by Dave on October 14, 2009
In 1910 Walter Gropius established his own design practice and joined the Deutscher Werkbund, an association of German artists,architects, designers, and industrialists. That sameyear, he designed this sofa and armchair set, which was supposed to be Gropius’ solution to the Deutscher Werkbund’s debate over whether standardization and creative expression could be reconciled in design. As the pictures show, Gropius’ designs combine a beautiful aesthetic with a relatively simple structure that could be standardized and easily reproduced.
More pictures after the jump.
[click to continue…]
by Dave on October 7, 2009
The Eames Dining Chair Wood is the dining chair version of the Eames Lounge Chair Wood. The dining chair utilizes the same molded plywood and the same aircraft shock-mount-inspired piece of plywood which connects the chair seat’s reverse to the chair’s back. The two chairs look very similar, but the height and posture of the dining chair is more suitable for a kitchen table. The Dining Chair Wood is manufactured and sold by the Herman Miller company, and comes in a variety of woods, including walnut, cherry, and light ash, as well as a red finish.
by Dave on October 7, 2009
The Eames Lounge Chair Wood, often referred to as the Eames Plywood Chair or the Eames LCW , was designed in 1940. This iconic lounge chair was designed by Charles Eames and his friend, architect Ero Saarinen, for the “Organic Furniture Competiton” run by the Museum of Modern Art. The LCW won the competition. However, it did not go into production immediately due to difficulties with the chair’s production. Production was then further delayed by the United States’ entrance into WWII.
The chair’s assembly was inspired by the aircraft industry, as Eames and Saarinen utilized utilized shock mouts to attach the reverse of the seat and the chair’s back. The chair was originally made of molded walnut plywood and then sealed with a clear plastic melamine coat. Since its original release, the Eames wood lounge chair has been produced by Herman Miller in a number of materials, including mahogany, rosewood, oak, cowhide, leather, teak, and several others.
by Dave on September 29, 2009
The abcd chair was a chair designed in 1966 by French designer Pierre Paulin. The chair utilized the abcd system of design utilizing fiberglass seat shells that were either upholstered to form an individual chair or joined together to form multiple seat chairs and sofas. The Chair was upholstered with textiles and rested on casters. In 1969 the abcd furniture series won the Monza design award.
by Dave on September 28, 2009
Charles Eames begain work on the Eames Wire Chair (commonly referred to as the Eames Bikini Chair) in the early 1950s. During this period Charles and Ray Eames began investigating the use of bent steel wire and the welding techniques required to incorporate it into their furniture. The Wire Chair, in particular, was a collaboration between Charles Eames and Harry Bertoia (an Italian-born artist, sculptor, and modern furniture designer). Bertoia was originally a metal-worker, and his knowledge in this field was a great help to Eames.
The Eames Wire Chair was manufactured and sold by the Herman Miller Company beginning in 1951. The company still produces the original Eames design today. It can be purchased in several different styles: the wire only chair, the wire chair with a single leather seat bad, and the wire chair with the dual “bikini” leather pad.
