Manufacturer: Vitra
Designer: Charles & Ray Eames, 1956
This is an original genuine Vitra piece. With 10 year warranty*
'Why don’t we make an updated version of the old English club chair?' With this comment, Charles Eames initiated the development of the Lounge Chair, a process that took several years. The design was intended to pair ultimate comfort with the highest quality in materials and craftsmanship, incorporating the combined expertise and insights Charles and Ray Eames had gained from all their past projects. The 1956 launch of the Lounge Chair set new standards: it was not only lighter, more elegant and more modern than the conventionally ponderous club chair, it was also more comfortable – not least because it was the first armchair to feature a swivel base. These characteristics led it to become one of the best known designs by Charles and Ray Eames and an iconic piece of contemporary furniture.
True to the spirit of the Eameses, Vitra has now further refined many details of the Lounge Chair, drawing on decades of production experience and ensuring its sustainability for the future.
There are now six different veneer options to choose from for the wooden shells – with the exception of palisander, all the wood is now sourced in Europe. The composition of the inner layers of the veneer shells has also been revised with a view to sustainability and the face veneer or surface is now treated with a water-based varnish instead of a polyurethane coating.
The fabric and leather covers can be removed for cleaning or replacement. And all the individual elements – wooden shells, covers in many colours and bases – can be freely combined. Thanks to this choice of new options, armchairs can be configured with an unprecedented level of customisation, making it easy to find the right Lounge Chair and Ottoman for every taste and need.
If you would like more information on the chair then please view the excellent Eames Lounge Chair factsheet that highlights the possible combinations, the woods and the various upholstery options – which vary from the blended wool Nubia fabric to the new mohair Calma fabric, the semi-aniline Premium F leather, which is soft and supple and ideal for medium use environments, to the very special Natural F leather which is open pore fully aniline leather that is exceedingly luxurious and will patinate uniquely over time, but does have to be treated more carefully than the other finishes. The guide also gives curated recommendations of which options work well together.
