Eames Soft Pad Side Chair by Herman Miller

Vendor: Office Designs

Eames Soft Pad Side Chair by Herman Miller. In 1969, the Eameses updated the original Mid-Century classic Eames Aluminum Group chair designs by adding plush, individually upholstered 2-in. thick cushions; they named these the Eames Soft Pad chairs. With a similarly timeless, refined design to the Aluminum Group, the Soft Pad edition works well in your home office, dining area or living room. Available in leather or an airy, breathable mesh fabric, with a polished aluminum frame and tilt-swivel base, the chairs are uber-comfortable strong, lightweight and easy to move.The comfort design goals of the Aluminum Group chairs were achieved by stretching one continuous piece of upholstery tightly between the aluminum side supports to create a firm, flexible sitting pocket that responds to each person's shape with remarkably comfortable results. The same goals applied to the Soft Pad Group construction, along with thicker cushions. Other important features include:Tilt/swivel mechanism in 5-star baseWide, ergonomic seatManual or optional pneumatic seat-height adjustmentUpholstered in Spinneybeck Vicenza leather or Cygnus mesh upholsteryThe distinctive aesthetic of the Soft Pad chairs is offered in five styles: The Soft Pad Side Chair is a meeting or side chair, with fixed seat height and 5 star swivel base on glides, intended for relatively static environments. The Soft Pad Management Chair is essentially the same chair shell as the side chair, but with the addition of gas lift height adjustment, and can be used with casters or glides. The Soft Pad Executive Chair is simply a higher backed version of the management chair and is also offered as a Lounge chair with ottoman. Recognized as one of the greatest chair designs of the 20th century, the instantly recognizable Eames Aluminum Group and Soft Pad chairs still look both classic and contemporary in 21st century interiors. Herman Miller HistoryFounded in 1923 and recognized today throughout the world as an innovator in office and residential furniture design, Herman Miller has been ranked since 1986 among the top ten in Fortune Magazine's annual list of the 500 most admired companies. Their pioneering research into producing environmentally responsible furniture has earned them GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality certification for most of their products. Aesthetically, many of Herman Miller's iconic designs, particularly from the 1940s and 1950s, are valuable collector's items and on permanent display in museums such as the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Smithsonian Institution.In 1933, new furniture designs created by Herman Miller designer Gilbert Rohde exhibiting the smooth lines and unembellished shapes of the emerging mid-century modern furniture style were exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair. In 1944, Rohde's successor George Nelson designed such enduring icons as the Platform bench, and was famously responsible for teaming the company with such influential design artists as Alexander Girard, Isamu Noguchi and Charles and Ray Eames. Charles Eames, widely regarded as a genius in contemporary furniture design, produced one of Herman Miller's most successful products in 1956, the elegant Eames Lounge chair. In 1994, Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf introduced a new office chair called Aeron (derived from the word aeration, which describes how the mesh suspension promotes comfort), which became an immediate worldwide success and earned a spot in the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as well. Today, Herman Miller continues to attract world-famous designers like Jeff Weber, Jerome Caruso, the Studio 7.5 Design Team in Berlin, Yves Behar, Mark Goetz and many more.If the purpose of design is to solve problems, and the relationship between design and business is synergistic, then Herman Miller today continues to be in the vanguard of design as a fundamental part of strategic planning.Charles & Ray EamesDesign is the appropriate combination of materials in order to solve a problem. — Charles EamesBest known today for their pioneering contributions to the fields of architecture, manufacturing and furniture design, Charles and Ray Eames are considered to be among the most important American designers of the 20th century.Renowned throughout the world as the creators of the sleek and elegant Eames Lounge Chair and ottoman, influential Aluminum Group chairs, innovative Wire chair and ubiquitous Molded Plastic Armchair, the Eameses began their career and earned their exalted spot on the list of great designers with the introduction in 1946 of the Molded Plywood Lounge (aka the LCW) chair, which was called the chair of the century by Time magazine. The enduring appeal of this highly sculptural chair has made it, along with the Eames Lounge chair, a part of the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), as well as a continuing source of inspiration for contemporary furniture designers.The design philosophy that propelled their creations into superstardom was more than merely about creating a look — the Eames set their sights on creating a better world by designing furniture that fulfilled the practical needs of ordinary people. Good design, they believed, could improve the actual quality of people's lives. Their work was aimed not merely at aesthetic appeal and charm; their designs aspired to match the contours of the human body, resulting in chairs as comfortable as they were beautiful.Refined, highly functional office furniture was created in the 1960s, as well as seating designed for Dulles and O'Hare Airports. This Tandem Sling Seating is still in use in airports around the world today.Throughout their careers, the Eameses never hesitated to tweak and improve their world-famous designs, experimenting with slightly modified angles and seat sizes, expanded color and even material options, all in the name of making good designs ever better.Discussing the ethos of functionalism that informed all of the Eameses' furniture designs, Ray Eames said: What works is better than what looks good. The ‘looks good’ can change, but what works, works! EA40 173