There are many iconic images often associated with Mid-Century Modern, but none so than those of the furniture designs of Charles and Ray Eames. They weren’t the only designers sculpting the movement, but they were certainly influential, and it’s no stretch to say they changed the face of design forever. Though mostly associated with their gorgeous furniture pieces, they left their marks on a slew of other design fields, namely industrial design, art, graphic design, exhibition design, film and architecture.
Before they met, married and became inextricably known as a pair, they both lived creative lives. Charles’ architecture career started early when he worked at the Laclede Steel Company learning the basics of engineering, drawing, and architecture, cementing that interest during his brief study at Washington University. Not wasting any time, Charles started his own architectural practice in St. Louis in 1930 with a partner, and really began work in his signature modern style. Charles then eventually landed at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan by invitation of Eliel Saarinen (whose son, Eero, would go on to work with Charles extensively).
Ray-Bernice Alexandra Kaiser Eames was born in Sacramento, California, and from an early age displayed great artistic skill and talent. She moved to New York City in 1933, where she studied abstract painting with Hans Hofmann. Seven years and much artistic experience later, she began her studies at the Cranbrook Acadeny of Art, where she would go on to meet Charles. It must have been a perfect match from the start, for they married the next year.
Creating an inseparable and brilliant team, Charles and Ray would go on to create amazing design work, as well as pioneer building methods. Most notably, they revolutionized molded plywood, fiberglass, plastic resin and wire mesh for chairs and other furniture pieces. Working directly with companies like Herman Miller, their furniture went on to become very popular in the 1950s, and continues to be popular today. Along with furniture and architecture, they also created a number of pioneering exhibitions that became the standard for some. They worked at revolutionizing creativity itself with many of their short films and photography series and they even dabbled in fabric design.
Charles passed away of a heart attack on August 21, 1978, and Ray passed ten years (to the day) later, but the designs of Charles and Ray eames continue to exist as relevant modern statements and still influence designers and homeowners alike. Of course their furniture is aesthetically pleasing, but the cause of its continued success could also be due to their philosophies as designers as well. They approached solutions by concentrating on the process of creating the design, often taking many years to reach a final product. The result of this attention to the process? Detailed and high-quality designs that have lasted the test of time, over and over again.
Before they met, married and became inextricably known as a pair, they both lived creative lives. Charles’ architecture career started early when he worked at the Laclede Steel Company learning the basics of engineering, drawing, and architecture, cementing that interest during his brief study at Washington University. Not wasting any time, Charles started his own architectural practice in St. Louis in 1930 with a partner, and really began work in his signature modern style. Charles then eventually landed at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan by invitation of Eliel Saarinen (whose son, Eero, would go on to work with Charles extensively).
Ray-Bernice Alexandra Kaiser Eames was born in Sacramento, California, and from an early age displayed great artistic skill and talent. She moved to New York City in 1933, where she studied abstract painting with Hans Hofmann. Seven years and much artistic experience later, she began her studies at the Cranbrook Acadeny of Art, where she would go on to meet Charles. It must have been a perfect match from the start, for they married the next year.
Creating an inseparable and brilliant team, Charles and Ray would go on to create amazing design work, as well as pioneer building methods. Most notably, they revolutionized molded plywood, fiberglass, plastic resin and wire mesh for chairs and other furniture pieces. Working directly with companies like Herman Miller, their furniture went on to become very popular in the 1950s, and continues to be popular today. Along with furniture and architecture, they also created a number of pioneering exhibitions that became the standard for some. They worked at revolutionizing creativity itself with many of their short films and photography series and they even dabbled in fabric design.
Charles passed away of a heart attack on August 21, 1978, and Ray passed ten years (to the day) later, but the designs of Charles and Ray eames continue to exist as relevant modern statements and still influence designers and homeowners alike. Of course their furniture is aesthetically pleasing, but the cause of its continued success could also be due to their philosophies as designers as well. They approached solutions by concentrating on the process of creating the design, often taking many years to reach a final product. The result of this attention to the process? Detailed and high-quality designs that have lasted the test of time, over and over again.
The images of Eames furniture came from several online locations, such as the Treadway gallery, ivyology, 1 bp blogspot, wemadethis, living edge and design milk. 
