Can’t Afford This Famous Eames Chair? Here Are Your Wallet-Friendly Backup Plans

Looking beyond the Eames curtain.

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Likes most of the Eameses furniture, the Eames DAW (dining height, armchair, wood base) is an icon of 1950s mid-century modern furniture. Also like other Eames furniture, the DAW is crazy expensive. These are seven well-designed arm chairs that can be had for a fraction of the price.

Budget shoppers, just cop an Ikea chair. According to Ikea, the chair is modeled after 19th century Viennese cafe chairs, so the Ypperlig works indoors and outdoors. The chair is built of simple lines, and the open back is nice and airy.

The Kobe chair from Inside Weather has a dowel base, and the seat is made of steam-bent birch for a fit that better mimics the contours of the human body.  From the finish to the upholstery, the chair is fully customizable from the finish to the upholstery. The cushions are detachable, so swap them out when you want a fresh look. Keep the brand in mind, because Inside Weather is making affordable, well-designed customizable furniture that continues to put out fresh designs — even some inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous architectural masterpieces

Ikea markets the Fjalleberget as a conference chair, but don’t let the Swedish megastore put you in a box. Yes, it has a very distinct “office chair look” with its X-styled legs, swivel feature and adjustable height, but throw the Fjalleberget in your living room and no one would be the wiser. The chair is also available with casters, but there are better office chairs available.

Italian designer Omar De Biaggio teamed up with CB2 on a collection of made-in-Italy seating from the Primitivo counter stool to the Warren arm chair.  The latter is an all-purpose chair that adds a bright pop of green to any interior. The Warren features a sturdy black steel frame with ash wood armrests.

Menu’s Co Chair is a lower profile chair than the Eames DAW, but its simplistic design is perfect for any interior design theme. The wooden backrest is curved to provide upper back support. The Co Chairs kind of look like school chairs, and they stack up, too.

The About A Chair’s curved seat makes it look fairly similar to the Eames, but it is still its own product. The chair envelopes the sitter in their own little nook, and the chair works as a dining chair, office chair or general lounge seat. Hay offers the About A Chair in a variety of colors from standard black to Hay’s signature playful colorways. 

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New York Sedia Velvet Dining Arm Chair

Add some velvet to your life. The seat is plush, and more comfortable than the plastic shell of the Eames DAW. The dainty metal frame complements the angular shape of the seat. The New York Sedia Chair (a misnomer) is made in Italy, and it probably won’t be as omnipresent as any of the Eames chairs.

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