This month we're looking at classics of design and the Eames Lounge Chair definitely belongs. We see this modern classic, whether authentic or one of the many replicas, in a lot of our house tours. To help you get in on the action, we've rounded up a number of resources for this iconic chair — new, used and even the reproductions. NEW• Hive Chair and Ottoman starting at $4,499• Design Within Reach Chair and Ottoman starting at $4,499• Smart Furniture Chair and Ottoman starting at $4,499 (noticing a trend here?)• MoMa Your one chance to get this classic chair at a discounted price. Members can pick up the chair and ottoman for $3,599.20. USED• Etsy Etsy has become a great marketplace for vintage furniture. We found a chair and ottoman in Washington State for $2,975.• Craigslist A quick search turned up an authentic chair in Los Angeles for $1,900 and a vintage reproduction in Minneapolis for $750.• Apartment Therapy Classifieds One man's classic is another man's been-there-done-that.
We found a chair near DC for $2,250 and one in Chicago for $800. REPRODUCTION• Amazon Kardiel Eames Style Plywood Lounge Chair & Ottoman $1,199• Coolchairz Classic Mid-Century Modern Black Leather Lounge Chair and Ottoman $899• Rove Concepts Eames Inspired Lounge Chair & Ottoman $1,195 MORE EAMES ON APARTMENT THERAPY• Modern Classics: Eames Lounge & Ottoman• 7 Homes with Eames Chairs• Before & After: An Eames Lounge Knockoff, Transformed• A "Don't Miss" Video: Ice Cube on the Eames in LA (Image: Guy & Jennifer's Contemporary California Modern Home) greetings all- I'm sure this one has been tossed around on here before but any ideas about pricing on used Eames lounge chairs these days? I know that original ones are always expensive - especially the rosewood versions- but I'm wondering what fair price is for one these days? I don't feel like ebay is great indicator as everything seems to just get inflated on there with auction frenzy or something... But ebay or craigslist seems about only avenue to find one unless you're incredibly lucky at a garage sale or something.
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25% off select design objects. The first time I sat in an Eames lounge chair, I was hooked. It was simply the most wonderful chair I had ever encountered, its curved and playful profile unlike anything I had ever seen. When I finished architecture school and got my first real job, I had enough money to buy either the chair and its matching ottoman or a car. Deciding that transport was the wiser choice, or at least more practical, I bought the car. But I never stopped wanting the chair. Now, three decades later, I finally own one. In this long quest, I discover that I have not been alone. "At some point in their careers, architects and designers all aspire to own one," said Marge Mojzak of Herman Miller, the Zeeland, Mich., company that manufactures the Eames lounge. What accounts for the enduring popularity of this chair and ottoman, introduced in 1956? Unlike other chairs that are also considered "icons of modern design," this one is uncommonly comfortable, so much so that when you sit in it, you're not aware that you're actually sitting on something.
The chair has three upholstered pieces, each attached to a curved plywood shell. The larger one is the seat; the smaller two are back supports. All three are strategically angled to maximize your comfort. Charles and Ray Eames, the husband-and-wife design team behind the chair, had a remarkable understanding of ergonomic principles long before these were developed into a science in the 1970s. Bill Dowell, a certified professional ergonomist and director of research at Herman Miller, characterized the relationship among the pieces of the lounge chair as "profound." He explained that the angle of the seat takes the weight off the base of your spine while the lower back piece supports your lower back; this makes you feel relaxed. Meanwhile, the angle of the upper back piece that supports your chest allows you to be active -- you can comfortably read, chat or look straight ahead and watch TV. The ottoman, which aesthetically enhances the chair, also has a health benefit, Dowell said.
If you sit or stand all day, blood collects in your feet. When you put your feet on the ottoman in the evening, blood circulates back to your torso and out of your extremities. The Eameses' ergonomic sensibility is also evident in the size of the chair. Their hands-on method of design included testing many iterations. In satisfying themselves, they also created a chair that will suit most people because they represented a broad range of body types -- he was tall and lean; she was short and stockier. Today's designers use a slightly broader standard that includes about 95 percent of the U.S. adult population's body types, Dowell said. (The range for height is 4 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches, and the weight range is 105 to 230 pounds.) The chair also incorporates another ergonomic concern: stability. It has a five-legged base, which prevents you from falling backward as you assume a semi-reclined posture and sit down. Today, the five-legged base is used for most office chairs because it keeps the chair upright when you lean back, Dowell said.
The look of the upholstered lounge chair was entirely new. That it still remains fresh after more than 50 years is due, in no small part, to the emphasis on function. Although the designers were known to have an obsessive concern with visual details, comfort trumped looks. "What . . . works is better than what looks good," Ray Eames once said in an interview. "You know, what looks good can change, but what works works." The price for the chair and ottoman was also a radical departure for the designers and marked their first foray into the luxury furniture market. The set originally sold for $578, a lot of money then. The current list price is $3,900 to $4,900, depending on the finishes selected, but many retailers periodically offer discounts. If you're persistent, you can also find a secondhand set, as I did. As with other popular but expensive luxury items, knockoffs began to appear soon after the ensemble debuted. Unlike most companies that face this problem, however, Herman Miller went to court and won.