The Chair You Didn't Realise You Knew

When they unveiled the Eames Lounge Chair in 1956

, Charles and Ray Eames described their new design as being comfortable and un-designy. Despite that, this it has gone on to become an icon of the Modern movement, appearing in films and television series as diverse as She's Out of My League, Mad Men and Scrubs. It has also inspired a wide range of replicas, some of which have even been hailed as better than the original.

You may not know it, but you've seen an Eames Lounge Chair. OK, OK, Im no mind reader, but the Eames Lounge Chair is an icon of the Modern design movement. First launched in 1956 as the Eames Lounge (670) and Ottoman (671) (the latter is the footstool that comes with it), the chairs co-designer Charles Eames described it as being "comfortable and un-designy". Its that discrete, familiar comfort that made this most famous Eames chair (for Charles and his wife Ray designed many) an icon of the Modern movement and as ubiquitous a piece of unshowy but stylish design as a Vettriano painting.

Its also why anyone who has ever watched an American TV series or film has seen one. Even if you dont think you have. Dr Cox had one in his apartment in "Scrubs". Donald Draper and Dr Gregory House both have them in their offices. There was even a snazzy all white one in "Tron: Legacy". Its hard to do this without pictures, but Ill try. The Eames Lounge Chair is almost a bucket seat in design. Its back, arms and seat are joined together sequentially, screwed together by aluminium supports. The whole thing is fitted at a backwards angle to its swivel base, pulling the sitter back into its mitt-like shape. The raising of the sitter's legs makes the accompanying footstool (it's that Ottoman again) near essential and the whole thing almost ridiculously comfortable.

My citation of so many appearances on television isnt accidental. The Eames Lounge Chair popularity and multitudinous appearances on the box are symbiotic. It was unveiled in 1956, on the Home show, NBCs hugely popular daytime magazine programme fronted by actress and game show panellist Arlene Francis. A huge advertising campaign followed immediately. The campaign - which showed the Eames chair in a variety of unlikely locales including a hay field, a Victorian parlour and on the front porch of a house straight out of the America Gothic - focused on the Eames chairs versatility. Its that same versatility which explains its continuous place in popular culture - and, in particular, the American popular imagination. The Eames Lounge Chair is comfortable yet smart, stylish yet understated. Thats why it can sit as easily in Frasiers luxurious Seattle apartment as it can in the TARDIS.

The Eames Lounge Chair has been in continuous production ever since. In America, Herman Miller have continued to turn out units since its premier in 1956, while Vitra have continued to produce it for the American market. It has also inspired replicas, imitations and knock offs of varying quality - China being the source of many. Some of these are dire to say the least. Spray painted cushions, exposed screws and poor quality materials are amongst the complaints that have come from those who bought cheap, fast buck knock offs. On the other hand, some replica Eames Lounge Chairs have been hailed as even better than the originals, offering increased versatility and the option to customise the colours of your purchase to fit your tastes and the design of your home or office.

The Eames Lounge Chair has long been an icon of usability and style. Youve seen it so many times that you dont even realise it. Now youve come to understand why its so popular, maybe its time you started paying it a bit more attention.

by: Dylan Pugh

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