ES106 Eames Chaise

The Eames Chaise was designed as a gift for the Eameses’ friend, film director Billy Wilder. Over a decade earlier while on the set of Spirit of St. Louis (where Charles served as a second unit director), Wilder had a memorable experience of catnapping on a plank suspended on two sawhorses. The narrowness of the improvised device offered a natural wake-up call: once slumber was reached, the napper’s arms would inevitably slip to the floor to awaken them. The story stuck with Charles, who years later, incorporated the premise of the plank into the Eameses’ 17.5-inch-wide design for a luxurious chaise lounge. Based on a similar premise to the Eames Aluminum Group, the Chaise features a cast aluminum frame consisting of two side members that connect a sheet of elasticized Fiberthin that runs the length of the piece. Four spreaders (located at the uprights, head, and foot) connect the side members and hold the upper in continuous tension. A series of upholstered “best aucht” leather cushions attach to the frame with a series of hidden zippers (for easy replacement should one get damaged). Staff member Dick Donges later recounted that both Charles and Ray were deeply involved in the design development of the Chaise. Ray famously pushed the team and supplier to deliver the appropriate shade of nylon coating for the aluminum frame—based on a particularly attractive Japanese eggplant. Wilder was presented with the first chaise as a gift, while Charles kept a slightly wider prototype in his office. Herman Miller then commercialized the design, which has remained in continuous production ever since.