Design archive
Charles & Ray Eames
United States
active 1941 to 1978
Furniture designers, Architects, Filmmakers
American modernism, Mid-century modern
Why the work matters
Charles and Ray Eames worked as a married team out of a studio in Venice, California, and treated furniture the way an engineer treats a bridge. They wanted a good chair to reach as many people as possible, so they spent years bending plywood and moulding fibreglass until the shapes felt inevitable.
Their Lounge Chair from 1956 is the piece most people picture, but the moulded plastic side chairs did the quieter work of putting honest design into ordinary rooms. Vitra still makes the European editions to the original measurements.
The work
Icons, seen properly.
Dimensions and variants come from the current maker. Prices are a dated regional snapshot, not a promise. Always confirm the final configuration, delivery and total before ordering.
Lounge chair · 1956
Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
Moulded plywood shells, loose cushions and a swivel aluminium base turn the club chair into something lighter without making it less comfortable.
| Maker | Vitra in Europe; Herman Miller in North America |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | Chair: 84 W x 85 D x 84 or 89 H cm, depending on classic or new dimensions. Seat height 38 cm. |
| Models | Classic and new dimensions; matching non-swivel Ottoman; five-star swivel chair base. |
| Materials and colours | European cherry, chestnut, walnut or Santos palisander shells; leather or fabric upholstery; polished or powder-coated aluminium bases. |
| Price | Configuration price. Vitra does not publish one stable Europe-wide price because upholstery, shell and size change the total. |
Lounge chair · 1948
La Chaise
A long white shell on a compact oak and steel base, drawn for MoMA's 1948 competition and shaped around Gaston Lachaise's Floating Figure.
| Maker | Vitra |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 150 W x 88 D x 87 H cm. |
| Models | One sculptural lounge-chair format. |
| Materials and colours | White lacquered polyester-resin shell, chrome-plated tubular steel and natural oiled oak. |
| Price | Configuration price. Vitra directs buyers to its regional configurator or dealers. |
Explore the current Vestados maker file for Vitra.
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