Return To Form: Herman Miller Reintroduces The Iconic Eames Dining Chair

In partnership with the Eames Office, Herman Miller is welcoming the return of an iconic form, with the added benefit of contemporary material updates.

Originally introduced in 1970 as EC-127, the Eames Molded Plastic Dining Chair returns with an array of color and upholstery options and a more sustainable design. Made with 99 percent post-industrial recycled plastic and offered in contemporary colors, the chair is durable, spirited and versatile. And for the first time ever, it’s available in a non-upholstered version, making it an excellent choice for high-use environments like offices, libraries, dining rooms and restaurants.

“In addition to being comfortable and elegant, the EC-127 is a perfect exemplar of the Eameses’ belief in constant improvement of their own designs,” says Eames Demetrios, Director of the Eames Office and the grandson of Charles and Ray Eames. “As pioneers of the use of plastic for affordable and durable furniture, they applied that knowledge to eliminate the need for separate shock mounts. Their understanding of the qualities of plastic allowed the Eameses to merge those shock mounts with the seat and back while making the chair itself more lightweight — it also made possible greater color variety.”

Charles and Ray Eames famously revisited and improved upon their designs, both in the moment and over time. They made the back legs of the 1946 DCM (dining chair-metal) longer for the DCM-L (for libraries), so it would support a more upright posture. The EC-127 was a more durable, upholstered version of the DCM-L. Instead of plywood, the Eames Office used reinforced plastic, which allowed them to add a new shock-absorbing rubber and metal mount that was stronger, easier to manufacture, and didn’t alter the chair’s form. It was an innovation that would be used in Eames plastic chairs for years to come. Today, the Eames Molded Plastic Dining Chair has an improved plastic frame that withstands the rigors of life, while its curved seat and back provide the perfect amount of support for activities like chatting, eating, and reading.

The playful color and upholstery options are inspired by the colors Charles and Ray Eames used on a prototype of “The Toy” (an architectural construction set for children made of colorful panels), which are also available on Eames Shell Chair, a design classic that has been in continuous production since 1950. The legs can be specified in classic chrome, in powder-coated saturated primary color options including blaze, marigold, and berry blue, or in black or white. For an extra layer of comfort and texture, the chair can be upholstered in one of the thoughtfully selected fabrics by Maharam, including Alexander Girard’s Hopsak – an upholstery option available on the chair when it was originally introduced.

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