Those who value form and function will be forever attracted to the work of the famous designers Charles and Ray Eames.
This American husband and wife team were responsible for some of the most iconic examples of 20th century design. They began work on their design of their bedroom rental apartment in Los Angeles, where they built a homemade printing press to bring their ideas to life. They called this machine ‘Kazam!’
Charles and Ray continued to experiment with moulding plywood, producing sculptures, tables, chairs and even children’s stuffed animals. Their approach to design was centred on celebrating the beauty of everyday objects. For example, on their honeymoon they took a piece of tumbleweed as a souvenir and hung it in their home! This love of organic structure was always clear in their designs, all following an organic, smooth appearance. The organic ethos in their design work won first place at The Museum of Modern Art “Organic Design” competition in 1940.
In 1956, they produced the iconic Lounge Chair made of high-quality leather and moulded plywood. This chair has instantly become a classic thanks to simple, elegant aesthetics. It was a must-have piece for any stylish office during the 1960s and 70s and remains the case still. For your own Eames Chair, visit a site like www.pash-classics.com/eames-lounge-chair-and-ottoman.html
Beautiful functional design
Experimenting with fibreglass resulted in the production of one of the most recognizable pieces of 20th century furniture design; Eames plastic chairs. In 1948, they presented their seats at New York’s Museum of Modern Art competition ‘Low Cost Furniture Design’. Moulded plastic shells displayed on various bases were able to achieve a number of different looks.
The pair recognized the need for low cost, high quality furniture that can serve many purposes. Throughout their 40-year career, the Eameses designed a wealth of items from fold-up sofas to stadium, airport and school seating.
Variations of the Eames chair is still in production today, a successful example that good design is timeless. Their rule has always been that design should be liveable and they helped to bring about this shift in the design area in the 20th century. Modern ideas and innovative applications of new design processes ushered in a fresh perspective to the design of furniture. Their ethos created a clean, sophisticated and sleek look with the Eameses creating beautiful pieces of functional furniture. They were innovators in how well design can lead to a better quality of life.
The beautiful and functional Eames approach to design has always delivered innovation and efficiency, designed purely with the user in mind.