Click on image to zoom Designers: Bill Stumpf and Don ChadwickWhen Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick designed the Herman Miller Aeron Chair, they combined a deep knowledge of human-centered design with never-before-seen technology to create a task chair unlike any other. Now Aeron has been remastered in practically every way to create an office chair that better supports people and the types of work we do today. Configure Your Aeron Chair Add to Wish List While its iconic form has remained largely unchanged, the Aeron Chair has been remastered from the casters up. With the help of Don Chadwick, the chair’s original co-designer, we updated Aeron to incorporate more than 20 years of research on the science of sitting, as well as advancements in materials, manufacturing, and technology. “It’s going to be a whole new experience, and yet the chair is still going to be an Aeron chair.” Get into the Zones Across Aeron's 8Z Pellicle elastomeric suspension seat and backrest, eight latitudinal zones of varying tension envelop you as you sit, delivering greater comfort and ergonomic support.
The new 8Z Pellicle also allows body heat to pass through to help maintain an even and comfortable skin temperature. A Stance Worth Backing An active body is at its strongest when standing, chest open and pelvis tilted slightly forward. PostureFit SL supports your spine to give you the same benefit while seated. Adjustable, individual pads provide lumbar support and stabilize the base of the spine for a more powerful seated posture. If You're So Reclined Sitting in one position reduces the natural pumping action of the muscles that deliver nutrients to the spine. As you sit in Aeron, however, the tilt allows the chair to move seamlessly with your body, so shifting between forward and reclining postures is smooth and balanced throughout the entire range of recline. A Whole New Aeron Aeron is available in three tightly curated, holistic material expressions. Graphite is the darkest, a modern rendition of the classic Aeron look. Carbon offers a balanced neutral for a modern chair that works equally well in both warm and cool environments.
Mineral is the lightest, with a fresh, ethereal quality that borders on translucence. One Size Does Not Fit All With chairs, one size does not fit all people. Based on an ends-to-the-middle design approach, Aeron comes in three sizes (A, B, and C) to provide an inclusive fit that delivers the same level of comfort to the largest range of anthropometric body types of any office chair. For individuals sitting in Aeron, cross-performance design means the ergonomic chair fully accommodates the widest possible range of activities and postures people adopt while working, from intense, forward-facing focus to relaxed, contemplative recline. People feel close to their furniture. "So my goal is to design furniture that fits into someone's life," Mark Goetz says. "I want even office furniture to feel as personal as any object someone has at home." Of course, furniture must solve a problem, Goetz says, but that's only half of the designer's mission. "You could live with a good solution and not really like it.
Objects should be loved and wanted as well as provide a solution." Goetz has been designing loved and wanted objects since 1986, after his graduation from the Pratt Institute in New York City. In 1988, he founded TZ Design in New York and has created children's products for Marimekko, backpacks and totebags for Le Sportsac, table top items for Crate & Barrel, and crystal for Steuben. He also has designed a variety of products for the contract furniture industry, including tables, casegoods, and more than 60 chairs. His pieces furnish the corporate headquarters of the Chicago Bulls, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and the president's office at Harvard University. For Herman Miller, Goetz designed the Aside guest chair and the Goetz sofa--two products that seem vastly different yet embody similar themes. "I try to give things a reserved, quiet expression so they're appropriate in a variety of environments," he says. "But I also try to make interesting forms that people really like--something fresh and new."
He says the sofa was a "daunting challenge" because it's part of the Herman Miller Collection of classic home and office products that define 20th century design. "If I were sitting in a room with Eames, Nelson, and Noguchi," he says, "and we were discussing design, I would be listening rather than talking. When designing the sofa, I took on that role, trying to understand the qualities of the collection that make it so wonderful. I wanted to create something that echoes the collection and respectfully adds to it." Likewise, the Aside chair resembles traditional guest chairs but adds unique comfort and a sleek, contemporary look that complements a range of office settings. Above all, "I want people to feel comfortable with my work," Goetz says, "so they feel it's created especially for them." Best of NeoCon Gold Award for seating, 2000 Chicago Athenaeum's Good Design Competition, 2000 Best of NeoCon Gold Award for occasional tables, 1998 Best of NeoCon Gold Award for seating and tables, 1996
IIDA Apex Award for seating, 1996 Institute of Business Designers Award for seating, 1993 Eero AarnioBrian AlexanderMichael AnastassiadesDouglas BallEdward Barber and Jay OsgerbyBassamFellowsYves BéharWard BennettJeffrey BernettAyse BirselRonan & Erwan BouroullecTodd BracherBruce BurdickJerome CarusoCarol CatalanoDon ChadwickEric ChanNitzan CohenDesign Group ItaliaNicholas DodziukCharles and Ray EamesEOOSforpeopleNaoto FukasawaStefano GiovannoniAlexander GirardMark GoetzDan GrabowskiKonstantin GrcicThomas HeatherwickJaime HayonSam Hecht and Kim ColinMarkus Jehs and Jürgen LaubBrian KaneJack KelleyStudio Technico MagisMaharam Design StudioDavid MellorJasper MorrisonGeorge NelsonTom NewhouseIsamu NoguchiObservatoryDavid Allan PessoRobert PropstLeon RansmeierJoey RuiterPhilippe StarckStudio 7.5Bill StumpfVincent Van DuysenMarcel WandersJeff WeberIsay WeinfeldGianfranco Zaccai- Photo Courtesy of Wright The most valuable Eames pieces date from the first decade of production: 1946-1956.
But pieces from the later ’50s to the early ’60s can have collectible value, too. The good news is “a lot of the work is signed,” Wright says. About 70% of the pieces had paper decals, so the first thing to look for on the underside of a chair or table, or the inside a cabinet drawer, is a sticker (or the remnants of one). “Not being marked doesn’t mean something’s a fake,” Wright cautions – labeling was a little...- Photo Courtesy Wright The paper stickers varied, depending on the year and article of furniture. But they were usually colored red, cream or black (or a combination). They usually say “Charles Eames” or “Designed by Charles Eames.” They bear in the name of the manufacturer: Herman Miller Furniture Company, with its logo – it looks like a pair of stylized antlers, or a two-pronged crown. Underneath is written Zeeland, Michigan or Venice, California, the locales of the company’s factories. (Be wary if you see anything... Eames Label on Fiberglass Chair.
Objects made with molded fiberglass, like the famous bucket and shell chairs mid-century furniture collectors clamor to own, often have decals bearing the name “Zenith Plastics” still intact. Another name to watch for: Tigrette, which made the Eames line of toys. Label on Wooden Eames Chair. On wooden chairs, tables and recliners, the sticker often includes the name “Evans” – the Evans Product Company manufactured the plywood the Eames used so artfully. This shouldn't be confused with mid-century designer Paul Evans. The underside of a piece may also have three letters stamped, impressed or hand-written on it – something like LCW, DAX, DCM. These are the model names. Eames pieces were named military-fashion, Wright notes, with three-letter abbreviations. “LCW” stands for “Low... Eames Chair with Wear Patina. Do ask if a piece has its original finish. In keeping with their mantra of functional furniture, the Eames weren’t into fancy finishes; so a piece should have a soft patina, further augmented by the passage of decades.
The earliest furniture was in muted colors; bright saturated hues came in later. But whatever the color, “a real warning sign is if a piece is too band-box fresh, too gleaming,” says Wright. “It should look a little worn, show its age – that’s desirable.” Looking old is one thing, but – as with any antique or collectible – condition does matter. And the more original that condition, the better. Even such details as whether the screws on a piece have ever been loosened can affect a piece’s value. (“Some Eames collectors do get into minutiae,” Wright allows.) Some repair-oriented changes – such as a new rubber feet tips or shock mounts to replace dried-out or cracked ones – don’t matter that much. Still, perfection commands a price. Eames Upholstered Chair, 1950. Because they were mass-produced, there are a lot of examples of Eames furniture out there – so, many items are not extremely expensive (at least, by antique furniture standards). But some models were less common than others.
So, in terms of pricing, “it does become about rarities,” Wright says. At his auction, the chair pictured left fetched $2,000 – while a pair of similar ones, the same model from the same year with the same sticker and in basically the same condition, collectively brought... Eames Billy Wilder Chaise, 1968. The Eames designed furniture for both offices and homes. If you’re acquiring mainly for investment value, focus on the latter. “The office furniture is generally worth less, has less collector cachet,” Wright notes. That’s partly due to popularity – “most of their greatest hits were designed for the home” – and scarcity: Herman Miller began phasing out the residential furniture line in 1965, but continued making the business line. In 1994, the company launched the Herman Miller for the Home... Eames Storage Unit Product Catalog. As with any area of collectibles – if you’re serious, study the field and educate yourself. Many museums feature Eames pieces.