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ZEELAND, Mich. — Herman Miller’s Eames lounge chair and ottoman has been given a sustainable makeover with an introduction that uses bamboo-based upholstery.
Herman Miller has revisited other designs to provide more sustainable options, including its Eames molded plastic chairs, now made with recycled plastic, and its Aeron chair, which uses ocean-bound plastic.
The bamboo-based leather alternative — which has already been used in other applications such as footwear, handbags and car interiors — has now been applied to the Eames lounge chair and ottoman. Bamboo is considered one of the most renewable resources because of its rapid growth, high CO2 absorption rate and lower water usage.
The Eames lounge chair was first introduced in 1956 by Charles and Ray Eames and has been in continuous production by Herman Miller since then.
“Charles and Ray Eames pioneered the use of molded plywood in furniture, one of the central material innovations of their time,” explained Noah Schwarz, vice president of product design for Herman Miller. “Today, Herman Miller is among the first furniture brands to offer a plant-based leather alternative, made almost entirely from bamboo. The two materials come together in the latest offering of the iconic Eames lounge chair and ottoman, upholding the aesthetic and quality standards that have defined the chair for nearly 70 years.”
The chair and ottoman are available in ivory, russet and black bamboo-based upholstery, with shells in walnut, santos palisander, ash or oak.
