$9,221
H 35.83 in W 26.78 in D 27.17 in
1960s Eames 3474 Time Life Executive Lobby Desk Chair Vitra ES104 Black Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames, Vitra
Located in London, GB
Life Building in New York), and so this chair can also sometimes be called an Eames Lobby Chair, or an
Aluminum
$8,500
H 30.5 in W 28.5 in D 27 in
Early Vintage Herman Miller Time Life Lobby Lounge Chair by Charles Eames
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
An Early Vintage example of a Herman Miller Time Life Lobby Lounge Chair by Charles Eames. This is
Leather
$6,750
H 45.28 in W 26.78 in D 29.53 in
Lobby Desk Chair ES104 by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, USA, 1960s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Antwerp, BE
Eames executive chair ES-104, also known as the Time-Life chair, an iconic piece of mid-century
Aluminum
$6,500
H 29.5 in W 28.5 in D 29.5 in
Vintage Time Life Lobby ES105 Chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Raleigh, NC
An early vintage model ES105 of the Time Life Lobby Chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman
Metal, Aluminum
$14,225 / set
H 31.5 in W 27.96 in D 26.38 in
Design Icon: Eames ES105 Lobby Chairs - Herman Miller for Vitra, set of 2
By Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Renens, CH
The Time Life Lobby or Executive Chairs were originally designed by the Eames couple for the Time
Steel
$5,250
H 33 in W 28.75 in D 27 in
Eames Time Life Lobby Lounge Chair in Black Leather for Herman Miller, 1980s USA
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in black leather for Herman Miller. Black leather is in good
Aluminum
$6,515 / set
H 33.86 in W 27.17 in D 28.35 in
Pair of Black Leather Executive Chairs by Charles and Ray Eames
By Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Madrid, ES
, manufactured by Vitra. The Lobby chair was designed in 1960 for the reception areas of the Time Life building
Aluminum
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair ES105 by Charles & Ray Eames
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Chicago, IL
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair ES105 by Charles & Ray Eames, 1970. Black leather has beautiful patina
Leather
$4,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 35.5 in W 26.5 in D 28.5 in
Vintage Eames Time Life Gray Velvet Office Chair Herman Miller 1978
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Detroit, MI
This vintage mid century modern gray Model 3475 Eames Time Life Lobby Chair designed by Charles
Aluminum, Steel
$10,500 / set
H 34.25 in W 26.75 in D 26.5 in
Pair Eames Herman Miller Time Life Black Leather Office Chairs 1980s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Detroit, MI
These vintage mid century modern black Model 3475 Eames Time Life Lobby Chairs designed by Charles
Aluminum, Steel
$5,250 / item
H 34.25 in W 26.75 in D 26.5 in
Eames for Herman Miller Time Life Black Leather Office Chair 1981
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Detroit, MI
This vintage mid century modern black Model 3475 Eames Time Life Lobby Chair designed by Charles
Aluminum, Steel
$21,000 / set
H 34.25 in W 26.75 in D 26.5 in
Eames for Herman Miller Time Life Black Leather Office Chairs, 1980s - Set of 4
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Detroit, MI
These vintage mid century modern black Model 3475 Eames Time Life Lobby Chairs designed by Charles
Aluminum, Steel
Unavailable
Lobby Chair ES 104 Eames
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Saint-Andre lez Lille, France
Lobby Chair ES 104 Eames
Chrome
Eames 'Time Life' Lobby Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in London, GB
base. This desk chair is a Classic by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This Time Life Lobby
Chrome
Unavailable
H 34.26 in W 28.35 in D 25.6 in
Vintage Armchair ES104 Lobby Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Torino, Italy
Armchair with aluminum frame and seat in sponge covered in leather. Model ES104 lobby chair
Aluminum
Nice Pair of Charles Eames Lobby Chairs
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Munich, DE
Early models with nice patina.
Leather
Vitra Charles & Ray Eames Executive Lobby Chair
By Vitra, Charles Eames
Located in Dronten, NL
, and has a seat with thick, plush cushions. This is an authentic Eames Lobby Chair by Vitra. The chair
Aluminum, Chrome
Vitra Charles & Ray Eames Executive Lobby Chair
By Vitra, Charles Eames
Located in Dronten, NL
floors of New York City’s Time-Life Building. The generously sized Eames Executive Chair (1960) tilts
Aluminum, Chrome
Charles & Ray Eames Time Life Lobby Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in London, GB
Eames. The Time Life Lobby Chair combines the characteristics of some of the other iconic designs they
Aluminum
Charles & Ray Eames Time Life Lobby Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in London, GB
Eames. The Time Life Lobby Chair combines the characteristics of some of the other iconic designs they
Aluminum
Charles & Ray Eames Time Life Lobby Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in London, GB
Eames. The Time Life Lobby chair combines the characteristics of some of the other iconic designs they
Aluminum
Charles & Ray Eames Time Life Lobby Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Eames. The Time Life Lobby Chair combines the characteristics of some of the other iconic designs they
Stainless Steel
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Ray Eames, Charles Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed in 1960 by Charles Eames for the Time Life Building in Manhattan, this chair features a
Aluminum
lobby chairs By Eames
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
HERMAN MILLER
Charles Eames Time Life Lobby Chair
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Charles Eames for Herman Miller designed for the Time Life building in New York , stunning deep
Vitra Lobby Chair Eames Black Leather Swivel Base
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Berlin, DE
Vitra Lobby chair with swivel base / original black leather. Pictured with rolls - comes together
Aluminum, Chrome
Charles Eames Vitra ES 104 Lobby Chair
By Charles Eames
Located in Dronten, NL
Desk chair with height adjustability, tilt, swivel, and soft wheels for a hard floor. Manufactured
Charles & Ray Eames Black Leather Lobby Chair ES 108
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Madrid, ES
by Vitra / Herman Miller. Model: Lobby chair ES 108. It was designed in 1960 for the reception areas
Aluminum
Vintage Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Camel
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic Eames Time Life Lobby swivel chair in camel Skai for Herman Miller. Great color. Chair
Aluminum
Sold
H 30.71 in W 29.14 in L 30.71 in
Charles & Ray Eames ES105 Lobby Chairs in Cognac Leather by Vitra
By Charles and Ray Eames, Vitra, Charles Eames
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Iconic lounge chairs designed by Charles & Ray Eames for the lobbies in Time & Life Building
Aluminum, Chrome
Eames Time Life Lobby Lounge Chair ES105 in Forest Green Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Seattle, WA
A newly restored Eames timelife Lobby chair, model ES105, reupholstered in Forest Green Aniline
Aluminum
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A legendary office design by Ray and Charles Eames for the three modernist lobbies of the new Time
Aluminum
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A legendary office design by Ray and Charles Eames for the three modernist lobbies of the new Time
Aluminum
First Gen Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in British Racing Green
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Seattle, WA
The Eames Time Life "Lobby" chair was designed in 1960 for the reception areas of the Time-Life
Aluminum
Charles & Ray Eames Time-Life Lobby Chair by Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Highland, IN
Designed in 1960 for the reception areas of the Time-Life building in New York, this lounge chair
Aluminum
Sold
H 30.5 in W 26.5 in D 28 in
Eames Time Life Lobby Lounge Chair in Oxblood Calfskin Leather, 1960s
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Coronado, CA
You won't find a nicer example of the Eames "Time Life Lobby Chair". This stunning, early specimen
Metal, Aluminum
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair by Mobile International, France
By Mobilier International, Charles Eames
Located in London, GB
Here's a timeless classic - this Eames Time Life Lobby chair was made by Mobilier International
Metal
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Natural Leather, 1970s
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Coronado, CA
Lobby chair. This utterly comfortable chair has been reupholstered in the softest, supplest, natural
Aluminum
Rare Vintage Black Leather Eames Time Life Lobby Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great vintage black leather lobby chair from the Time Life building in New York. Original black
Aluminum
Eames Office Chair ES 104 Lobby Chair Vitra in White Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in London, GB
Beautiful ES 104 Lobby chairs by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra in white leather. Providing
Leather
Early Eames Time Life Lobby Desk Chair in Elmo Forest Green Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Seattle, WA
The Eames time life "lobby" chair was designed in 1960 for the reception areas of the Time-Life
Aluminum
Eames ES 108 Lobby Time Life Executive Office Chair for Vitra
By Vitra
Located in London, GB
Eames ES 108 Lobby Time Life executive lobby chair for Vitra in Chocolate Brown, circa 2009
Leather
Sold
H 31.5 in W 26.19 in D 20.87 in
Vintage Eames Time Life Lobby Chair For Herman Miller *FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Portlaoise, IE
An iconic and hugely sought after chair by the equally iconic design duo of Ray and Charles Eames
Aluminum
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair EA108 in Green Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Antwerp, BE
Mid-Century Modern desk chair by Charles and Ray Eames in green leather a true mad men style gem.
Stainless Steel
First Gen Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Marin Blue Semi-Aniline Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Seattle, WA
The Eames Time Life "Lobby" chair was designed in 1960 for the reception areas of the Time-Life
Aluminum
Sold
H 35.04 in W 27.17 in L 35.04 in
Charles & Ray Eames Time Life Office Chair/Es 104 Lobby Office Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in London, Lambeth
Eames ES 104 lobby office chair The structural design of the lobby chair makes it comparable to
Leather
Ray + Charles Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Camel Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A legendary office design by Ray and Charles Eames for the three modernist lobbies of the new Time
Aluminum
Ray + Charles Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Chocolate Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A legendary office design by Ray and Charles Eames for the three modernist lobbies of the new Time
Aluminum
Charles Eames for Herman Miller Mid Century Time Life Lobby Chair
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Esperance, NY
This absolutely stunning Charles Eames for Herman Miller time life lobby chair. The leather is very
Leather
Sold
H 33 in W 28.5 in D 28 in
Pair of Time Life 'Lobby' Chairs by Charles Eames for Herman Miller 1970s Signed
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This wonderful pair of Time Life 'Lobby' lounge swivel armchairs were designed by Charles Eames in
Aluminum
Sold
H 28 in W 29 in L 28 in
Time Life Swivel Lounge / Lobby Chair by Charles and Ray Eames, Black Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare and early Charles and Ray Eames Time Life lounge chair in black leather with cast aluminum
Aluminum
Sold
H 29.5 in W 28.75 in D 29.25 in
Time Life Lobby Lounge Chair in Mohair, Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Wilton, CT
included a series of tables and most important; the Eames “Time Life” Executive Chair. For the lobby of
Metal, Aluminum
Sold
H 30.71 in W 28.35 in D 23.63 in
Pair of Lounge Lobby Chairs ES105 by Charles Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius, Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Berlin, DE
A beautiful pair of Lobby Chairs, Mod. 675 , ES 105 also known as the "Time Life Chair" designed by
Aluminum
Ray and Charles Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Black Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A legendary office design by Ray and Charles Eames for the three modernist lobbies of the new Time
Aluminum
Ray and Charles Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Cognac Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A legendary office design by Ray and Charles Eames for the three modernist lobbies of the new Time
Aluminum
Sold
H 30.71 in W 27.17 in D 27.56 in
Herman Miller ES104 Time Life Lobby Office Chair by Charles Eames
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Aachen, NW
Wonderful black leather Lobby Chair model ES104 produced by Herman Miller/Vitra in the 70s/80s
Aluminum
Sold
H 30.71 in W 27.17 in D 27.56 in
Rare Green Herman Miller ES107 Lobby Office Chair by Charles Eames
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Aachen, NW
Rare green Lobby Chair model ES107 produced by Herman Miller. The chair features a black aluminium
Aluminum
Sold
H 30 in W 28.5 in D 28 in
Ray and Charles Eames Time Life Lobby Chair with New Leather Upholstery
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A legendary office design by Ray and Charles Eames for the three modernist lobbies of the new Time
Aluminum
Sold
H 35 in W 29 in L 35 in
Time Life Lobby Executive Desk Chair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller, 1984
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
only minor variances such as slightly different casters. This Eames Time Life Lobby chair swivels
Aluminum
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Black Leather for Herman Miller, 1983 USA
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic Eames Time Life Lobby swivel chair in black leather with an aluminum frame. Slightly wider
Aluminum
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Black Leather for Herman Miller, 1983 USA
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic Eames Time Life Lobby swivel chair in black leather with an aluminum frame. All original
Aluminum
Sold
H 32 in W 28 in D 28 in
Eames Time Life Lobby Lounge Chair in Tan Leather for Herman Miller, 1980s USA
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic Eames Time Life Lobby Chairs in tan leather for Herman Miller stamped. Leather recently
Aluminum
Sold
H 33 in W 28.75 in D 27 in
Eames Time Life Lobby Lounge Chair in Black Leather for Herman Miller, 1982 USA
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in black leather for Herman Miller stamped 1983. Black leather
Aluminum
Sold
H 30.71 in W 27.17 in D 27.56 in
Set of 6 Vitra Herman Miller ES105 Lobby Chair by Charles Eames 1970s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Aachen, NW
Rare set of 6 Time life Lobby Chair model ES105 produced by Vitra/Herman Miller. The chairs
Aluminum
Vintage Time Life Lobby Chair in Blue Twill Fabric
By Charles Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
underside of chair. This is a Lobby Chair, meaning its slightly wider than the other Time Life Chairs. What
Aluminum
Eames Time Life Desk Chair in Original Maroon Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Seattle, WA
The Eames time life "lobby" chair was designed in 1960 for the reception areas of the Time-Life
Aluminum
Pair of Eames ES 106 Green Leather Desk Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Antwerp, BE
Eames Life Time lobby desk chairs. Unusual green leather version Herman Miller edition. There
Aluminum
Pair Eames Herman Miller Time Life Black Leather Office Chairs
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Detroit, MI
These mid century modern black Model 3475 Eames Time Life Lobby Chairs designed by Charles & Ray
Aluminum, Steel
Eames Time Life Lobby Chair for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed in 1960 by Charles Eames for the Time Life Building in Manhattan, this chair features a
Aluminum
Three-Seater Sofa 'Togo' by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset
By Ligne Roset, Michel Ducaroy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful cognac colored aniline leather 3-seater from the "Togo" series, designed by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset, France, 1973. This piece has been professionally reupholstered a...
Leather
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool This White Oak Chile Counter Stool is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. The stool is chunky and modern...
Wood, Oak
$2,500 / item
H 29 in Dm 19 in
Organic Modern Small Table Lamp Natural Wood Handmade Ivory Fluted Shade
By Isabel Moncada
Located in San Antonio, TX
PATA DE ELEFANTE SMALL table lamp was designed for the Atomic collection by Mexican artist Isabel Moncada. Named Pata de Elefante –Elephant's Foot– for the prominent shape at its ba...
Wood, Fabric, Linen, Fiberglass
Set Of 9 Herman Miller Eames Soft Pad Chairs
By Herman Miller
Located in Pasadena, TX
Designed as part of the iconic Aluminum Group, this low-back, side chair has the same sophisticated, refined aesthetic with extra padding. This authentic Eames Soft Pad Chair is mad...
Leather
$34,000
H 26.5 in W 92.75 in D 32 in
Warren Platner Walnut and Leather Floating Case Sofa for Lehigh Leopold, c. 1970
By Lehigh Leopold, Warren Platner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exceptionally rare and highly sought-after collectors piece (with celebrity provenance) is a Warren Platner Executive Leather Case Sofa designed for Lehigh Leopold in circa 1970...
Chrome
$37,200 / set
H 23.63 in W 35.44 in D 35.44 in
Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" Sofa for B&B Italia, Green Velvet, 1970, Set of 6
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" modular sofa for B&B Italia, green velvet, Italy, 1970, set of six. "Camaleonda" is an icon, rediscovered. Our atelier carefully restored this vintage...
Plastic, Velvet
De Sede DS-11 Modular Sofa in Original Brown Leather, 1970s
By De Sede
Located in amstelveen, NL
De Sede "DS 11" modular sofa in original brown leather, Switzerland, 1975. Sectional De Sede DS-11 sofa, manufactured in 1975 in Switzerland. This patchwork modular sofa consists of...
Leather
$1,155Sale Price / item|30% Off
H 16.1 in Dm 11.5 in
'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Textile
$2,250
H 35.5 in W 26.5 in D 29.5 in
1 Herman Miller Time Life Office Executive Leather Chair 4-Star Base
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Pasadena, TX
Herman Miller Time Life Executive Chair Originally designed in 1960 for the lobby of the Time-Life building in New York. Anodized aluminium 4- star base and frame Original taupe l...
Aluminum
1968 Executive Desk
By Warren Platner
Located in Hanover, MA
Executive desk formerly belonging to noted architect George M. Notter, (1933–2007) of the Boston firm Anderson Notter Finegold (now known as Finegold Alexander Architects). Current i...
Aluminum, Steel, Chrome
Charles Pollock Leather Executive Desk Chair in Brown
By Knoll, Charles Pollock
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage Charles Pollock for Knoll leather executive chair redone in medium brown color. This executive desk chair has a swivel base with adjustable height. Swivel base with all wheel...
Chrome
Eames Time Life Chair in Black Leather for Herman Miller, 1980s USA
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic Eames Time Life swivel chair in black leather for Herman Miller. Original black leather with wear as shown. Extremely comfortable and worn in. Chair swivels. Chair reclines. ...
Aluminum
$2,200 / item
H 41.75 in W 23 in D 23 in
2005 Herman Miller Eames Soft Pad Aluminum Executive Desk Chair in Blue Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Executive-Height Soft Pad Desk Chair, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1968. This particular example dates to 2005. T...
Aluminum
$26,200
H 26.38 in W 98.43 in D 39.38 in
Soriana Sofa by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1970s
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Antwerp, BE
Three-seater Soriana sofa by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, a rare and coveted piece of Italian design from the 1970s. Upholstered in sumptuous black leather, the sofa embodies t...
Leather
Gorgeous Avocado Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Not a color you see often! A classic Eames lounge chair and ottoman with vintage wood and metal components outfitted in brand new leather cushions in Avocado shade. 3-4 week producti...
Leather
"Berger" Stool by Charlotte Perriand for Steph Simon, France, 1965
By Charlotte Perriand
Located in Antwerp, BE
The "Berger" Stool, designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1965, is a timeless icon of mid-century modern design. Crafted from solid oak, its sturdy tripod base supports a subtly concave ...
Wood
Charles Eames and Ray Eames were the embodiment of the inventiveness, energy and optimism at the heart of mid-century modern American design, and have been recognized as the most influential designers of the 20th century. The Eameses were lovers of folk craft who had a genius for making highly original chairs, tables, case pieces and other furniture using traditional materials and forms.
As furniture designers, filmmakers, artists, textile and graphic designers and even toy and puzzle makers, the Eameses were a visionary and effective force for the notion that design should be an agent of positive change. They are the happy, ever-curious, ever-adventurous faces of modernism.
Charles Eames (1907–78) studied architecture and industrial design. Ray Eames (née Beatrice Alexandra Kaiser, 1912–88) was an artist, who studied under the Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit (the legendary institution where Charles also met his frequent collaborator Eero Saarinen and the artist and designer Harry Bertoia) and married the next year.
His technical skills and her artistic flair were wonderfully complementary. They moved to Los Angeles in 1941, where Charles worked on set design for MGM. In the evenings at their apartment, they experimented with molded plywood using a handmade heat-and-pressurization device they called the “Kazam!” machine. The next year, they won a contract from the U.S. Navy for lightweight plywood leg splints for wounded servicemen — vintage Eames splints are coveted collectibles today; more so those that Ray used to make sculptures.
The Navy contract allowed Charles to open a professional studio, and the attention-grabbing plywood furniture the firm produced prompted George Nelson, the director of design of the furniture-maker Herman Miller Inc., to enlist Charles and (by association, if not by contract) Ray in 1946. Some of the first Eames items to emerge from Herman Miller are now classics: the Eames chair, the LCW, or Lounge Chair Wood, and the DCM, or Dining Chair Metal, supported by tubular steel.
The Eameses eagerly embraced new technology and materials, and one of their peculiar talents was to imbue their supremely modern design with references to folk traditions.
Their Wire chair group of the 1950s, for example, was inspired by basket weaving techniques. The populist notion of “good design for all” drove their molded fiberglass chair series that same decade, and also produced the organic-form, ever-delightful La Chaise. In 1956 the Eames lounge chair and ottoman appeared — the supremely comfortable plywood-base-and-leather-upholstery creation that will likely live in homes as long as there are people with good taste and sense.
Charles Eames once said, “The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.” For very good collectors and thoughtful interior designers, a piece of design by the Eameses, the closer produced to original conception the better, is almost de rigueur — for its beauty and comfort, and not least as a tribute to the creative legacy and enduring influence of Charles and Ray Eames.
The original Eames furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes chairs, tables, case pieces and other items.
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.