Our EA117 in camel is an Eames management chair for people who want a light, warm leather at the desk instead of the usual black. It follows the low-back, armed profile of the 1958 Aluminium Group, with ribbed Italian aniline leather held between polished chrome aluminium spines.
In our photos the camel reads as a soft honey tone, paler and more golden than a classic tan. The back finishes below the shoulder blades, so the chair looks compact at a desk and neat around a meeting table.
Ribbed Camel Leather, Thin Pad and Chrome Aluminium
The seat and back are one upholstered panel of Italian aniline leather, divided into horizontal ribbed channels and stitched by hand. Aniline leather is coloured with dye that soaks into the hide rather than a paint layer on the surface. Pores and small grain marks stay visible, so no two chairs carry exactly the same surface.
Inside each channel sits a slim layer of fire-retardant, high-resilience foam. This is the thin pad. It gives enough cushioning to soften a firm seat while keeping the chair’s side profile flat and light.
The arms, side spines and five-star base are polished chrome aluminium, finished on smooth-rolling castors. The whole chair weighs 12 kg, so one person can move it between rooms without help.
Eames Management Office Chair: Where the Name Comes From
Charles and Ray Eames introduced the Aluminium Group in 1958. It was first planned for the home of industrialist J. Irwin Miller, and during development the couple called it their “leisure group”, furniture meant for indoors and out. It was also the first time they used aluminium as the load-bearing side frame of a chair.
The office came later. As the low-back armchair moved into boardrooms and workplaces, it picked up new labels: desk chair, task chair, meeting chair and, most often, management chair. The name still describes this exact shape, with a low back, fixed arms, an aluminium frame and upholstery held in tension.
Our EA117 reproduces that profile under the Sederica name, using our own materials. You can read about the designers’ wider work on our Charles and Ray Eames page. The Eames Office also keeps a detailed history of the management chair.
Choosing Camel Over Tan, Chocolate or Black
Among the six leathers we offer on the EA117, camel sits between white and tan. It carries more colour than white and marks less readily. It is also clearly paler than our tan brown EA117, which leans towards a deeper saddle brown.
Our chocolate brown version goes darker still, and the black EA117 fades into almost any office. Camel is the choice when you want the chair to add warmth to the room.
We think camel looks best against mid-toned and dark woods such as walnut, smoked oak or a teak sideboard. It also sits well with chalk-white plaster, travertine, brass desk lamps and bottle-green or charcoal walls. In a room of cool greys and white laminate, it adds warmth without the strong statement of our orange EA117.
There is one trade-off with pale leather, and that is dye transfer. New raw denim can leave a faint blue shadow on the seat front. Washing stiff new jeans once or twice before long sessions avoids it.
A Low-Back Management Chair for Desks and Meeting Rooms
The low back is why people choose an EA117 over our taller EA119. At 90–97 cm overall, it doesn’t tower over a desk when pushed in, and it keeps sightlines open across a meeting table or through a glass partition.
It helps on video calls too. The backrest ends below your shoulders, so the camera shows you and the room behind you, not a wall of leather.
For a set around a meeting table, we suggest allowing about 70 cm of table edge per chair. That covers the chair’s 59 cm width, plus room for elbows and for pushing back to stand. The chair suits home offices, consulting rooms, architecture and design studios, and boardrooms furnished with matching chairs.
It isn’t the right chair for everyone. The thin pad is firm, the arms sit at a fixed height, and there is no separate lumbar adjustment or headrest. If you like to recline with your shoulders supported, our EA119 high back in camel is the better fit. If you prefer a thicker cushion in the same colour, look at our EA217 soft pad chair in camel.
How Our Camel EA117 Compares
| EA117 Management, Camel (this chair) | EA117 Thin Pad, Tan Brown | EA217 Soft Pad, Camel | EA119 High Back, Camel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back height | Low, below the shoulders | Low, below the shoulders | Low, below the shoulders | High, to shoulder level |
| Padding | Ribbed thin pad | Ribbed thin pad | Thick soft pad cushions | Ribbed thin pad |
| Leather tone | Light honey camel | Deeper saddle brown | Camel | Camel |
| Best for | Desks and meeting tables, lighter look | Classic warm brown that hides marks | A softer seat in camel | Long desk days, leaning back |
You can see every model side by side in our Eames style office chairs collection.
Dimensions and Specifications
| FEATURE | CHAIR |
|---|---|
| Overall width | 59 cm |
| Overall depth | 63 cm |
| Overall height (adjustable) | 90–97 cm |
| Seat height (adjustable) | 94-103 cm |
| Net weight | 12 kg |
Looking After Light Aniline Leather
Camel leather needs little effort if you keep a light routine. Once a week, run a dry, soft cloth over the seat and back. Work along the ribs so dust doesn’t settle in the stitch lines.
If something spills, lift it off with a clean cloth instead of rubbing, and let the area dry naturally. Keep radiators, hair dryers and harsh cleaners away from the hide.
Twice a year, apply a conditioner made for aniline leather to keep the surface supple. Test it on the underside of the seat first, because conditioners can deepen a pale shade slightly.
Camel also warms in tone over the first year as it meets light and handling, most of all on the seat front. If the chair stands near a window, turning it now and then helps the change happen evenly. For the chrome, a dry microfibre cloth is enough, and abrasive pads will scratch the polish.
Sederica makes and sells this chair as an Eames-style reproduction. It is not produced by, or connected with, any holder of Eames design rights. See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
Eames Management Chair in Camel: Common Questions
What is an Eames management chair, and is this one?
It is the low-back office chair with arms from the 1958 Aluminium Group, with upholstery stretched between two aluminium side frames. Our EA117 in camel follows that design as an Eames-style reproduction made by Sederica. It has fixed chrome arms, a ribbed thin-pad back that ends below the shoulders, and height, tilt and swivel adjustment. That combination is why it works at both desks and meeting tables.
How is camel different from the tan brown EA117?
Camel is lighter and more golden, close to honey in our photos, while tan brown is a deeper saddle shade. Both chairs use the same low-back thin pad construction. Camel brightens a room with dark wood or painted walls, and tan brown hides everyday marks better. Screens show colour differently, so compare the close-up photos on more than one device before deciding.
Is a low-back chair comfortable for full working days?
For most upright desk work, yes. The ribbed panel supports your lower and mid back, and the tilt lets you ease back between tasks. It falls short for reclining. With no headrest or shoulder support, long stretches of leaning back are more comfortable in our high-back EA119. People who want a softer seat usually prefer the thicker EA217 soft pad.
Will this EA117 office chair fit under my desk or meeting table?
Usually, but check before ordering, because the arms are fixed. Measure from the floor to the underside of your desk or table, then compare that figure with the arm height in our size table. The chair needs a floor footprint of 59 × 63 cm. Its overall height adjusts by 7 cm, from 90 to 97 cm.
Is this chair made by the Eames design rights holders?
No. Sederica makes and sells it as an Eames-style reproduction inspired by the management chair Charles and Ray Eames designed in 1958. We build it to our own specification in camel aniline leather and chrome aluminium, and it carries our 2-year warranty. It has no connection with any holder of Eames design rights. Our Legal Disclaimer sets out the full terms.
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