A Brief History of America’s Favorite Chair: The Eames Lounge and Ottoman
Nearly 70 years later, the instantly recognizable modernist chair set is still enjoying cult status.
When Charles and Ray Eames debuted their Eames Lounge and Ottoman in 1956 on NBC’s Home show hosted by Arlene Francis, the actress and television personality called the design "quite a departure" from the duo’s earlier creations.
The Eames Lounge and Ottoman is widely thought of as one of the most significant 20th-century furniture designs. Today, the classic seating set produced by Herman Miller is part of the permanent collections at New York’s MoMA and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Courtesy Herman Miller
At the time of the broadcast, the Eameses already had a few successful chair designs made from molded plywood, molded plastic, and upholstered wire on the market. They had significant experience working with plywood in particular, having honed their pioneering wood-molding techniques making splints for the U.S. Army during World War II. Following the war, the husband-and-wife duo continued to experiment with the material, focusing primarily on designs that could be mass-produced and provided value for money.
Charles Eames, pictured right, visiting the Herman Miller factory in Michigan, where the lounge (670) and accompanying ottoman (671) have been produced since 1956.
Courtesy Herman Miller
The original Eames Lounge and Ottoman, made of molded rosewood and upholstered leather with an aluminum base, was more noticeably meant for luxury—and it was priced accordingly. According to a 2022 Washington Post article, the chair and accompanying ottoman, also known as models 670 and 671, were initially sold for $310 (around $3,100 today), and now cost between $4,000 and $10,000.
Charles said the couple wanted to create a chair with "the warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt"—one that would provide respite from the "strains of modern living." Ray once described it as "comfortable and un-designy."
A 1959 advertisement for the Eames Lounge and Ottoman emphasizes its comfort. Another ad from the era suggests that it’s "the only modern chair designed to relax you in the tradition of the good old club chair." Since the midcentury, the lounger has been largely marketed as furniture fit for a gentleman’s penthouse or bachelor pad.
Courtesy Herman Miller
In the nearly 70 years since Herman Miller started producing the Eames Lounge and Ottoman, the design has sustained a cult status. It was featured in a 1960s Playboy spread touting covetable modernist furniture. It’s been the subject of documentaries, books, and museum exhibits. It’s made cameos in James Bond films and TV series like Frasier. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were photographed "brainstorming" on one of the Eames classics.
Today, social media is full of devotional posts and dedicated Reddit pages for "Eames Enthusiasts." The design has also inspired many knockoffs; in fact, it’s been cited as one of the most counterfeited and copied furniture pieces in modern history.
It also continues to be a symbol of material innovation: On July 23, Herman Miller released a new plant-based upholstery option for the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman developed by von Holzhausen. The company claims the vegan leather fabric, made primarily from bamboo, reduces the chair’s carbon footprint by "up to 35 percent," though the $6,395 price tag is still hefty.
Employees at the Herman Miller factory polish the molded plywood shells in the ’70s.
Courtesy Herman Miller
Though the manufacturing process has been streamlined, the chair’s production continues in much the same way today, using the same materials and maintaining the instantly recognizable silhouette.
Courtesy of Herman Miller
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Eames
The creative duo Charles Eames (1907–1978) and Ray Kaiser Eames (1912–1988) transformed the visual character of America. Though best known for their furniture, the husband and wife team were also forerunners in architecture, textile design, photography, and film. The Eames’ work defined a new, multifunctional modernity, exemplary for its integration of craft and design, as well as for the use of modern materials, notably plywood and plastics. The Eames Lounge Chair Wood, designed with molded plywood technology, became a defining furniture piece of the twentieth century, while the couple’s contribution to the Case Study Houses project not only made inventive use of industrial materials but also developed an adaptable floor plan of multipurpose spaces which would become a hallmark of postwar modern architecture. From the couple’s earliest furniture experiments to their seminal short film Powers of Ten, this book covers all the aspects of the illustrious Eames repertoire and its revolutionary impact on middle-class American living. The author Gloria Koenig is an architectural historian and author. She has published and lectured widely on a variety of topics in contemporary architecture, and served as consultant with filmmakers on a documentary about her late husband, modernist architect Pierre Koenig. The editor Peter Gössel runs an agency for museum and exhibition design. He has published Taschen monographs on Julius Shulman, R. M. Schindler, John Lautner, and Richard Neutra, as well as several titles in the Basic Architecture series. Photo courtesy of Taschen
ShopHerman Miller Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
Charles and Ray Eames had ideas about making a better world, one in which things were designed to bring greater pleasure to our lives. Their iconic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman (1956) began with a desire to create a chair with “the warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt.” The result embodies what it really means to lounge. In continuous production since its introduction, this set is widely considered one of the most significant designs of the 20th century. Combining soft, inviting leather or mohair with the sleek form of molded wood, the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman is the culmination of the Eameses’ efforts to create a club chair using the molded plywood technology they pioneered in the ’40s. Even today, each piece is assembled by hand to ensure the highest level of quality and craftsmanship, and you’ll be pleased to discover the set gets even better with use and age. Cushions snap in and can be removed and changed. This is the authentic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman by Herman Miller. Made in U.S.A.
ShopEssential Eames: Words & Pictures
Pairing words of design wisdom with classic works, Essential Eames encapsulates the duo's achievements. Charles and Ray Eames are among the most influential designers of the 20th century. Enthusiastic and tireless experimenters, this beloved husband-and-wife duo moved fluidly between the fields of photography, film, architecture, exhibition-making and furniture and product design. The Eames Office was a hub of activity where the Eameses and their collaborators produced an array of pioneering designs, communicating their ideas with a boundless creativity that defined their careers. The Eameses embraced the joy of trial and error and approached design as a way of life. From personal letters, photographs, drawings and artwork, to their products, models, multimedia installations and furniture, Essential Eames includes not only some of the designs for which they are best known, but provides an insight into the lives of the Eameses, the Eames Office and the breadth of their pioneering work, bringing their ideas and playful spirit to life.
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This article was originally published on February 4, 2015. It was updated on May 31, 2024, and July 15, 2024, to include current information.
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With More Than 40,000 Objects, the New Eames Institute Will Show Much More Than Just Chairs
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