The DSW chair, designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Vitra, is an icon of product design and one of my favorite chairs.
It came into existence in 1950, but spouses Charles and Ray Eames had already begun designing it in 1948, for the ‘International Competition for Low-cost Furniture Design’ organised by MOMA from New York.
Needless to say, it was immediately appreciated by both the press and the public.
The DSW is part of the Eames Plastic Chair family, which you can see here.
Today, the seat is made from polypropylene and the base is made from maple wood and steel (the abbreviation DSW stands for Dining height Side chair Wood base).
The objective of the Eams couple was to create a product aimed at mass production. The chair should have the ability to be used by everyone and be suitable for many environments. I would say they achieved their goal, wouldn’t you?
I believe it’s one of the products that best represents the Eames’s philosophy, namely – to create a piece that answers these three, apparently simple questions: Does it solve a problem? Is it serviceable? How is it going to look in ten years?
It’s a very versatile chair, which I see fits well into many different environments but today I want to give you some ideas to create your own personal and stylish office/study space at home. Much of today’s office work can be done from home, often willingly, enabling us to adapt our space and time. In fact many of us work from home now, managing the work area as we please.
And so, part of our home can take on the role of office space or business corner.
Working surrounded by your own things – the things that fill our homes and make us feel good – this surely has a positive and advantageous effect on our work.
So for your home office or study lab, I think the DSW is perfect. Above all, it’s very solid: the seat made from high quality polyurethane and the legs with a combination of steel and wood which gives the chair a touch of elegance.
The DSW, apart from being very beautiful, is also functional: the height is perfectly calibrated for a table or desk and the backrest is particularly comfortable, even for those who work a lot on the PC.
The most important tip that I can give you, is to consider the DSW as the central point for your project.
Is it, or is it not worthy of being the ‘highlight’ of your studio?
Apart from its prime function, you can make some other choices, especially with regard to colour combination and use of materials. By doing so, you can create a fresh and harmonious effect.
Here are some example to inspire you:
