Our Eames ES104 chair in dark brown is the most understated colour in the range. The leather is a rich dark brown with a warm chocolate undertone in daylight, and it turns deeper, close to black, under evening lamps. Three hand-stitched cushions in dark brown Italian leather sit inside polished chrome aluminium side frames, on a five-star base that rises, tilts and turns. It is a replica of the 1960 lobby executive design, specified and sold by Sederica under our own name.
We chose this shade for rooms built around wood, books and lamplight. Think home studies, libraries, legal and advisory offices, and hotel lounges where the chair should settle into the room rather than compete with it.
What Our ES104 Office Chair Is Made Of
Seen from the front, the chair breaks into five padded parts. Two back cushions are each held by a pair of leather-covered buttons, the seat cushion below them is left plain, and a rounded pad caps each arm. Every edge is hand-stitched, which gives each section a clean, defined outline.
The buttons do a practical job. They anchor the leather to the foam, so the back cushions keep their pillowed shape and the cover does not drift or crease with daily use. The seat is left unbuttoned, so nothing presses into you when you sit.
Inside is fire-retardant high-resilience foam. High-resilience foam springs back after each sitting instead of keeping an imprint, which matters most at the front edge of the seat, where every chair wears first. The fire-retardant fill is also a sensible specification for offices, studios and reception areas with several users.
Polished chrome aluminium forms the arms, the side frames and the base. Against dark brown leather the chrome gives a sharp, bright edge that keeps a large chair from looking heavy. Aluminium also holds the finished weight to 16.5 kg: solid when you sit down, yet easy to wheel from the desk to a meeting table.
A Brown Leather Executive Office Chair for Wood and Lamplight
Dark brown is at its best in rooms with depth. It sits comfortably beside fumed or dark-stained oak, mahogany desks, full bookshelves and wood panelling. It also works against bottle green, navy, oxblood or warm grey walls, and on a patterned wool rug.
One thing to know before ordering: this colour changes with the light. Beside a window, the brown and its warm undertone are obvious. In a dim study in the evening, or on some phone screens, the leather can look almost black, so if you want a chair that stays clearly brown at every hour, our tan brown is the safer pick.
Dark brown also ages quietly. Over time the arm pads and the front of the seat tend to take on a soft sheen where hands and legs rest, rather than a visible change of colour. Everyday hand marks are hard to spot; dust and light surface scuffs are what show, and both are simple to deal with (see the care notes below).
| ES104 colour | In the room | Shows most | Hides best | Typical setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark brown (this chair) | Deep and warm, near black in low light | Dust, pale scuffs | Hand marks, gradual darkening | Studies, libraries, panelled offices |
| Black | Formal, strongest contrast with chrome | Dust, lint | Stains, hand marks | Boardrooms, corporate offices |
| Tan brown | Light, relaxed, warm | Water spots, hand oils | Dust | Oak floors, home offices with plants |
| White | Bright and minimal | Denim dye, marks | Dust | Bright rooms, pale desks |
Only the leather differs between these four. The aluminium frame, mechanism and measurements are identical.
Where the Eames Executive Office Chair Replica Comes From
The Eames lobby executive chair draws on two earlier Eames projects. From the 1956 lounge chair came the idea of separate leather cushions carried by a frame. From the 1958 Aluminium Group came polished cast aluminium side members, a system first sold as the Indoor-Outdoor Group before it moved permanently indoors.
In 1960, Charles and Ray Eames brought the two ideas together for the lobbies of the Time & Life Building in New York. The chair they drew was compact enough for a table yet padded like a lounge chair. In the years that followed, a swivel desk version on castors, the model now known as ES104, carried the design from the lobby into private offices.
Our Eames ES104 lobby executive office chair reproduction follows that three-cushion layout, the button placement and the chrome side frames. The leather, foam and mechanism are our own specification. You can read more about the couple’s furniture, films and exhibitions on our Charles and Ray Eames page.
Using the ES104 Office Chair at a Desk or Meeting Table
The controls are simple. A lever with a ball end under the seat raises or lowers the chair, taking the overall height from 89 to 97 cm. The back tilts as you lean into it, and the chair turns a full 360 degrees on smooth-rolling castors.
Executive chairs often end up in sets around a meeting table, so plan the space. Each chair is 74 cm wide, and leaving 10 to 15 cm between neighbours means roughly 85 to 90 cm of table edge per person. A table of 180 to 200 cm seats two per side comfortably, while three per side needs around 260 cm or more.
Behind a desk, allow about a metre between the desk edge and the wall so the chair can roll back without scraping. If you want the chairs to slide under a table when not in use, measure the gap beneath the table top or apron and compare it with the arm height before you order.
Two honest limits. The arms and back are fixed to the frame, so if you need adjustable armrests or lumbar support for long typing days, a dedicated task chair will fit you better. Dark leather also warms up in strong sun, and in a south-facing room in Spain, Italy or Portugal a blind or a spot away from the window keeps the seat comfortable in summer.
What to Check When Comparing ES104 Replicas
Many shops sell an Eames replica executive leather office chair, and the photos can look almost identical. Four questions separate them.
Is the frame aluminium or steel? Is the cover real leather, or PU or bonded leather? What kind of foam is inside, and does the listing give an exact weight and all three dimensions?
For ours, the answers are polished chrome aluminium, Italian leather, fire-retardant high-resilience foam, 16.5 kg and 74 × 69 × 89–97 cm. We publish them so you can compare any Eames executive office chair reproduction line by line. If you want a slimmer chair for a smaller desk, our Eames-style office chair collection includes narrower Aluminium Group-style models.
Specifications
| Detail | ES104 in dark brown |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sederica |
| Product | Eames ES104 executive lobby office chair replica |
| Leather colour | Dark brown |
| Upholstery | Italian leather, hand-stitched; two button-tufted back cushions, plain seat cushion, padded arm pads |
| Foam | Fire-retardant high-resilience foam |
| Arms and side frames | Polished chrome aluminium |
| Base | Five-star chrome aluminium base with smooth-rolling castors |
| Adjustment | Height adjustment, tilt, 360-degree swivel |
| Size (W × D × H) | 74 × 69 × 89–97 cm |
| Net weight | 16.5 kg |
| Assembly | Minor assembly, instructions enclosed |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Looking After Dark Brown Leather
Dust is what dark leather shows first. A weekly wipe with a dry microfibre cloth, paying attention to the seams and the buttons where dust collects, keeps the colour deep and even. For marks, use a cloth barely dampened with water or a pH-neutral leather cleaner, then let the leather dry naturally.
Every six months or so, work in a leather conditioner to keep the surface supple. A light scuff can look paler than the leather around it; rubbing in a little conditioner often darkens it again. If it stays visible, a dark brown leather cream, tested first on a hidden area, will blend it in.
Avoid baby wipes, alcohol and all-purpose sprays, which strip the finish, and keep the chair a little away from radiators. The chrome needs nothing more than a dry cloth. Once or twice a year, check that the bolts holding the base and frame are still snug.
The ES104 sold here is a reproduction inspired by the lobby chair of Charles and Ray Eames. Sederica specifies and sells it independently, and it has no connection with the Eames Office or any company that produces the Eames designs. See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
Dark Brown ES104: Questions Before You Buy
Will the dark brown leather look black in my room?
In daylight, no. The brown and its warm undertone are clear beside a window. Under warm lamps in the evening, or in a room with little natural light, it can read very close to black, and screens vary too. If a clearly brown chair matters at all hours, our tan brown ES104 is the lighter choice.
How many ES104 chairs fit around a meeting table?
Allow around 85 to 90 cm of table length per chair, since each one is 74 cm wide and needs room for elbows and swivelling. That gives two per side on a 180 to 200 cm table and three per side from about 260 cm. A table end of 90 cm or wider takes one chair at the head.
Is dark brown leather comfortable in hot summers?
Indoors and out of the sun, leather soon settles to room temperature and feels comfortable. A dark chair left in direct sun absorbs heat, though, and can feel hot for the first few minutes. In southern European summers, keep it out of the afternoon sun or draw a blind.
How does the ES104 compare with an Eames-style lounge chair?
Both use separate leather cushions, but they do different jobs. The ES104 sits upright at desk height, adjusts and rolls, so you can work in it. A lounge chair reclines low with an ottoman for reading and resting, and our Eames-style lounge chair replicas sit well in the same study as a second chair.
What should I do if the leather gets scratched?
Most light scratches on dark brown leather fade when you rub in a little conditioner with a fingertip. Deeper scuffs that stay pale can be touched up with a thin layer of dark brown leather cream after a patch test. Keys, belt buckles and pet claws cause most marks, so a little care with those goes a long way.
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