Re-List: Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair - Rosewood

RE-LIST, NEW PRICE: Eames Lounge Chair by Herman Miller - Now $650

This chair was originally listed around the end of January 2009 for $1,500 and was just reduced to just $650. A much better deal!

This is perhaps the most coveted, and yet widely available, piece of all mid century modern furniture, and is regularly seen in movies, tv, magazines, design forums, etc. The chair was designed by Charles and Ray Eames and has been produced by Herman Miller since 1956. It includes bent, veneered shells, soft individually upholstered leather cushions, and a die cast aluminum frame.

These chairs have been offered in a wide variety of veneers over the years (see Herman Miller's website for today's options). Those done in Brazilian Rosewood, as is the one in this listing, are, in my experience, the most sought after. A mint condition chair like this would easily sell for over $3000, and possibly more, depending on the edition / age. See this post for more information on how to tell the real thing from a fake (they are common).

The chair in this post does have some significant flaws that really detract from its value. Most importantly, there is a crack in the veneer that appears to have been repaired with a metal brace of some sort. I have no idea how difficult or costly this would be to repair, but certainly it is not trivial and in the end you will have a repaired / restored piece that is not totally original. I have seen spare parts of these chairs online, so it may be possible to replace that section altogether. Also, the upholstery on this one is less than ideal... white suede. Original upholstery is strongly preferred, or at least a high quality attempt to match the original leather.

With those points in mind, my initial reaction is that $1500 is a little high (NOW $650!), but not unreasonable. It would be worth a little research on eBay to see how pieces in this condition have sold recently, and what it might cost to restore this one to better condition.

Finally, in fact checking for this post I came across the video from 1956 when this chair was first introduced to the public on the predecessor to NBCs Today Show (See Below!). This includes a great discussion with Charles and Ray Eames about the design and concept behind this chair and some of their other chairs. Definitely worth a look!

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/fuo/1051216837.html