Designers Charles and Ray Eames established their long and legendary relationship with Herman Miller in 1946 with the boldly original molded plywood dining and lounge chairs. Since then, the aesthetic integrity, enduring charm, and comfort of the chairs have earned them recognition as the best of modern design. The lounge chair is now available with a refined cowhide upholstery as the first offering in the new Herman Miller Select program of limited-edition products.
A Herman Miller Select Exclusive
Hide and chic. High-quality, hand-selected cowhide on a foam cushion is applied to the seat and back; the chair is finished in walnut veneer.
Bold and distinctive. No two chairs are alike; each has a unique, compelling natural pattern.
Limited Edition. Each of the 500 Select chairs is officially numbered for authenticity and features a special medallion.
Companion piece. To further elevate the experience, the chair comes paired with a numbered, cowhide-framed photograph of the Eames molded plywood lounge chair by Nick Merrick of the famed Hedrich Blessing studio.
Link to history. The Eameses originally used cowhide in their prototypes for the chair.
Distinctive Design
Sculpted form. Molding thin sheets of lightweight veneer into gently curved shapes gives the hard material a soft, inviting appearance.
Finish choices. The chairs are offered with richly grained birch veneer in seven finish colors that recall the times when the chairs were introduced; these environmentally friendly aniline stains allow the wood's natural characteristics to show through; natural cherry, walnut, or light ash choices are also available.
Leg choice. Wood or chrome-plated steel.
A Shape That Sits Well
Natural contours. The five-ply seat and back are designed to comfortably fit the body.
Shock mounts. Made of resilient natural rubber to absorb movement.
Design Story
In the early 1940s, when Charles Eames was working on MGM set designs, he would return to the small apartment where he and his wife, Ray, were experimenting with wood-molding techniques that would have profound effects on the design world.
Their discoveries led to a commission from the U.S. Navy in 1942 to develop plywood splints, stretchers, and glider shells molded under heat and pressure.
After World War II, they adapted the technology to create inexpensive, high-quality chairs that could be mass-produced. The process eliminated the extraneous wood needed to connect the seat with the back, which reduced the weight and visual profile of the chair and established a basis for modern furniture design. The chair is in the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art.
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