Charles and Ray Eames, who pioneered modern chair design in the 1940s and '50s, were responsible for some of the most innovative chairs of the 20th century. Their chairs were fabricated from wood, fiberglass, plastic, and metal mesh. Eames chairs have been widely imitated, but originals are highly sought-after by collectors because they are considered breakthroughs in both design and technology. In 1940, Charles Eames met Ray Kaiser at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, which was also home to architect and Eames collaborator Eero Saarinen and furniture designer Harry Bertoia. The couple married a year later and moved to Los Angeles to continue their work in molded plywood. By 1945, the couple had figured out how to create compound curves in molded plywood. One of their first pieces was a birch child’s chair and stool manufactured by the Molded Plywood Division of Evans Products — production was limited to just 5,000 pieces. Evans also produced about 1,000 LCW chairs (which stands for Lounge Chair Wood) before the Eameses began a long collaboration with the Herman Miller Furniture Company, which produced and distributed a number of chairs for them, including the DCM (Dining Chair Metal), in which two pieces of plywood are secured to a solid-rod chromed frame with rubber shock mounts.
In 1951, Herman Miller was selling 2,000 of these chairs a month (examples with wooden legs were less popular, making them more collectible today). Molded fiberglass chairs in a variety of bright colors — with or without arms, with or without a rocking base — came next. Serious Eames connoisseurs look for chairs from this period, 1950-1953, with a "Miller-Zenith" label on their undersides. The ones with wooden bases (DAW, PAW) are less common and thus more sought-after than the ones with metal legs (DAR, LAX, LAR, RAR). Around the same time, the couple designed chairs made from sturdy wire mesh, with covers available in leather, vinyl, and fabric by designer Alexander Girard. These were the chairs that the Eameses produced for the mass consumer. By 1956, well-heeled customers could order a Lounge Chair and Ottoman, whose molded rosewood plywood form embraced rich leather upholstery. The chair is still available today from Herman Miller in cherry and walnut. In 1958, the couple launched a chair collection called the Aluminum Group, which included a desk chair and a lounge chair — the armless models of the latter are most prized today.
In 1960, Eames designed several chairs and a trio of stools for the new Time-Life Building in New York. One was an Executive Desk Chair, the other an Intermediate Desk Chair, which was a smaller version of the Executive that did not sell as well, making it the more prized of the two today. Steven Cabella's personal homage to Charles and Ray Eames. This site is as clean and visually appealing as the Eame… [read review or visit site] Work of Charles and Ray EamesThis Library of Congress microsite is an overview of the postwar modern design work of Charles (1907-78) and Ray (1… Herman Miller Consortium CollectionThis website showcases several hundred pieces of furniture, held by thirteen museums, that were designed for Herman… ModernismThis archived overview produced by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts offers thumbnail sketches of the design moveme… Buffalo Architecture and HistoryChuck LaChiusa's wonderful guide to the architecture and history of Buffalo, NY, also happens to host an impressive…
The Mid Century ModernistStephen Coles' really visual blog dedicated to the Modernist era of design from 1940 to 1970 (aka Mid-century Moder… ChipstoneThis beautiful site showcases the collection of Stanley and Polly Stone of Fox Point, Wisconsin, consisting of earl… Kentucky Online Arts ResourceThis huge online database from the Speed Art Museum is a rich trove of beautiful photos and reference information o… Classic ModernGet a taste of how homes were lit in the 50s, 60s, and 70s with the Danish retro-style lighting designs featured on… [read review or visit site]Add a pattern to a basic rug. With some paint and dedication, you can make a basic, cheap rug look much more upscale. Craft a rope bowl. All you need to make a similar bowl is rope and a hot glue gun. Build a pendant chandelier. Believe it or not, this copycat chandelier achieves its ethereal beauty with pieces of wax paper (don’t worry, they won’t melt or catch on fire).
Learn how to make it here. Sew a striped shower curtain. Make a nearly identical shower curtain by sewing together strips of basic cotton. Build a tufted headboard. While this project is probably not best for beginners, it’ll help you rest easy knowing you don’t need to drop hundreds of dollars on the headboard of your dreams. Sew some floor poufs. If you can sew a straight line, then you can probably sew some pouf floor cushions. They’re much easier and cheaper to make than you’d think! Turn an old dresser into a piece of statement furniture. You can achieve this effect with a sander and a few different shades of stain. Make some decorative wooden spheres. An unlike way to use embroidery hoops. Build your own geometric daybed. Does require some carpentry expertise and/or the help of a handy friend. Create some reclaimed wood shelves. The original shelves are meant to look old and beat up, so why pay more to buy them new?
In order to achieve a distressed looked, this tutorial involves some very cathartic banging on pieces of wood with a hammer. Build a shell pendant chandelier. You’d never guess that something so glam was mostly made from wax paper and an old lamp shade. Transform old vases by adding a mercury glass effect. Achieve the look by using metallic spray paint and vinegar. Make a chevron print carpet. All you need is paint and tape to achieve this look. Create a tiered plant stand from old dishes. Build a geometric cutout headboard. You’d never guess that this headboard is mostly made from decorative doormats. Make some chalkboard planters. Simply paint a terracotta pot with some chalkboard paint. Transform a basic table with a dip painted effect. A super easy way to turn a basic side table into something special. Turn a glass vase into a lamp. BEHOLD: the transformational powers of a hardware store lamp kit. Turn a wooden stump into a beautiful side table.