Before & After: Plycraft Mr. Chair

While the majority of our Eames-era chairs are authentic Eames Lounge Chairs, there are some replica chairs that have become iconic in their own right. The Plycraft Mr. Chair is one of the them. If you're a die-hard Eames fan, this won't cut it for you! But if you're looking for a comfortable chair, with mid-century lines, beautiful molded wood and a leather seat & back, you won't be disappointed!

When it arrived, this particular chair was still in good general shape, however the wood was terribly faded and the leather worn. Besides bringing the wood back to its' original gorgeous tone, the owner wanted to give it a new look, which white leather upholstery achieved - Voila!

Eames in Color

When we realized we had restored so many Eames Lounge Chairs in colors other than the traditional black, we thought it would be fun to do a collage! What do you think? In the right space, color is a fantastic option for these classic chairs, making them more of a focal point than ever.

If you could chose a color other than black, what would it be?

Reupholstered BLUE Herman Miller Eames Chair

This is something we don't see often - a gorgeous rosewood eames chair, reupholstered in royal blue leather! It's actually quite striking, and a really fun choice!

We love it when clients aren't afraid to take a chance and step out of the box, and this client certainly did. The leather is soft and supple, and the color is so rich. It will surely be a focal point in the room!

The wood was still in very good shape, so we just cleaned it up. The rosewood pattern is very subtle, which works well with the vibrancy of the leather.

What do you think? Would you ever reupholster your Eames chair in a colored leather? Let us know in the comments!

Architectural Tour: Schindler House Los Angeles

Los Angeles is home to a great concentration of cultural & architectural icons, but sometimes we don't realize what we have sitting under our own nose. Design junkies that we are, it's such a treat to stumble upon one of those special places when we least expect it.

During a recent walk down Melrose Avenue, in the heart of West Hollywood, I ventured down Kings Road, which is one of the most beautiful streets in that neighborhood. It's tree-lined, mostly residential, and the quaintness is out of sync with the traffic & bustle nearby. It was on this detour that I noticed a small sign for Schindler House. I was not hugely familiar with R. M Schindler, but I did know the name as a pioneer in the modernism era, so I had to investigate further.

What strikes you first is that you would never know a historic home is located on this quiet and serene street, never mind in the middle of the city. It's set back from the street, behind a fully mature bamboo hedge, with just the small sign proclaiming its' existence. 

Schindler House Los Angeles, or the Kings Road House, as it is commonly known, was built in 1922 and was actually considered to be one of Schindler's most important works. It is considered by many to be the first house built in the modern style, and was experimentally built for communal living, housing another couple besides the Schindlers. 

The lot was divided into seven sections; four of them were assigned to each of the four inhabitants of the home, to express their own individuality and there was a shared kitchen and outdoor sleeping areas (on a rooftop deck). The structure draws upon European modern architecture (Schindler was Austrian) and, like many European buildings of that time, incorporated concrete, glass and wood in the construction of the home. This had become a popular trend in Europe thanks to Mies van der Rohe's work in experimental concrete buildings in the 1920's. 

The residence was used for political, social and cultural events during the time they lived there, and it was also used as housing for visiting artists, architects and writers (Frank Lloyd Wright and his son, Lloyd Wright, were frequent visitors). I can only imagine how astounding the guest list must have been during those days. The Schindlers eventually divorced, but the house continued to be a meeting place for left-wing political radicals in Los Angeles. 

Today, the house is maintained and funded by the MAK Center for Art and Architecture Los Angeles at Schindler House. There are year-round events and exhibitions and programs geared toward the creative arts. When we were there, we were lucky to be treated to a small Eames exhibit.

Schindler House is located at 835 North Kings Road, West Hollywood, CA 90069. It is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am - 6 pm, and admission is $7.00.

It is well worth the visit.

Images: Top photo via MAK Center for Art & Architecture Los Angeles. All other photos my own.

Restored Eames Lounge Chair in Red Leather

We wanted to share this recent restoration with you, because it's not often you see an Eames Lounge Chair in a leather other than Black or Brown! Our client loved her previous red leather, so we reupholstered it in new leather.

 The rosewood had a gorgeous grain, and restoration really brought out the character of the wood.

Restored & Reupholstered Eames 3473 Sofa

This is quite a before & after post! Can you believe our client bought this rare Eames 3473 sofa sight unseen? He had it delivered directly to our workshop and saw it for the first time when he brought in his fabric. Needless to say, it needed a complete overhaul. These are fun projects; we love transforming pieces from this, to this:

As mentioned, we completely restored and reupholstered the piece, as well as the metal. Our client chose a classic bright Maharam Hallingdal fabric, which is perfect.

The Eames 3473 sofa was only produced between 1964 and 1973, so there aren't many models. The frame is cast aluminum and the seat and angled back feature channel welts running horizontally. It's quite a bit different from the Eames Compact sofa, which is still in production through Herman Miller.

About a chair...

For Every Need, In Every Way, For Everyone from Herman Miller on Vimeo.
Animator Bill Porter takes us on a simple journey through the life of a boy and a girl and the chair they encounter at every turn.

Story Concept and Creative Direction: WHY hermanmiller.com/why
Animation: Bill Porter www.bpbpbp.com

Most Popular Question: Is my Eames chair real?

One of the most frequently asked questions we get on our contact form from new clients is whether their Eames lounge chair is authentic. Or, they think it is, and we have to break the news that it is in fact not authentic.

real!

real!

We originally ran this post in 2011 - but a good refresher is always in order! Here are the essentials:

• All real Eames chairs are made in plywood, with cherry, walnut, santos palisander or rosewood veneers.
• A real Eames Lounge Chair will have a five-legged base, and the Ottoman will have four legs. The bases should be die-cast.
• The cushions for the ottoman and seat cushions for the chair should be the exact same size, and the leather should be soft.
• The armrests should be slightly curved, not flat, and should have a separate piece of leather wrapped around the edge.
• Finally, all originals do not have any visible screws or bolts, and should have natural rubber shock mounts and adjustable stainless steel glides.

NOT real!

NOT real!

Real!

If there is ever a questions about the authenticity of your chair, feel free to give us a call, or email us at info@classicdesignla.com. 

Before & After: Eames Walnut Stool

These are such fabulous pieces! Charles & Ray Eames designed three shapes of stools in 1960 for the lobby of the Time Life Building in New York City. They are lathe-turned walnut and can also be used as little side table (although there is a slight curved indentation on top, better suited for a derriere than a teacup).

Oh, and here is the after! It just needed a little time with our talented finishing team!

All three shapes are still in production and sold through Herman Miller.

Edited: we just had a reader reach out to us on the upkeep & maintenance of these, and other, pieces. We did a blog post on this, which you can find here! Thank you!

This is what happens when you DON'T bring your Eames chair to Classic Design...

Can you imagine? This is why you should only use a reputable shop with experience (like Classic Design!) to restore your beloved Eames chair. We will take care of that nasty eyesore and bring this chair back to life. Stay tuned for the after story!

There's nothing like a newly restored rosewood Eames chair...

Are we right? ;)

Classic Design on Chairish!

Have you heard of Chairish yet? It's a great marketplace for buying & selling home decor. As you may know, we periodically buy classic pieces, which are restored here, and oftentimes they stay indefinitely because the logistics of selling are difficult. Chairish makes it easier - you list, upload and they handle the transportation! We've listed some of the pieces we have on hand - click on over and browse a bit. Better yet, click on over and buy, buy, buy!

If it fits...

Yes, as a matter of fact, your Eames chair will fit in your Fiat :)

How to care for your Herman Miller (Eames) Lounge Chair

After you have spent the money to restore your classic Eames chair to its' original condition, you will probably want to take care it so it can provide many more years of beauty, comfort and practicality. One of the most frequent questions we receive is how to take care of the leather, wood and metal on these chairs?

Clients are always asking which leather cleaning product or wood polish is the best. Our response? NONE. That's right. Do not use any leather or wood product on your Herman Miller Lounge Chair! Think of it this way; leather is a skin. When you put make up on your skin, you clog the pores. The same goes for the wood.

Our recommendation? Take a very soft, very old tee shirt and dampen it a bit. Use this to gently wipe the topical dirt and any grease on the chair and wood. The dampness will also provide the necessary occasional humidity to keep the leather soft and supple. If you want to use some basic polish for the metal, you can, but do so sparingly.

These are such gorgeous pieces of furniture. If you own an authentic Eames chair, consider yourself lucky, and taking care of it accordingly will ensure that it is a piece that can be enjoyed for generations. And, if your Eames chair needs restoration (as they all do eventually), well, you know where to find us!

P.S. If you need help determining if your Eames chair is real or a fake, take a look at this post.

Before & After: Eames Compact Sofa

It's always great when a piece comes in like this. Charles & Ray Eames initially designed the Compact Sofa as a built-in sofa in their Pacific Palisades home in the 1940's.  They enjoyed it so much that they later designed a freestanding version, which has been in continuous production since 1954.

In terms of sofa design, it is nothing like a traditional sofa but is instead lightly scaled & streamlined. It's perfect for smaller spaces and rooms where a traditional sofa would not work, but is also a great focal piece in larger rooms where a modern look is desired.

We reupholstered this Eames Compact Sofa in black vinyl, what do you think of the transformation?

Happy New Year from Classic Design!

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! As you can see, we are starting the new year with a new batch of Eames restorations at our workshop infirmary! As you may know, restoring Herman Miller Eames Lounge chairs, and other classic modern pieces, is one of our specialties, and these are just some of the new residents that came in this week in need of some TLC!

We'll be fixing them up so they are as good as new, and back home soon!