Perhaps the most famous and certainly one of the most luxurious elements in the Eames brand name, the Eames chair and ottoman set is a good example of high-end luxury. With the high prices this set commands, you can impress anyone and enjoy absolute comfort… but you have to be willing to pay the cost. Buying a cheap imitation could be a costly error, so if you've thought about looking into designer furniture like this, you should also look into the details that will help you identify the real products and sort out the fakes.
One way to spot great classic modern furniture worth every penny without too much trouble is to look for famous names. Names like Knoll, Vitra, and James Herman will insure that your piece of Eames design is legitimate and fairly priced. But names alone aren't the best sign. An even surer and safer identification method is to know something about the Eames ottoman and chair set's actual construction.
The chair of the set is based on a series of curved plywood shells: seven in modern reproductions, five in the original products. The cushions for both the back and seat are shaped to match these shells, and interlocked with each other. Unlike many chairs, the back and the rest for the user's head are the same size. The seat and ottoman are similarly sized to each other as well. Due to the unique design of this Eames lounge chair, the back and headrest both have a certain amount of flexibility to them. But this is also a disadvantage, since too much weight or damage from the passage of time can cause the chair to break apart along the area of the shock mounts. Therefore, if you buy one of these sets, you should treat the chair gently and not lean back too forcefully if you want it to last in top condition for a long time.
One of the most noticeable visual features of this set is that the chair lacks bolts or screws breaking up the outer surface of the shells or cushions. Cushions are affixed to backing which is in turn connected to the shells through discreet rings and clips. Being one of the most characteristic details of this set, you should look for this before all else, and immediately discount models that fail to pass this simple test.
Remember that this is high-end furniture and that you'll have to pay appropriately if you want the real deal. In fact, it was the very first chair set designed with the Eames name for the high-end market. If you're a little tight on the cash for that kind of quality and unique artistic appeal, there are many more affordable Eames pieces in classic modern furniture that won't cost you a grand. But you have to be the one to decide how much any piece is worth to you, given your lifestyle, your budget, and your needs.
