Eames Chairs

The couple Ray and Charles Eames have designed several chairs, such as a rocking chair, an office chair, a lounge chair, as well as dining chairs. Three of his most famous dinning chairs are the DSW, DSR and DAW. Here you can read about:

• Different prices on Eames' chairs
• The design and the different colours and variants
• Eames' DSW, DSR and DAW

Different models

All of the three chairs have obvious common features – the curved plastic back made in one piece is repeated in all of the three mentioned variants, so one can clearly see that they are close relatives. The same goes for their rocking chair. However, some of their other models are distinctly different, for example Eames' office chair, which have a back and seat made of leather for highest possible comfort. Though this chair also is made out of one visually coherent piece, so the chair does not have any visible joining.

When the material of the seat changed from fibreglass to plastic

DSR, DSW and DAW were originally produced with a seat out of fibreglass, but since this material is not recyclable, the manufacturer Vitra stopped the production after 36 years in 1993, for environmental reasons. Instead they started to produce the chair in the eco-friendly plastic material polypropylene. The chairs are just as comfortable and solid as the original chairs from 1950.

Eames' Plastic Chair is the first plastic chair to be industrially manufactured.

Eames' DSR, DSW and DAW chairs in 14 colours

The chair seat or chair shell, as it is also called, is available in 14 different colours. The polypropylene is dyed-through. White or black are the most common, because their classic look fits everywhere.

However, it is also very popular to choose the chair in one of the other 12 variants, which make the chair more unique with its playful colour – and expresses the American '50s period, from which it is born. Why not try a green, red, blue or mustard yellow, and jazz up your dining room or office with a unique expression.

The base of DSR, DAW and DSW is made of an innovative chromed steel wire. The chairs are also made in a variation for outdoor use with a black lacquered base.

Eames' DSR – the most popular

DSR is probably the most popular chair from the designer couple Eames. It was created in 1948 and relaunched in 2004. DSR is a popular dining chair in the home, as well as in many cafeterias and conference rooms in companies – or, for example in cafes. The design fits into any home with its light and elegant design and wide colour spectra.

DSR chair dimensions:

Eames' DSW chair

DSW is a further development of DSR – same organic, curved shape of the seat, but the base is made of a wooden maple frame in natural, dark stained or painted black finish. You get the same options with colours – also 14 different variants of this chair.

White or black chairs with a wooden base are popular choices among the Danes, and more or less the safe choice.

DSW chair dimensions:

Eames' DAR chair - variant with armrests

DAR is yet another variant of Eames' DSR, but on this variant the shell itself has been changed, in order to accommodate armrests. The shell has been shaped so that it to a greater extent closes around the body and provides more support and even higher comfort, if one wishes to sit and relax. In addition, DAR is also a further development of DSW, since it has the same base made of maple wood.

Thus, all three are combinations of the almost identical shell and the various bases.

DAR is also available in a wide range of colours and has the same dimensions. The chair, like the other two, comes with felt pads under the base, so it is great for hard floors. In addition, you can buy plastic pads if you have carpet on the floor.

History and development over time

The couple Ray and Charles Eames originally designed their fibreglass chair for the competition “Low cost furniture design” at Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1950.

Besides the aforementioned central change to the seat material, from fibreglass to plastic, other changes have been made. This is to ensure that the chair still provides same high comfort and fit with the decoration style of present time. The manufacturer Vitra has therefore increased the height of the chair by 2 cm over the years since 1950, to accommodate our increasing average height.

Most recently, the seat height of the chairs has been changed from 41 cm to 43 cm.

Can you buy Eames' chairs second-hand?

Yes, you can buy both DSR, DSW, DAW and other versions second-hand, if you get lucky and find a good offer on the various websites that manages the purchase and sale of second-hand furniture. A couple of obvious places would be eBay, Gumtree, Trendsales, groups on Facebook, local dealers of second-hand furniture in your town and auction websites such as Lauritz.com.

Second-hand Eames' chairs can have some scratches, so always check out the chairs thoroughly before buying. Does the surface on seat and back still look nice? Is the base still firmly attached to the shell?

Find your price

The prices for these three designer chairs in the original version from the Danish resellers are:

DSR: 2.600kr. (£300 / $390)

DSW: 4.000kr. (£470 / $600)

DAW: 4.000kr. (£470 / $600)

The price for a copy from Ireland is about a tenth of an original, while a second-hand fluctuate from seller to seller.

Do you need a cushion for your chair?

Eames' chairs DSW, DSR and DAW are all very comfortable, since the polypropylene moulds to fit the body. Thus, you do not need a cushion to sit comfortable in the chair. However, there are always individual preferences, so if you are among those who prefer to have an extra soft seat, this is of course an obvious option. The same applies if you for example are very sensitive to cold and want a little extra heat on your bottom or, if you for example need some extra padding between you and the plastic shell.

You can, for example, buy the chair without cushion to start with, and if you would like one later on, you always have the option to buy  a cushion at one of the many resellers or have some custom made.