Although understandably not the most important or the most famed, but rather arguably the most popular and the most copied, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair and the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman are two that can be referred to as ‘timeless’ for their ability insert style into any of their surroundings.  Because I like to understand why certain things ‘make it’ (especially in the frivolous world of design) and become ‘icons’, I thought The Lounge and The Barcelona would be perfect subjects for my latest installment of our Timeless posts.

The Barcelona:

Mies van der Rohe, a German architect most famously known for being one of the pioneers of Modernism -designing such icons as the Seagram Building in New York (which we have a version of in Toronto – The TD Centre) also designed another icon,  The Barcelona Chair, along with his longtime parter and collaborator Lilly Riech.   Created for the German Pavilion at the International Exposition in 1929 in Barcelona, the chair was inspired by ancient campaign and folding chairs and was originally made of ivory pigskin with a bolted steel frame.  The chair is almost completely made by hand and in the 50′s when stainless steel became more available, Mies redesigned the frame to be the seamless piece of metal, removing the bolts to give it the fluid appearance it has today.

To me, The Barcelona is a stand alone piece that can frame a room.  It’s low, it’s interesting and the stainless steel gives it a fun high design feel.  It may not scream comfort, but neither do most Louboutins, yet there’s just something about them….

The Eames Chair:

Created in 1956 by another design duo, husband and wife team Charles and Ray Eames, the chair and ottoman were designed as a birthday gift to famed director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot).  The chair went on to be the first that the couple would design for a high end market, becoming almost instantly coveted and finally being a fixed feature in the Museum of Modern Art.  Created from layers of moulded plywood and sumptuous leather, the chair was designed to be a comfortable escape -”a special refuge for the strains of modern life” said Charles.

A simple design that stands the test of time.  To me, it instantly inserts a masculine weightiness to any room without being over bearing or, well, ugly.  Sure a Lay-Z-Boy is comfortable, but it’s also horrid to look at.  The Eames Chair and Ottoman are the perfect balance between masculine and feminine and like Ray Eames said it’s “comfortable and un-designy”

Both of these chairs were designed by extremely talented artists who just happened to also be outstanding architects.  It would be surprising if they would have designed something that didn’t stand the test of time.  Kudos to the geniuses that keep our lives filled with beautiful things to admire and be inspired by.

Check out this video from the 1956 where Charles Eames previews the Eames chair on the NBC ‘Home’ show:

I’m currently dreaming of a white leather Lounge Chair….

xo,

coco