as even better than the originals, offering increased versatility and the option to customise the colours of your purchase to fit your tastes and the design of your home or office.
For over 50 years, the Eames Lounge Chair has represented discrete style. Now you've come to understand why it's so popular, maybe it's time you started paying it a bit more attention.
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The Eames Inspired Collection
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