Herman Miller is adding a stylish splash of many colors to the Eames molded plywood lounge chair, a dramatic update for a enduringly popular chair first produced in 1945 and named by Time magazine in 1999 as the Design of the Century. Herman Miller is reintroducing aniline stain in a series of fresh color choices on the richly grained birch veneer.
The colorful palette for the lounge chair with wooden legs (LCW) will initially include yellow, light blue and white, with green, orange, purple, black and red aniline stains added later this summer. The new colors also will be available later this summer on the Eames molded plywood lounge chair with metal legs (LCM), the dining chair with wooden legs (DCW) and the dining chair with metal legs (DCM).
The first three colors will be shown at the Herman Miller exhibit in Booth 1610 at the 2007 International Contemporary Furniture Fair, running May 19-22 in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The introduction of the new colors coincide with Herman Miller's celebration of the centennial of the birth of Charles Eames, who with his wife, Ray, produced modern classic designs for the company from the 1940s to the 1970s. Eames was born on June 17, 1907, in St. Louis.
"It's a festive way to observe the 100th anniversary of Charles Eames' birth--and the legacy of his incredible talent," said Marg Mojzak, Director of Herman Miller for the Home. "The Eameses were both serious and playful in their approach to design and life, and bringing these new colors to market on the LCW makes a great product even more appealing and fun."
Herman Miller collaborated with the Eames Office to select appropriate colors to apply to the design. Gregg VanderKooi, Product Manager, Classics for Herman Miller, said the LCW will continue to be produced in ash, walnut and cherry veneers, noting that still more colors could be added in the coming years.
Order entry for the aniline stain is expected in June, VanderKooi said, at a slight upcharge.
"We know that the Eameses, were they alive today, would continue experimenting with materials and colors and finishes," said VanderKooi. "This is a way to honor their memory and refresh the classics--and it's just the beginning."
Herman Miller helps create great places to work, heal, learn, and live by researching, designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative interior solutions that support companies, organizations, and individuals all over the world. The company's award-winning products, complemented by furniture management and strategic consulting services, generated over $1.73 billion in revenue during fiscal 2006. Herman Miller is widely recognized both for its innovative products and business practices, having been named recipient of the prestigious National Design Award for product design from the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. In 2006, the company was again included in CRO magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" and was cited by Fortune magazine as the "Most Admired" company in its industry. The company trades on the NASDAQ market under the symbol MLHR.
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