athomeinloveI love furniture of all types, but chairs have my heart. Each one seems to have a personality of it’s own. I love seeing a bunch of different chairs in a room, like old friends sitting around chatting...Read More about 5 Iconic ChairsCharles Eames and Ray Eames were the embodiment of the inventiveness, energy and optimism at the heart of mid-century modern American design, and have been recognized as the most influential designers of the 20th century. As furniture designers, filmmakers, artists, textile and graphic designers and even toy and puzzle makers, the Eameses were a visionary and effective force for the notion that design should be an agent of positive change. They are the happy, ever-curious, ever-adventurous faces of modernism. Charles studied architecture and industrial design. Ray (née Beatrice Alexandra Kaiser) was an artist, who studied under the abstract expressionist Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit (where Charles also met his frequent collaborator Eero Saarinen and the artist and designer Harry Bertoia) and married the next year.
His technical skills and her artistic flair were wonderfully complementary. They moved to Los Angeles in 1941, where Charles worked on set design for MGM. In the evenings at their apartment, they experimented with molded plywood using a handmade heat-and-pressurization device they called the “Kazam!” machine. The next year, they won a contract from the U.S. Navy for lightweight plywood leg splints for wounded servicemen — they are coveted collectibles today; more so those that Ray used to make sculptures. The Navy contract allowed Charles to open a professional studio, and the attention-grabbing plywood furniture the firm produced prompted George Nelson, the director of design of the furniture-maker Herman Miller Inc., to enlist Charles and (by association, if not by contract) Ray in 1946. Some of the first Eames items to emerge from Herman Miller are now classics: the “LCW,” or Lounge Chair Wood, and the “DCM,” or Dining Chair Metal, supported by tubular steel.
The Eameses eagerly embraced new technology and materials, and one of their peculiar talents was to imbue their supremely modern design with references to folk traditions. Their “Wire Chair” group of the 1950s, for example, was inspired by basket weaving techniques. The populist notion of “good design for all” drove their “Molded Fiberglass” chair series that same decade, and also produced the organic-form, ever-delightful “La Chaise.” In 1956 the “Lounge Chair” and ottoman appeared — the supremely comfortable plywood-base-and-leather-upholstery creation that will likely live in homes as long as there are people with good taste and sense. Charles Eames once said, “The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.” For very good collectors and thoughtful interior designers, a piece of design by the Eameses, the closer produced to original conception the better, is almost de rigueur — for its beauty and comfort, and not least as a tribute to the creative legacy and enduring influence of Charles and Ray Eames.
We’re hoping this year’s Presidential Debate stages will be as well-furnished as the ones in 1976. When Governor Jimmy Carter debated President Gerald Ford on October 22, 1976, they each had Eames drafting chairs at their respective podiums. The EC117 Adjustable Stool Swivel Arm Shells were manufactured by Herman Miller, a Michigan-based company that the Eames Office still works with today. You can see examples of the drafting chair in a page from one of Herman Miller’s 1970s catalogs. Like other Eames designs, the EC117 grew in popularity and was eventually exported all over the world for people to enjoy. Eames shell chairs are timeless and have always looked at home in a variety of environments, which is one reason you can find them anywhere from Laundromats and classrooms to modern homes and museum collections. While the EC117 is no longer in production, another one of Charles and Ray’s shell designs would be just as fitting on this year’s debate stages as the drafting chair was 40 years ago: the new Eames Counter Stool.
The design offers the same height, comfort, and durability as the EC117, but it is lighter in weight. Eames shell chairs by Herman Miller are built to last and designed to bring you comfort for generations to come. Made in America by highly-skilled American workers, the chair’s components are sustainably sourced and, depending on the finish selected, 63-100% recyclable. The Eames Counter Stool may be configured with or without upholstery. Seat colors included Parchment, Lemon Yellow, Green, Black, Seal Brown, Ultramarine Blue, and, most fitting for this political season, Navy Blue and Red-Orange. We encourage everyone to get out and vote this November; in the meantime, take a seat and watch the 1976 Presidential Debate here. We've refreshed our site and, unfortunately, can't find the page you requested. Try one of the links below or enter a keyword into the search field above. Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec Charles and Ray Eames
Sam Hecht and Kim Colin You've been added to our mailing list. Please enter a valid email address12 Things You Didn’t Know About the Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman has been in continuous production Since 1956. Celebrating Ray Eames on Her Birthday December 15, 2016, Ray Eames would have turned 104 years old. In celebration of her birthday,... Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair Click on image to zoom Designers: Charles and Ray EamesGraceful silhouette, innovative comfort features, timeless design. The Management Chair is a low-back chair with or without arms. Now available with new finish and material options. Configure Your Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair It’s a trick only Charles and Ray Eames could pull off: Chairs designed in 1958 as outdoor seating still look classic and contemporary in 21st century interiors. The chair's clean, curvilinear lines enhance any décor and work well in your home office, dining area, and living room.
Available in fabric, vinyl, or leather, these Eames chairs are equipped with an innovative suspension that creates a firm, flexible “sitting pocket.” It conforms subtly to your body’s shape and maintains your comfort. With an aluminum frame and base, the chair is strong, yet lightweight and easy to move. Earth-friendly, too: made of 61 percent recycled materials and 88 percent recyclable at the end of its useful life. A major technical achievement. You can choose leather, vinyl, or fabric in lots of colors, including some prints. If you choose leather upholstery, you can opt for our standard or our new premium leather, a semi-aniline, dyed leather with 100 percent natural full grain. Color variations and surface marks are an inherent characteristic of this material, which will acquire wrinkles and creases and develop a rich patina over time. The new premium leather option is available in black and pearl. To complement the lighter materials—including pearl, the white leather—we are also offering powder coat finishes on the base and frame in white and graphite satin, along with polished aluminum.