Substitution for Emeco Chairs? Good Questions: Substitution for Emeco Chairs? We lust after Emeco chairs for our dining room (above, right), but at $395 a pop, buying six of them seems a little extreme. We just got the new CB2 catalog in the mail, and saw their "bandit chair" (above, left), which is obviously inspired by Emeco. The price is definitely better ($119), but we don't have a CB2 nearby and I'm curious if you or any of your readers have had hands on experience with these chairs. If we love Emeco, will we feel like cheapskates for the next decade for buying the Bandit? (Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first. Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to: newyork(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com) Clay — we first want to point you in the direction of the DWR Dining Sale that lets you save 15% off the purchase of 6 or more dining chairs (you can even mix and match!). Why not get 2 of the Emeco chairs you lust after and complete the 6 with 4 of CB2's Bandit?
This will save you money and you won't feel like you sacrificed your top choice. Anyone else have other options or suggestions? The Emeco 1006 (pronounced ten-oh-six), also known as the Navy chair, is an aluminum chair manufactured by Emeco.[2] The 1006 was originally built for Navy warships during World War II, but later became a designer chair used in high-end restaurants and by interior designers. In the 1990s, the company began creating designer versions of the 1006 chair, such as the stackable Hudson chair and the 111 Navy Chair made from recycled plastic. Emeco also makes stools, tables, and other furniture. As of 2012, more than one million Emeco 1006 chairs have been produced. Emeco founder Wilton C. Dinges developed the Emeco 1006 chair in 1944 in collaboration with the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA).[6] It was originally designed for the US Navy, which needed a chair for the deck of battleships that could survive sea air and a torpedo blast to the side of the ship.
[5] The chairs had eye bolts under the seat, so they could be attached to a ship-deck using cables. After the war, Emeco started selling 1006 chairs to prisons, hospitals and government offices.[8] The chair was sold to restaurants in the 1980s and 1990s, under Jay Buchbinder's leadership,[7][9] then as a designer chair in the 2000s after Emeco was acquired by his son, Gregg.[9] French designer Philippe Starck designed a total of 14 chairs and 4 tables for Emeco. In 2006 Coca-Cola began a collaboration with Emeco to create a 1006-based chair[10] made out of recycled Coca-Cola bottles,[11] which was released in 2010.[13] Metropolis Magazine said it was a public relations effort by Coke to make a durable product out of their bottles; they also hoped to encourage other manufacturers to do the same. In 2005, Target started selling an Emeco 1006 imitation product supplied by Euro Style. The supplier said it planned to modify the chair's style to avoid a legal dispute over alleged trademark infringement.
[14] In October 2012, Emeco filed a lawsuit against Restoration Hardware for allegedly making unauthorized reproductions of the 1006 Navy chair.[15] Restoration Hardware removed the chair from its website, stopped selling the chair, and reached an undisclosed settlement with Emeco. The Emeco 1006 chair is featured regularly in design magazines and movies, such as The Matrix,[1][6][17] Law & Order and CSI.[14] In Europe the original 1006 chair is sometimes referred to as "the prison chair" due to its use in government prisons and in prison-related movie scenes. The original Emeco 1006 chair has a curved back with three vertical struts[15] and a slight curve on the back legs.[5] It weighs about seven pounds[7][8] and is guaranteed to last 150 years.[15] Most of the original chairs from the 1940s are still in use.[1] The traditional aluminum chairs are made mostly out of recycled aluminum, but also silicon, iron, copper, magnesium, chromium, titanium and zinc.[2] Emeco 111 chairs are made out of 60 percent recycled plastic and 30 percent glass fiber.
The Emeco 111 chair was named based on it being made of at least 111 recycled Coca Cola bottles. As of 2014, there are approximately 88 Emeco chair models.[18] The first designer version of the 1006 chair in the "Emeco by Starck" line[7][8] was the Hudson chair,[11] named after the Hudson Hotel that put a Hudson chair in every room.[5] It has a similar silhouette as the original 1006, but has a reflective or brushed aluminum surface, a solid backrest and is stackable.[8] It also came in swivel and upholstered versions.[2] The reflective glossy versions of the 1006 chair are polished for eight hours, substantially increasing their cost.[7] There are also Emeco-brand barstools, swivel chairs, rocking chairs and armchairs. Emeco's chairs are manufactured by hand in Hanover, Pennsylvania[7][8] through a two-week, 77-step process.[7] Eames Demetrios, the grandson of designer Charles Eames, published a documentary film on the manufacturing process called "77 Steps."[14] Many believe the chair is cast from a single form, but it is actually welded together from 12 pieces.
[7] Sheets of aluminum are rolled into tubes, cut to length, and bent into shapes on large hydraulic machines. Various notches and punchouts are made so pieces can fit together before welding.[19] Workers grind down the welding joints to give it a smooth finish, creating the appearance of being cast from a single piece.[19] The chair goes through a repeated heating and cooling cycle that increases the strength of the aluminum.[1] The chairs are also anodized.[19] Originally swivel chair bases and other parts were purchased from a supplier, but in the 1950s, Emeco began purchasing manufacturing equipment to manufacture them in-house. ^ a b c d e f g ^ a b c d ^ a b c d e ^ a b c d e f g h i j ^ a b c d e f ^ a b c ^ a b c d Inspired by MIO’s molded wool felt SoftBowls, Emeco began working with MIO to create a seating pad for their signature Navy Chair. The result is a durable molded felt seat pad that can be used in commercial and residential settings, making the famous chair more comfortable in colder environments.
The accessory was carefully designed and sourced in the United States. The pads are constructed from recycled and renewable materials in line with MIO and Emeco’s shared commitment to responsible product manufacturing. MIO and Emeco share sustainable values making the development of the seat pads rewarding and fun. Our shared commitment to local manufacturing and environmentally preferable sourcing meant identifying materials and processes that could yield a durable product with as little impact as possible. Residential Seat Pad on polished Navy Chair Residential Pad backing for traction control A variety of color coordinated materials were evaluated and developed Designing for a classic During the development phase each chair was carefully evaluated and various geometries were tested. The resulting cutting patterns are consistently offset from the seat perimeter and designed to complement each chairs personality. The pads are branded for authenticity with an embossed Emeco logo.
Various materials were evaluated for moldability, quality and price. Once the materials had been sourced they were color matched with Emeco’s 111 line of plastic chairs. Each layer of the final design has a specific purpose. The top felt layer provides color and comfort. The recycled PET provides structure and durability to the pad. The bottom layer provides traction, insulation and greater cushioning. The thickness, weight and stability of the product are designed to fit Emeco’s look as well as the demands of customers across the globe. A range of material configurations were prototyped in the studio and at factories across the country. Each version presented unique technical and aesthetic challenges to resolve. The final shape of the pad was refined to perfectly fit the contours of the seat pan Residential pads have a layer of rubber for traction control that is branded Other pad configurations were prototyped and tested Product Design – Sourcing and Manufacturing