When Comfort Was an Art: The Lost Era of Iconic Chairs

The iconic symbol of comfort seating — the famous Eames Lounge Chair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames — traces its conceptual origins back to the Middle Ages. The core idea of the chair can be linked to the royal thrones used across various European empires since the early centuries AD. These thrones typically featured a cushioned, comfortable seat accompanied by an auxiliary ottoman or footstool. The Eames Lounge Chair descends from this tradition of ultimate luxury seating — once reserved exclusively for kings and lords.

As Hirai et al. noted, Charles and Ray Eames drew inspiration for the Eames Lounge Chair from the traditional English club chair of the 1850s. They preserved the club chair's soft, inviting comfort while innovating with molded plywood, supple leather, and a contoured, humanized backrest. By refining the chair’s thickness and proportions, they created a warm, receptive seating experience that modernized classic design. The Eames Lounge Chair exemplifies how historical designs can spark contemporary innovation. Unlike its predecessor's brown leather, the Eames chair employed black leather or fabric combined with plywood, giving it a distinctive, modern aesthetic.

The chair’s lineage branches into two historical streams — the ottoman and the armchair. The ottoman, a sought-after upholstered, backless seat, takes its name from the Ottoman Empire, named after its founder Osman I. Originally crafted by Turkish carpet weavers using cotton and cushions, the ottoman may have drawn from ancient Egyptian techniques of fashioning stools from cloth and natural materials — a necessity in a desert region where wood was scarce. By the late 18th or early 19th century, the ottoman arrived in Europe, where its association with Turkish daily life earned it its name. English country clubs quickly adopted it, pairing it with armchairs to enhance luxury and comfort.

The armchair, rooted in the symbolism of status and dignity, traces back to the royal throne and remains emblematic even today — notably represented in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. Although chairs became commonplace only in the 16th century, preceding centuries saw stools, benches, and ottomans used in daily life. The earliest chairs date back to Egypt’s early dynasties around 3100 BCE, fashioned from carved wood and leather.

The Eames Lounge Chair represents how, through countless iterations, design can reach an apex of refinement. Featuring molded wooden panels with smooth vinyl finishes, melded seamlessly with soft dark leather and cushioning, the chair blends tradition with innovation. The ottoman — inspired by the English club chair tradition — adds a unique, defining element, creating a sense of calm and understated luxury for the user. Charles and Ray Eames synthesized centuries of subtle design evolution with their vision to craft a timeless icon of modern design.