Q: I have a lounge chair and matching ottoman designed by Charles Eames. Each piece has tufted black leather upholstery, laminated rosewood frames and swivel bases. What can you tell me about Eames and the value of my set?
A: Charles Eames was an American architect who also achieved great success as a furniture designer. He won the "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" 1940 competition at New York's Museum of Modern Art.
In 1946, he introduced a chair made of laminated, molded wood at his one-man show at MOMA. It became known as the "Potato Chip Chair" because the shape of the back and seat resembled potato chips. The Herman Miller Furniture Co. produced that chair as well as the lounge set.
Your lounge chair and ottoman were designed in 1956 and would probably be worth at least about $1,500.
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