Going out Est for Eames
Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 09:53AM I recently got the chance to speak to students at Humber College all about what I do, as well as my thoughts on design, and, other than the fact that they must've thought I was bonkers, I did find time to beg them to please try their best to not buy knock-offs. I'd much rather see a vintage piece, or great affordable design (hello, Ikea, Habitat and West Elm!) in an interior, rather than a sad looking fake Barcelona Chair.
So this week I was super-duper happy to check out a brill new online mag from Australia called Est Magazine, which had a great feature comparing a fake to a real Eames DAW (that's Dining height Armchair Wooden base to you and me). Click here to look at the mag, and to read all about design integrity vs. a ripped-off copy, and have a boo below at the 4 looks Est stylist Amey Rosenthal put together, photographed by Toby Scott, of the real thing. Traditional, Family, Old & New, Corporate - Do you have a fave? And thanks too to Natalie Walton's great blog Daily Imprint for the intro to Est!
Reader Comments (7)
What a fantastic mag - and this article is brilliant. Thanks for the head's up!
Ok, it's settled then.. the hunt is on for vintage wishbone chairs. Knockoffs be damned. ;-)
I recently had a client sit in the real Eames recliner and a reproduction and it didn't take him long to realize which to buy- he was sold on the superior comfort and materials of the real deal.
Picture 3 looks like my place. Got the chair - mines black with brown hopsak. Got a similar black task lamp. Got two skulls, one deer, and one elk (no kidding, from Banff). The old wood ladder is in my Mom's garage. Got a couple funky shape Arts & Crafts tabourets. Got an old full size book of Blue Note album covers. I could almost totally reproduce number 3!
Follow-up, just read the article and scanned the mag. First, thanks for the linkage, seems to be several of these flash mags happening these days. The article on the Eames shells is good, a little thin on detail but it's a good message. Another heads up is the risk of doctored repro bases made to look as authentic as possible; swap the screws for oldies, distress the dowel or rockers (i.e. on the rocker bases), scrape the paint a bit, and bingo. Other things to be wary of are fake DCW stamps on repros or newer real DCWs, that make them look like earlier ones. Worst of all are fake early stickers for both the wood and glass chairs that make them look like first issue or early pieces. One trick that happens, is taking an authentic but beat up 'rope edge' shell and wet sanding, adding a little gloss (wax or I think something called penetrol or similar), putting a repro base on it but doctor it to look real, add a fake sticker (the Holy Grail, lol) and then cooking a story about provenance - instant multiplication of price. Ebay buyers beware, that's all I'm going to say.
I collect mid-century modern furniture, so this is a subject I'm passionate about. Just posted some pics this week on my blog of my daughter sitting in my newest acquisitions, vintage Arne Jacobesen for Fritz Hansen swan chairs. They are perfection. Herman Miller created a great video a couple of years back in regard to the topic of fakes. I'm guessing you have seen it. Thanks for the link to the magazine. :)
Owning one Eames chair is almost like possessing a status symbol Ferrari or Lamborghini.
eames lounge chair