GLOBAL LIVING - Sally Brownbill

eGular REAL OR REpLICA
360º of Eames Video
In 1950 the DAW (Dining height Armchair Wooden base)
was released after years of paper mâché prototypes
and fine tuning by infamous design duo, Ray and
Charles Eames.
Fascinated with the study of
the form of the human body,
the Eames’ where spurred
on to explore the concept of
design for the body’s curves
and comfort. After constant
sketching and study of the
human form, coupled with
rigorous experimentation and
trial and error, the beautifully
moulded, fibreglass enforced
plastic chair was born. Fitting
perfectly to the shape of the
body the DAW chair gives
both comfort and pleasure to
all of whom chose to sit within
its form.
The Eames where emphatic
in their belief of good design
– not just as a way to sell
products – but rather as a
way to improve peoples lives.
With this in mind we must
consider whether the replica
chair improves our dining
experience as we sit around
the table with family and
friends, cocooning our body
and enveloping its curves, or
does it merely act as a stool
on which to perch ourselves?
It is with some irony that
Charles and Ray Eames
designed their iconic range of
furniture with a view to allow
mass production. Of course
in the new millennium we now
face the conundrum of massproduced
fakes outselling the
original design. The cheaper
rip offs now being more
dispensable and therefore
making them prime landfill
fodder in today’s ‘throw away’
society.
reGular REAL OR REpLICA
Shell Colour
The most noticeable
difference between the real
and replica. The real eames
is a chalky white where
as the replica is a much
brighter white.
F ixtu res
The Real eames has black
screw to match the black
frame. The replica however
had chrome screws.
Timber Colour
A notable difference. The
Replica had a much blonder
finish.
Timber Dowel
On the Replica the timber
edges were splintered and
un finished, decidedly less
polished than the Real
Eames.
Symmetry
Near perfect on the Real
while this attention to detail
was no where to be found
on the replica.