Eames chair: one of the icons of contemporary design

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We see it everywhere and we easily recognize it, it’s the Eames chair ! With its elegant shapes and the wide variety of colors available, the Eames chair is so loved and appreciated for its appearance and comfort that it is more and more present in contemporary interiors.

Plastic and rocking Eames¹ chair in light blueView in galleryEames chair: one of the icons of contemporary design | 2/21

Its story begins in 1948, when the designer Charles Eames and his wife Ray Eames create a lounge chair for the international competition Low-Cost Furniture Design. At the exhibition, organized at the MoMA by Edgar Kaufman Jr., Robert Lewis and James Prestini, they present the prototype of the first plastic chair, molded in one piece. It is thanks to the discovery of the molding technique and the plastic that the manufacture of this chair then becomes possible.

Eames rocking chair in gray

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The first chair was designed with metal legs and a wooden rocking base. Later, Charles and Ray Eames increase their collection of chairs by experimenting with molding plywood and using their famous “Kazam! Machine”, operating with a bicycle pump.

The “Kazam! Machine “, source Eames office

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The first prototype of the chair was made of steel. The steel was then replaced with a plastic resin that is cheaper and more, reinforced with fiberglass Zenaloy.

Green molded Eames chairs, interior design Sergey Makhno Architect²

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In the 1980s, fiberglass was already well known as a material. Despite its greener aspect, the chairs continued to be made of plastic until the 2000s, when the production of recyclable polypropylene really began. And fiberglass only emerges in 2013.

The iconic fiberglass chair in yellow with steel legs, Herman Miller

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Today, Eames chairs are made of plastic and fiberglass. Some models are even available in wood and with soft padding. Their colors vary: from a neutral and clear fawn to soft blue and pale.

Four Eames chairs in a clean dining room interior, source: Studio Matsalla

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Eames chairs can be ideally integrated in the dining room, living room, home office and even in the bedroom. Clean and elegant design, they always bring style. They can be decorated with cushions or fake furs.

Eames chairs always bring style, source: Lili in Wonderland

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The famous piece Eames Long Flesh with ottoman was released in 1956. Inspired by the chair “English club”, it represents a new version of its classic version and much more comfortable. She was even added to the MoMa permanent collection in New York and the Art Institute in Chicago.

The famous Eames Long Chair is part of MoMa’s permanent collection View in galleryEames chair: one of the icons of contemporary design | 9/21

Lounge chair, ottoman and design sofa inspired by the classic Eames

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Black chaise longue with Eames Ottoman in a modern interior

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Armchair with ottoman in white in a minimalist style interior

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Two icons of contemporary design in the same interior: the armchair Egg and the Eames armchair

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Modern interior designed by Sharon Neuman Architects

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There are also other models inspired by the design of the famous Eames chair. The LCW chair, lounge chair wood in English, was named the best design of 20^th century by Time magazine.

Eames chair in plywood and moldedView in galleryEames chair: one of the icons of contemporary design | 15/21

Available in a variety of colors and finishes, including a padded version, these are perfect chairs for dining rooms and home offices. And unlike their counterparts in plastic and fiberglass, molded wooden chairs bring a lot of warmth to the interior.

Eames chairs in plywood and with steel legs in a modern dining room

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Until now, Herman Miller is responsible for editing the Eames chairs.

Plywood chair with wooden legsView in galleryEames chair: one of the icons of contemporary design | 17/21Plywood chair and steel legs with gray upholsteryView in galleryEames chair: one of the icons of contemporary design | 18/21Black aluminum Eames armchair with steel armrests

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The Eames chair is one of the biggest icons of contemporary design

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¹Eames Office

²Sergey Mahno Design