Our light rosewood Eames lounge chair and ottoman pairs black Italian aniline leather with the lightest of our three rosewood shades, and both pieces come together as one set. It is a replica of the 1956 lounge chair by Charles and Ray Eames, made for evenings when you want to put your feet up with a book, a film or a record. The golden shell draws a clear line around the black cushions, so the shape of the chair reads from the doorway. If you want the rosewood look with the most contrast we offer, this is the set.
Light Rosewood Set: The Details That Matter
- Light rosewood veneer on both faces. A golden-brown shell with darker stripes running through it. The back is veneered like the front, so it looks finished when the chair faces a sofa or a window.
- Black aniline leather on every upholstered part. Seat, back, headrest, arm pads and ottoman share one leather, dyed through rather than coated, so it softens where you sit.
- Seven-layer laminated shells. Thin sheets of veneer are bonded into one curve, which helps the shells resist cracking and warping.
- Shock-mounted shells. The mounts between seat and back give a little as you lean in. That flex is where the deep, easy recline comes from.
- Hand-sewn cushions, welted and piped. Button tufting holds each pad in shape, and the piping keeps the edges defined as the leather relaxes.
- 360-degree swivel. Swing round to face a guest or the television while the base stays put on the floor.
- Ottoman included. Same leather and light rosewood on a four-star base, so the two pieces start life together.
Black and Light Rosewood Eames Lounge Chair: Why the Brightest Shell?
Each rosewood shade changes how much of the shell you notice. Dark rosewood melts into black leather, and natural rosewood sits in between. Light rosewood is the one that separates from the cushions, so the curve of the shell, the gap between seat and back and the line of the ottoman all stay visible.
That counts in an open-plan room, where the chair is often seen side-on from the kitchen or dining table. A band of pale wood around black leather keeps it looking like a piece of furniture instead of a dark mass. In daylight the grain shows honey and amber; under a lamp the darker stripes come forward.
Light rosewood also sits comfortably with the mid-tone woods many European homes already have, such as a teak sideboard or honey-coloured oak parquet. Its stripes are busier than teak or oak, so it looks best as the only strongly figured wood in that corner. German, Dutch and French shops often sell this shade as light palisander (helles Palisander, licht palissander, palissandre clair).
Light Rosewood Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman: Materials and Build
The cushions are covered in soft Italian aniline leather in black. Aniline leather takes its colour from dye that soaks into the hide, with no pigment layer sitting on top, which is why it feels warm and supple to the touch. Expect gentle creases at the seat and arm pads within the first months; they are part of how this leather ages.
Each shell is built from seven layers of laminated veneer and faced with light rosewood on both sides. Because the face is real wood veneer, no two shells carry the same figure. One set may show broad dark bands, the next finer and tighter stripes. The chair and ottoman share the same light rosewood tone, while each piece keeps its own grain.
The chair turns on a five-star aluminium swivel base. In our product photos its arms have dark sides with polished top edges, which keeps the metal low-key beneath the pale shell. The ottoman sits on a matching four-star base.
A Rosewood Chair from the First Production Years
Charles and Ray Eames introduced the lounge chair and ottoman in 1956, and rosewood veneer faced the shells of the earliest chairs. One early example, made between 1955 and 1957 and used by the head of the company that first produced the design, is held by The Henry Ford museum in Michigan, which records it in rosewood, plywood and black leather. Our set is a new reproduction of that look in a lighter rosewood veneer. You can read more about the designers on our Charles and Ray Eames page.
Light Rosewood Set Measurements and Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sederica |
| Product | Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman Replica, Black, Light Rosewood |
| Type | Lounge chair and ottoman set, a replica inspired by the 1956 Charles and Ray Eames design |
| Size version | Standard size, fixed headrest (not a tall version) |
| Upholstery | Soft Italian aniline leather in black on every upholstered part; hand-sewn, welted and piped cushions |
| Shell | 7-layer laminated veneer, light rosewood veneer on both sides |
| Recline | Shock-mounted shells |
| Chair base | 5-star aluminium, 360-degree swivel |
| Ottoman base | 4-star base |
| Included | Lounge chair and matching ottoman |
| 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 | – |
| Chair weighs | 24 kg | 9 kg |
Buying Advice: When Light Rosewood Is the Right Call
A good choice if:
- you want the outline of the chair to show, with a golden band of wood framing black cushions
- your room already has warm notes for the grain to pick up, such as brass lamps, terracotta or rust and olive textiles
- you read, watch films or listen to music with your legs up, and want the ottoman from day one
- the set will be seen from the side or from behind, where the veneered back of the shell is on show
Consider another version if:
- you prefer a quiet, low-contrast chair. Our Black, Dark Rosewood set lets leather and shell blend into one shape.
- your room leans on chrome, glass and cool greys. The Black, Light Rosewood, Chrome Base set has the same shell on a fully chrome base.
- you like a heavier, vintage-looking base. Our Black, Rosewood, Elephant Base set puts the same light shade on broad elephant legs.
- you only need the chair, perhaps as a second seat facing a set you already own. The chair-only version uses the same leather and shade.
Same Light Rosewood, Three Bases: How Our Black Sets Compare
We make black leather with light rosewood on three bases, plus a chair-only version and two deeper rosewood shades. The shell shade sets the mood of the chair. The base decides how it meets the floor.
| Version | Shell | Base | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| This set: Black, Light Rosewood | Light rosewood | 5-star aluminium swivel (dark sides, polished edges in our photos) | You want the brightest rosewood outline on a slim, low-key base |
| Black, Light Rosewood, Chrome Base | Light rosewood | Fully chrome 5-star swivel | Your room has steel, glass or cool tones and you want the metal to shine |
| Black, Rosewood, Elephant Base | Light rosewood | Broad elephant base | You want a chunkier base with a vintage feel |
| Black, Natural Rosewood | Warmer red-brown rosewood | Polished aluminium swivel | You want more red in the wood and a little less contrast |
| Black, Dark Rosewood | Deep red-brown, near-black stripes | Aluminium elephant base | You want leather and shell to read as one dark shape |
| Chair Only, Black, Light Rosewood | Light rosewood | Polished aluminium swivel | You need the chair without the ottoman |
Every leather and wood we offer is in our Eames lounge chair replica collection.
Care for the First Year and Beyond
- New cushions usually feel firmer for the first few weeks. Give the set some regular use before you judge the seat.
- Keep the ottoman in the same light as the chair. If one piece sits in sun and the other in shade, their shells and leather can drift apart in tone over the years.
- Take your shoes off before resting your feet on the ottoman. Heels, buckles and grit leave marks that uncoated aniline leather cannot hide.
- Do not use the ottoman as a side table. A hot mug or a wet glass on the rosewood rim can leave a pale ring in the finish.
- Dust the shell with a dry, lint-free cloth. Furniture sprays leave a film that slowly dulls the grain.
- Feed the leather with a cream made for aniline leather once or twice a year, testing it first on a hidden spot under the ottoman cushion.
Your Questions About the Light Rosewood Set
Is light rosewood a type of tree or a colour?
It is a shade. In the replica market, light rosewood describes a paler, more golden rosewood veneer with dark stripes, next to deeper natural and dark rosewood. On this set it is real wood veneer on both faces of the shell, which is why the figure varies from one set to the next.
Should I buy the set, or the chair now and the ottoman later?
If you think you will want the ottoman, buy the set. Leather and veneer both change slowly with daylight and use, so an ottoman added two years later meets a chair that has already mellowed, and the difference can show. Bought together, the two pieces start at the same point and age side by side. If you are sure you only want the chair, our chair-only version is the same leather and shade.
How is this different from your chrome and elephant base light rosewood sets?
Only the base. All three pair black aniline leather with a light rosewood shell, and the chair measures 87 × 87 × 82 cm and weighs 24 kg in each case. This set has a slim five-star base, the chrome set is fully chrome, and the elephant base set has broader, heavier-looking legs.
Does a light shell show scratches more than a dark one?
Usually less. A fine scratch in a veneer finish tends to show as a pale line, which stands out on dark rosewood or ebony ash and blends into a golden shell. Deep knocks still mark any finish, so keep rings and vacuum cleaner heads away from the rim.
Will light rosewood clash with teak, oak or walnut furniture?
Teak and honey oak usually sit well with it, because they share the same warm, golden base. Walnut is browner and cooler, so a light rosewood shell beside a large walnut piece can look slightly orange by comparison. If most of your furniture is walnut, our Classic Black Walnut set is the easier match. For layout ideas around a reading corner, see our mid-century living room guide.
This set is a replica sold by Sederica. We are not affiliated with the Eames Office or with any other company that makes this chair; read what replica and reproduction mean. See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
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