Our Eames lounge chair black ash replica pairs black aniline leather with a shell in pale, natural ash wood, and the matching ottoman comes with it. Ash is the lightest wood we offer on this design. If you like the 1956 silhouette but find walnut and rosewood too dark for your room, this is the version to look at. It belongs in bright Scandinavian interiors, on pale floors, and anywhere you want the black leather to stand out.
Black ash Eames lounge chair: what the name means here
On this chair, black is the leather and ash is the wood. The shell keeps the natural colour of the timber: a pale cream-to-honey veneer with a long, straight grain you can read from across the room. Nothing on the wood is stained dark.
Some shops use the same two words for a shell lacquered black. If you were looking for an Eames lounge chair in black wood, that is our all-black ebony ash version, where leather and shell are both dark. Same construction, opposite effect.
Eames lounge chair in black leather: materials and build
The cushions are covered in soft Italian aniline leather in black. Aniline leather is dyed through and left without a thick pigment coating, so it stays supple and keeps its natural grain. It softens with use and picks up a low sheen where you sit most. Every cushion is hand-sewn, welted and piped.
The shell is 7 layers of laminated veneer, a build that resists cracking and warping. We face it in light ash veneer on both sides, so the back of the chair is as finished as the front. That matters when the chair stands in the middle of a room, where its back is on show.
Shock mounts between the shells let the backrest give a little as you lean into it. The chair turns a full 360 degrees on a five-star polished aluminium base, and the ottoman stands on a matching base of its own.
The 1956 design behind our reproduction Eames lounge chair and ottoman
Charles and Ray Eames introduced the lounge chair and ottoman in 1956, after more than a decade of experiments in moulding plywood into compound curves. They wanted a modern take on the English club chair: three shells, deep leather cushions and a swivel base. The Museum of Modern Art in New York keeps a 1956 example in its collection.
Those first chairs were made in rosewood. Ash is a later and lighter reading of the same shape, closer to Nordic mid-century rooms than to a 1950s American den. Our Charles and Ray Eames page tells the longer story.
Ours is a Sederica reproduction inspired by that design. We are not affiliated with the Eames Office or with any other maker of the chair. See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
Why choose an Eames lounge chair in ash?
Walnut and rosewood read as warm, dark furniture. Ash reads as light, and it throws the black leather into sharp outline. The effect is graphic in the way Scandinavian rooms often are: pale timber, black accents, not much else.
It sits well on oak, birch, pine or pale laminate floors, against white or light grey walls, and next to other ash, oak or beech furniture. In a north-facing room or a small flat, the pale shell stops the chair looking heavy. On dark walnut or wenge floors the contrast is strong. Some people want that; some do not.
Prefer the same shell with a lighter seat? See our white leather and ash version. Black leather is the more forgiving of the two day to day. For layout ideas, read our guide to styling an Eames-style lounge chair.
Who this chair suits, and who should look elsewhere
This is a chair for reading, listening to music and the last hour of the evening. It works in a living room corner, a study or a bedroom with space to spare. It seats one person, so plan it alongside your sofa and not in place of it.
It is not a work chair. The seat is low at 42 cm and the recline is fixed at about 15 degrees with no lever, so sitting upright at a desk is uncomfortable. If low, deep seats are hard for you to get out of, bear that in mind. For desk use, look at our Eames-style office chairs.
Aniline leather has no protective topcoat. Cats that scratch, or a spot in full afternoon sun, will mark and fade it faster than you would like. The chair is for indoor use only.
Eames lounge chair with ottoman replica: size, weight and the room it needs
| Feature | Chair | Ottoman |
|---|---|---|
| Overall width | 87 cm | 65 cm |
| Overall depth | 87 cm | 54 cm |
| Overall height | 82 cm | 54 cm |
| Seat height | 42 cm | – |
With the ottoman in front, allow about 1.7 m from the back of the chair to the far edge of the ottoman. A clear circle of roughly 1.3 m lets the chair swivel without catching a wall or side table. At 24 kg the chair stays put when you sit down, and two people can carry it upstairs.
It arrives flat-packed. Assembly takes seven steps with two Allen keys and a wrench, all supplied, and a second pair of hands helps when you join the shells. Our assembly guide shows each step.
Caring for black aniline leather and pale ash
- Dust the leather weekly with a dry, soft cloth.
- Blot spills at once with a barely damp cloth. Do not rub, because aniline leather absorbs liquid.
- Feed the leather once or twice a year with a conditioner made for aniline hides.
- Keep the chair out of direct sun and at least 50 cm from radiators. Sun fades black leather, and pale ash slowly deepens towards honey in strong daylight.
- Wipe the ash veneer with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Skip silicone polish and abrasive cleaners.
Why buy from Sederica
We ship from our EU warehouse, so there are no customs charges, and VAT is included. EU delivery is free with no minimum spend and takes 6 to 7 days. Every chair carries a 2-year warranty and 14-day free returns.
Questions about this chair
Is the wood on this chair black or light?
Light. The shell is natural ash veneer in a pale cream-to-honey tone, and only the leather is black. For a dark shell, choose our black leather and ebony ash chair.
Is the ottoman included?
Yes. The matching ottoman comes in the same black aniline leather and ash veneer and is part of the set. It measures 65 × 54 × 54 cm and weighs 9 kg.
Will the ash veneer change colour over time?
A little. Ash is a pale natural timber that warms towards honey with daylight over the years. Grain also varies from chair to chair, so yours will not match the photographs line for line.
Does black aniline leather scratch or fade?
It marks more easily than coated leather because the surface is left natural. Light scuffs can often be eased by rubbing gently with a clean, dry hand, and the leather builds a patina with age. Direct sun is what fades it, so where you place the chair matters more than how you clean it.
Does it fit a small living room?
Yes, if you can spare a floor area of about 1.7 m by 1.3 m. The pale ash shell makes the chair look lighter than the dark-wood versions in a tight space.
Still comparing woods and colours? Every version is in our Eames lounge chair replica collection, and our replica buyer’s guide explains what to check before you choose.
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