The lounge chair by Charles and Ray Eames

We no longer need to introduce you to the legendary twentieth-century design couple, Charles and Ray Eames Charles and Ray Eames! We regularly devote...

Design MarketFebruary 2017

There's no need to introduce you to the legendary twentieth-century design duo Charles and Ray Eames! We regularly devote articles to this fabulous duo; we started by introducing you to their lives, then gave you tips on how to recognise an original fibreglass chair recognise an original fibreglass chair and the La Chaise seat. Today, we'd like to take a look at one of the most famous pieces by the Eames: the splendid Lounge Chair, an armchair that has sold over 6 million units worldwide! Who hasn't seen this chair in an interior, in a magazine or even at the cinema? A timeless design icon, this chair is as beautiful as it is comfortable! The adventure began in 1940. The Museum of Modern Art in New York launched a competition entitled "Organic design in home furnishing Organic design in home furnishing", in which many designers took part, including the Eames. The duo proposed several prototypes using a completely new technique: moulded plywood. However, it was not until 1956 that the Lounge Chair was finally and officially designed. [caption id="attachment7913" align="aligncenter" width="700"] © www.hermanmiller.com www.hermanmiller.com [/caption] Also known as Lounge Chair 670 and Ottoman 671 for its footrest version, it was the couple's response to the desire to modernise the traditional club chair. This desire led them to think hard about the choice of materials, the shape and the various stages of manufacture. Charles Eames wanted it to "have the warm look and appeal of a worn first base baseball glove"! The Lounge Chair was an immediate success: it won the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennial in 1957 and was included in MoMA's collection of design objects in 1960. [caption id="attachment7916" align="aligncenter" width="660"] © www.bbc.com www.bbc.com [/caption] In America, Herman Miller has been the sole publisher of the chair since 1956. In Europe, Herman Miller was the first publisher (from 1999 to 1956) before Vitra bought the licence in 1984 and continues to produce this design classic today. The exceptional quality of the Lounge Chair is the result of ingenious design. The chair is made up of three moulded plywood shells, veneered with rosewood or rosewood (cherry, santos rosewood or black lacquered for Vitra editions). These shells are connected to metal parts by hard rubber buffers. The leather upholstery varies according to the publisher: Herman Miller uses feather padding, while Vitra uses foam padding. The size of the Lounge Chair has increased by 10 cm since its creation. Vitra offers two versions in two different sizes to suit tall people. Since its creation, the Lounge Chair has been available in numerous combinations of colours, leather, wood and legs. [caption id="attachment_7918" align="aligncenter" width="810"] © www.vitra.com www.vitra.com [/caption] The Lounge Chair has been a worldwide success for 61 years. It is a classic in the history of furniture, a fabulous icon whose key to success is the couple's fierce determination to offer a very high quality chair that perfectly combines aesthetics and comfort. Find the vintage Lounge Chair by Charles and Ray Eames on Design Market Find the vintage Lounge Chair by Charles and Ray Eames on Design Market