The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.Ī good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings - among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl - the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. “What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design. Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. “The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today - antique and vintage Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs - originated in either England or France. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?

Numerous creative artists who are alumni of Cranbrook include: Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen, Donald Lipski, Duane Hanson, Nick Cave, Hani Rashid, George Nelson, Urban Jupena (Nationally recognized fiber artist), Artis Lane (the first African-American artist to have her sculpture, 'Sojourner Truth,' commissioned for the Emancipation Hall in the Capital Visitor Center in Washington DC), Cory Puhlman (televised Pastry Chef extraordinaire), Thom O’Connor (Lithographs), Paul Evans (Brutalist-inspired sculpted metal furnishings), Eugene Caples (small bronze images/abstract), Morris Brose (Bronze Sculptures), Herb Babcock (blown glass), Larry Butcher (mixed media), Lauren Anais Hussey (Abstract), Andrea Eis (film, photography), Lilian Swann Saarinen (Sculpture), Douglas Semivan.Ĭhairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. The program is anchored by celebrated Artists- and Designers-in-Residence, one for each discipline, all of whom live and practice on campus alongside the graduate students. The focus at Cranbrook is on studio practice in one of ten disciplines including Architecture, 2D and 3D Design, Ceramics, Fiber, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture.

Each year, just 75 students are invited to study and live on the landmark Saarinen-designed campus which features: private studios, state-of-the art workshops, the renowned Cranbrook Art Museum and 300 acres of forests, lakes and streams, all a short drive from the city of Detroit. It is the country’s top ranked, graduate-only program in architecture, design and fine art.

Harry Bertoia is one of the many well-known artists and designers who attended The Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, The school & buildings were designed by architect and faculty member, Eliel Saarinen who collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on chair and furniture design. During the war, Bertoia moved to California and is credited with developing new techniques for molding plywood with Charles and Ray Eames also from Cranbrook. Harry Bertoia's career began in the 1930s as a student at Cranbrook Academy of Art where he re-established the metal-working studio and later became head of the department before the school closed during WWII due to wartime restrictions on materials in 1943. The chairs will add a touch of class to any setting. They are as elegant, strong and functional as when they were manufactured. Bertoia Diamond Chairs, White, Set of Two, Welded & Painted Steel.

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