Hi everyone,
I was recently taking my girlfriend out to dinner when we spotted a beautiful chair next to some soiled mattresses and broken air conditioners on the side of the road. Surprise, surprise, it was a vintage Eames 670 lounge! I think it's one of the best dumpster-dive finds in recent years.
Well, we've taken it back home to assess the damage and it's not great, not terrible. The big issue is that it needs to be completely reupholstered. Someone didn't know what this chair was, and really treated the leather like dirt. Every single panel on it is ripped.
Not being veterans of the furniture world, we're not sure what to do about reupholstering it. Does anyone have an idea of how much it would cost and where we could send it? We have the lounge, but no ottoman.
The wood is in great shape; we're pretty sure it's an original Rosewood edition. The only problem is that at some point the back separated from the seat -- and instead of fixing the rubber connectors, the previous owner bolted the armrest to the seat and back of the chair.
Yes, it sounds terrible, but it's basically 4 small holes that should be able to be filled and fixed. I think (think!) it's not as bad as it sounds.
Does anyone have any recommendations for reupholstering the chair or filling the holes left by the jerk who threw the chair out? We live in Hawaii, so it's likely that we'll have to ship it to the mainland.
Thanks everyone!
Chris Thomas
Honolulu, Hawaii.
Lucky you!
What a great find.
Check the "670 Reproductions/Knockoffs" thread here, which is now on page 2, I think. I am now reupholstering my fourth Plycraft knockoff of the Eames lounge chair and I explained in that thread how it is done. The real thing is not that different from the Plycraft as far as the upholstering method.
It's very easy to do and any good upholsterer can handle it. You don't need to go to an Eames specialist. I wouldn't hesitate to tackle it myself and I am not even a pro, just an experienced amateur.
spares and repairs
Hume Modern was not very responsive to me either. When I finally got a reply, I was quite put back about how blunt their reply was, which roughly equated to "get the part in your own country, don't they have hardware stores in your part of the world?". But as some people said they had some +ve dealings with them.
A complete world of difference was Graham from Graham Mancha ( http://www.mancha.demon.co.uk/index.html). He went above and beyond in helping me when other's would not. Give him an email, I am sure he can point you in the right direction.
Eames cushions can also be bought separately at High brow furniture ( http://www.highbrowfurniture.com/seating/products/67071/). But is fairly pricey at USD$1372 for a set.
The holes under the arms does not give me confidence that the chair is an original. Did it come with any labels under the chair? what does the base look like? Are the cushion attached to the plywood using clips? It is best to make sure the chair is really what you think it is before repairing it with original parts. There are many experienced folk on this forum to help sort you out.
Not the Same as Knockoff
Damn..it seems like I'm the only one around here who hasnt found a 670 in the garbage. lol.
With all due respect and deference to Spanky, who has provided much insight and knowledge - the 670 is NOTHING like the many knockoffs. Just yesterday I viewed the "Eames Lounge Chair: 50 Years" exhibit at the Muesum of Art & Design. I watched the video of current production a few times, and got to chill in the 670 provided (soooooo nice). They also provided the exploded sculpture of the 670. Much to the amusement and sometimes consternation of the guards I was peering in and under and all over the pieces provided. I'm also currently working on a redo of a knock off - so I've got some points of reference for comparison.
One of the biggest differences between the 670 and the knockoffs is the upholstery. The knockoffs have foam stapled to an inner thin plywood shell, which is then affixed to the inside of the outer shell with screws driven from the outside.
The authentic 670 has leather which is welted and sewn to a zipper over a vulcanized plastic inner shell (no staples involved) The inner shell has 4 small loops that slip into 4 small clips which are surface screwed onto the inner screw. The treatment of the armrests is also much different in the 670 than it is in the knockoffs.
My advice - you have found a very valuable item - take the time and money to have the restoration done right. Even if it costs you 1000$ - you've still saved $2500 on buying a new one! This is an investment, treat it as such.
Call Hume Modern - email responses are sluggish, at best but they're closer (California) and their workmanship is impeccable. Call Graham Mancha from the UK. - you may be able to ship just the cusions, and maybe the backrest for regluing, rather than the whole chair. He's also extraordinarily friendly and a wealth of knowledge.
If the veneer/finish is in trouble, thats something I would trust to a very good finish carpenter - someone who has experience with fine furniture. Make sure they understand they are dealing with plywood. Some of the polyurethane/shellac removers can also strip the glue from the edges of the plys.
If you get a chance - go see the Eames lounge exhibit. It will give you a newfound respect for the chair. lol. Even the way its made today is rather extraordinary. Good luck!
hume - neccessary evil
A friend of mine got his lounge and ottoman completely restored by Hume. Alfie made sure to restore everything possible rather than replace. He tends to replace only when needed. The wooded shell on the seat on this chair was even broekn apart and splintered. You cannot even tell if you aren't looking for it.
Aside from this - I emailed him 2 or 3 times about recovering my Eames sofa. Never did get a response.
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