Our Eames lobby office chair in tan brown brings the warm leather of the 1960 lobby design to a working desk. Three tufted cushions in tan brown Italian leather sit between polished chrome aluminium side frames. Below them, a five-star chrome base lets you raise the seat, rock back and turn a full circle. This is the ES104 swivel desk version of the design, made as a replica by Sederica and sold under our own name.
We chose tan for rooms that need warmth more than formality. Think home studies with oak floors, client offices and reception desks where black leather would feel too severe.
Tan Brown Italian Leather on a Polished Aluminium Frame
Each of the three cushions is upholstered in Italian leather and hand-stitched along its edges. The stitched seams give every cushion a defined outline, so the back reads as separate pads rather than one slab of padding. Button tufting on the back cushions holds the leather against the foam and stops it from creeping or sagging as the chair is used.
Inside, fire-retardant high-resilience foam fills the seat, back and arm pads. High-resilience foam recovers quickly after you stand up, which helps the cushions hold their shape instead of settling into a permanent dip. The fire-retardant fill is a sensible choice for shared spaces such as offices, studios and waiting areas.
The arms and side frames are polished chrome aluminium. They carry the cushions like a picture frame, and the cool metal outlines the warm tan leather from every angle. Aluminium also keeps the net weight to 16.5 kg, heavy enough to feel planted and light enough to roll between rooms.
How Our ES104 Office Chair Adjusts, and What It Leaves Out
A lever under the seat raises and lowers the chair across an 8 cm range, from 89 to 97 cm overall. The tilt function lets the seat and back ease backwards as you sit back, a comfortable position for phone calls or reading a long document. A full 360-degree swivel and smooth-rolling castors let you turn to a sideboard or a visitor without getting up.
We are honest about what this chair is. It is a deeply cushioned executive chair, not an ergonomic task chair. There is no adjustable lumbar support or sliding seat, and the padded arms are fixed to the aluminium frame at one height.
That makes it a good match for a working day split between the desk, calls and meetings. If most of your day is spent typing at a screen without breaks, a task chair with lumbar and seat-depth settings is the healthier buy.
The Eames ES104 Chair and the Time-Life Lobbies
In 1960, Charles and Ray Eames designed seating for the lobbies of the Time & Life Building in New York. They took the idea behind their 1956 lounge chair, three leather cushions carried by aluminium side frames, and scaled it down into a chair that could sit at a table. The same commission produced a set of turned walnut stools for those lobbies.
The first lobby chairs were wide and reclined. A desk version followed, a little narrower and sitting more upright, and that is the form our Eames executive office chair replica follows. A 1960 version of the design in polished aluminium and leather is part of the Architecture & Design collection at MoMA in New York.
Shops and collectors use different labels for it, from Time-Life chair to Eames lobby executive chair. The design is usually described in three versions, and knowing which is which helps if you are furnishing a specific room.
| Version | Base and movement | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ES104 (our chair) | Five-star base on castors, height adjustment, tilt and swivel | Desks, home offices, meeting tables |
| ES108 | Swivel base on glides, does not roll | Conference tables where chairs should stay put |
| ES105 | Wider and lower seat | Lounges and waiting areas |
You can read more about the couple’s furniture and films on our Charles and Ray Eames page.
Tan Leather Executive Office Chair: Why This Colour Works
Tan has deep roots in this design. Vintage examples from the 1960s through the 1980s can be found in tan and pale fawn leather, so this colour sits comfortably within the chair’s history. It also explains why tan pairs so naturally with walnut, the wood of those first lobby stools.
In European homes, tan brown leather settles easily beside herringbone oak parquet, walnut or teak desks, terracotta tiles, linen curtains and brass lamps. It works well against sage, olive or warm white walls. Where a black chair can make chrome look cold and corporate, tan softens the metal and gives a warm executive look without turning a study into a boardroom.
Next to our dark brown ES104, tan is lighter and more relaxed. The lighter leather also shows the tufting and the stitched cushion lines more clearly, because the shadows in each fold stand out. On most screens our tan reads as a mid-brown with a warm, slightly orange cast, close to what some shops call cognac, though monitors vary.
Who Our Eames Replica Executive Office Chair Suits
This chair suits people who want one chair to carry the character of a room. Home-office owners, agency founders, notaries, practice owners and architects who receive clients at their desk get the most from it. It also works as a mid-century tan lobby chair behind a hotel, clinic or boutique reception desk, where staff sit for long stretches and guests see the chair first.
It is a weaker choice in a few situations. At 74 cm wide and 69 cm deep, it needs a desk with generous knee space and a room with space to roll back. Cats that climb or scratch will mark any leather, and the marks show on tan. If you want a slimmer frame, the EA-series chairs in our Eames-style office chair collection take up less space.
For reading and relaxing rather than desk work, our Eames-style lounge chair replicas offer the reclined version of the same cushion idea.
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sederica |
| Model | ES104 lobby office chair replica |
| Colour | Tan brown leather, polished chrome aluminium frame |
| Upholstery | Italian leather, three tufted cushions, hand-stitched finish |
| Filling | Fire-retardant high-resilience foam |
| Arms and side frames | Polished chrome aluminium, padded leather arm pads |
| Base | Five-star chrome aluminium base with smooth-rolling castors |
| Functions | Height adjustment, tilt, 360-degree swivel |
| Dimensions | 74 × 69 × 89–97 cm (W × D × H) |
| Net weight | 16.5 kg |
| Assembly | Minor assembly, instructions enclosed |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Caring for Tan Brown Leather
Dust the leather with a soft dry cloth, and wipe it with a barely damp cloth when needed. Use a pH-neutral leather cleaner for marks and a leather conditioner about every six months. Tan shows water spots and hand oils more readily than darker leathers, so blot spills straight away instead of rubbing them.
Give the arm pads a quick wipe every week or two, since that is where hands rest and where tan leather deepens first. Keep the chair away from radiators and hot air vents, which dry leather out. Strong direct sun can shift the tone of tan leather over time, so a sheer curtain helps if the chair faces a south window.
For the chrome frame and base, polish with a dry microfibre cloth to clear fingerprints and keep the shine. After the first few weeks of use, check that the fixings from assembly are still firm.
Our ES104 is a replica inspired by the work of Charles and Ray Eames. It is designed and sold by Sederica and is not made, approved or endorsed by the Eames Office or by any other producer of the design. See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
ES104 Tan Brown: Frequently Asked Questions
Will tan brown leather darken or mark over time?
Yes, gradually. Tan leather tends to deepen in tone where it is touched most, usually the arm pads and the front edge of the seat, which gives it a lived-in character. Water spots and oily marks show more on tan than on dark brown or black. Blotting spills quickly, wiping the arms regularly and conditioning twice a year keep the colour even.
Can this chair be used as a lobby or reception chair?
Behind a reception desk, it works very well. Our Eames ES104 lobby executive office chair has height adjustment, tilt and castors, so staff can sit comfortably through a long shift. For visitor seating in front of a desk or around a waiting area, the castors mean the chair can roll. In those spots a static chair on glides is usually the better fit.
How close is this replica to the 1960 design?
We follow the layout that defines the design: three separate leather cushions, polished aluminium side frames, padded arms and a five-star base on castors. The leather, foam and mechanism are our own specification, and the chair is made and sold under the Sederica name. What you receive is a reproduction of the look and proportions, built by us rather than by the Eames Office or its partners.
Tan brown or dark brown: which ES104 should I choose?
Choose tan brown for a lighter, more relaxed look, especially with oak, walnut, terracotta or plants in the room. Choose dark brown if you want a deeper, more traditional study feel that hides wear a little better. For a formal office, see our black ES104, and for bright minimal rooms, the white version.
Is the chair suitable for parquet and tiled floors?
Yes. Our ES104 rolls smoothly on hard floors such as parquet, laminate, stone and tiles. On soft woods like pine, or on oiled oak that marks easily, a clear floor protector under the desk area is worth adding, since any castor chair can leave light tracks over time. On thick carpet, a chair mat makes rolling easier.
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