Eames Desk Unit EDU

Overview

The EDU is a desk by Charles and Ray Eames from 1949. Coloured panels act as a modesty shield and partly enclose its two storage compartments.

Image source: Vitra — Eames Desk Unit EDU · © Vitra and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Construction

A birch-veneered plywood top, maple plywood shelves with a birch face veneer and powder-coated aluminium panels sit on a black powder-coated metal frame whose legs allow individual levelling.

Specifications

1525 mm wide, 710 mm deep, 740 mm high. Panels in 83 pale blue, 85 fawn or 86 rusty orange; top and shelves in 81 birch, natural, lacquer finish.

Part of a 1949 pair

The Desk Unit and the Storage Unit are both dated 1949 on Vitra's page, which describes them as freestanding, multifunctional shelves and desks that followed the principles of industrial production, like the Eames House. The EDU is the desk of the pair.

A new colour scheme

The colours of the current version come from a collaboration between the Eames Office and Hella Jongerius, Vitra's art director for colours and materials, aiming at a contemporary look that keeps the 1940s and '50s in view.