In an earlier post James had lamented paying 1300$ for a new Eames storage unit. I agree with him on his hesitation.
I am a lover of all things Eames - because all of their items came about as an embodiment of their principles. Their philosophy was to design furniture that was a) well designed, b) high quality, c) affordable and available to the general public. In recent years the Mod design boom has made originals an expensive commodity - and rightly so. The quality and craftsmanship are still evident in my DCW - even though it is almost 60 years old.
However, I cannot help feeling some resentment towards Herman Miller and the Eames office for their price points on the re-issue Eames furniture. If something is designed well, but completely inaccessibly priced does it fulfill the original wishes of the designers? I would love to see the price point come down on the Eames' furniture so that more people can understand and enjoy the great designs.
Just my little rant.
PS. does anyone else see the irony that La Chaise was originally slated to have a production cost under $50...and now retails upwards of $7k...eeek.
No problem with collectible
I have no issue with the fact that original pieces are expensive. They are somewhat scarce, and thats fine. Its the new production of the furniture that makes me wonder...if part of the design is affordability - shouldnt the manufacturer honor that?
When I was showing my brother (a carpenter) the new Eames desk I'd been eyeing he pointed to each element and told me in which aisle of the local hardware store I could find it. I explained that the point of the desk was to utilize prefabricated parts. He asked "if thats the case.. why is it so expensive?" The only thing I could honestly say is: profit. Was the original designed to maximize profit? Or to provide good solutions to the masses?
design for the people
Not a fully-thought-through idea, but here's an analogy to consider: If you and I are OK with losing the Knoll or Herman Miller sticker, and we can get the "recipe" for the Eames desk, what's wrong with building our own? It's technically possible to build, at home, the same dinner you'd pay $300 for at the Four Seasons, right? If you care more about the food than the presentation, then what's the difference?
more thoughts
I considered the ESU for over a year and it was the only Eames piece I had trouble justifying the price. I thought maybe the price was so expensive due to low quantity being made each year or maybe they are making each part and not using "off the shelf" parts. I considered making one and I couldn't find uprights that looked the same, only ones with several hole that varied on size. one plus is when buying the real thing, it has a resell value. When I put my post a few days ago, I hoped for what i got, good words about the ESU. I just needed that extra pat on the back to order it.
I should point out
that none of the Eames furniture I own is anything other than authorized re-issue, or vintage. I dont want repros.
I like the food metaphor - altho my first point wasnt that I wanted to make the Eames desk - rather that the parts were off the shelf in order to make production cheaper, thus providing a cheaper selling price.
Without going too far into the debate about repro vs. authentic let me give an example: Aalto's stools retail for abotu $150 new. Target has remarkably similar stools for $12. I've seen both in person - the Aalto's are superior in quality. But...$138 superior?
I guess I'm stuck because I want to buy AUTHENTIC furniture (i.e. Herman Miller authorized versions of the Eames furniture) ... I just want them to make the PRICE less of an obstacle.
God that makes me sound cheap. LOL...
Summary: I want everyone to be able to have good design... without spending a fortune. Furniture should be for living in and enjoying... not neccessarily for resale value.
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