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Eames Plastic Side Chair RE DSW

Charles & Ray Eames, 1950

For the Dining Height Armchair Wood Base (DAW), Charles and Ray Eames combined the organically shaped shell – which Vitra now manufactures from post-consumer recycled plastic – with a four-legged wooden base. This contrasting juxtaposition of plastic and wood lends the classic design a warm, casual appeal. The seat shells can be fitted with seat cushions or full upholstery in a wide selection of fabric colours, enabling a multitude of individual configurations.

Now in recycled post-consumer plastic

From January 2024 the shells of the Eames Plastic Chairs from Vitra are now made of recycled post-consumer plastic. These chairs are known as Eames Plastic Chairs RE. The recycling material stems from Germany's 'Yellow Bag' (Gelber Sack) collection of household waste, which primarily consists of used packaging. Utilising this recyclate instead of conventional plastic generates fewer climate-damaging emissions and significantly reduces energy consumption.

Due to the composition of the recycled materials, the different colour versions of the seat shells are interspersed with tiny specks of pigment. Three colour variants have also been updated in connection with this changeover:

  • Emerald RE replaces green
  • Citron RE replaces sunlight
  • Cotton white RE replaces white

Alongside the new variant 'cotton white (RE)', the existing version 'white' is scheduled to remain available until December 2024.
emerald RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
citron RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
cotton white RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
pebble RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
pale rose RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
rusty orange RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
poppy red RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
mustard RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
forest RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
sea blue RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
ice grey RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
light grey RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
granite grey RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material
deep black RE
Left: old; Right: new RE material

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Seat cushions for Eames Plastic Side Chair

Information

Product family

Eames Plastic Chairs RE

'Getting the most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least': with these words, Charles and Ray Eames described one of their main goals as furniture designers. None of their other designs come as close to achieving this ideal as the Plastic Chairs. For years, the designer couple explored the fundamental idea of a one-piece seat shell moulded to fit the contours of the human body. After experiments with plywood and sheet aluminium in the 1940s produced unsatisfactory results, their search for alternative materials led them to glass-fibre reinforced polyester resin. The Eameses recognised and fully exploited the advantages of the material: mouldability, rigidity, pleasant tactile qualities, suitability for industrial manufacturing methods. With this material, which was previously unknown in the furniture industry, they successfully developed the shell designs for serial production. After their debut at the 'Low-Cost Furniture Design' competition organised by the Museum of Modern Art in 1948, the Plastic Armchair (A-shell) and Plastic Side Chair (S-shell) were launched on the market in 1950 as the very first mass-produced plastic chairs in the history of furniture. The Eames Plastic Chairs also introduced a new furniture typology that has since become widespread: the multifunctional chair whose shell can be joined with a variety of different bases to serve diverse purposes. As early as 1950, Charles and Ray Eames presented a series of bases that enabled various sitting positions. Over the years and in ongoing consultation with the Eames family, Vitra has introduced more sustainable materials for the seat shells of the Eames Shell Chairs. As of 2024 the shells of the Eames Plastic Chairs are now made of recycled plastic and the chair family is known as Eames Plastic Chair RE. The high-quality recycled material stems from household recycling, particularly used packaging, obtained through the 'Yellow Bag' (Gelber Sack) collection programme in Germany. Utilising this raw material instead of petroleum-based primary plastics generates fewer climate-damaging emissions, with a significant reduction in primary energy consumption. Due to the composition of the recycled material, the different colours are interspersed with tiny specks of pigment. The colour white has been replaced by cotton white RE, however the original white polypropylene version is scheduled to remain available until December 2024. Like the seat shells of Eames Plastic RE, it is 100% recyclable at the end of its product life.

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This product was designed by

Charles & Ray Eames

Charles and Ray Eames are counted among the most important figures of twentieth-century design. Their work spans the fields of furniture design, filmmaking, photography and exhibition design. Vitra is the sole authorised manufacturer of Eames products for Europe and the Middle East. When you own an Eames product made by Vitra, you know it is an original.