Charles 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. The Eameses were lovers of folk craft who had a genius for making highly original chairs, tables, case pieces and other furniture using traditional materials and forms.
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 Eames (1907–78) studied architecture and industrial design. Ray Eames (née Beatrice Alexandra Kaiser, 1912–88) was an artist, who studied under the Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit (the legendary institution 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 — vintage Eames splints 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 Eames chair, 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 Eames 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.
The original Eames furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes chairs, tables, case pieces and other items.
1958 Set of 4 Herman Miller Eames DKR-2 Wire Bikini Chairs in Yellow Naugahyde
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a set of four DKR-2 wire dining chairs, designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1951. This particular set of four chairs dates to circa 1958. They have steel wir...
Naugahyde
Pair of C. 1953 Herman Miller Eames LCW Lounge Chair Wood Refinished Red Aniline
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Listed for sale is an original pair of circa 1953 production Eames LCW (Lounge Chair Wood) chairs, originally specified in red aniline dye. These examples were refinished and restor...
Wood
1995 Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Management Desk Chair in Grey Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair, Model EA335, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. These particular examples date to 1995. The desi...
Aluminum, Steel
1953 Herman Miller Eames RAR Rocking Chair with Fiberglass Shell and White Base
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a RAR Rocking Chair, designed by Ray and Charles Eames in 1950. This particular example dates to around 1953. The piece consists of a yellow fiberglass shell seat and back, a...
Metal
2020s Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair in White Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair, Model EA335, designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. This particular example was produced in the 2020s. Th...
Aluminum
Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An early example of the iconic RAR rocker with a molded, rope-edged fiberglass seat with large shock mounts, made by Zenith Plastics for Herman Miller, set upon cross-braced steel st...
Steel
2023 Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Management Desk Chair in White Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair, Model EA335, designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. This particular chair was produced in 2023. The desig...
Aluminum, Steel
2023 Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Executive Desk Chair in Gray Bristol Leather
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Executive high back desk chair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller. This model was originally designed in 1958, and this ...
Aluminum
Mid-Century Modern Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Charcoal Management Chair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Secaucus, NJ
Stunning authentic mid-century modern Eames aluminum group management chair. A timeless design classic and contemporary with Innovative comfort features. One of Herman Miller most po...
Aluminum
2020s Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Management Desk Chair in Cream Naugahyde
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair, Model EA335, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. This particular example dates to the 2020s. The ...
Aluminum, Steel
2006 Herman Miller Compact Sofa by Ray and Charles Eames with New Yellow Fabric
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Compact Sofa, Model S-473, initially designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1954. This particular example dates to 2006 and has been freshly reuphols...
Steel, Chrome
C. 1954 Set of Four Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller DKX Wire Dining Chairs
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a set of four DKX chairs, originally designed by Ray and Charles Eames in 1951. These particular examples were produced by Herman Miller in the USA C. 1954. The chairs are co...
Steel
2014 Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chairs in Grey Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chairs, model EA335, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. These particular examples date to 2014. Th...
Aluminum, Steel
2022 Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair in White Sequel Upholstery
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chairs, Model EA335, designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. These particular examples were produced in 2022. The ...
Aluminum
Vintage Eames / Zenith PAW Swivel Base Armchair, 1940s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Renens, CH
First generation Eames rope-edge swivel base armchair. Manufactured only for a very short period in the late 1940s by Zenith. This chair is a true collector’s item with less than ...
Fiberglass, Wood
2023 Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Management Desk Chair in White Bristol Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair, Model EA335, originally designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. These particular examples were produced in...
Aluminum, Steel
C. 1957 Set of Four Herman Miller Eames DKX-1 Dining Chairs in Wire and Fabric
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a set of four DKX-1 dining chairs, originally designed by Ray and Charles Eames in 1951. These particular examples were produced by Herman Miller in the USA C. 1957. The chai...
Steel
Set of 6 Herman Miller EA109 office chairs in blue grey fabric, 1980s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
This is a set of six EA109 swivel chairs from Herman Miller, designed by Charles & Rey Eames. The EA109 is part of the Eames Aluminum Group, designed in 1958 for the Miller House in ...
Aluminum
1958, Ray & Charles Eames for Vitra Lounge Chair EA 116 in Black Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach...
Aluminum
3er Set Asserbo Stühle Borge Morgensen Roland Wilhelmsson
By Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes 3er Set Vintage Stühle von Borge Morgensen & Söner aus den 1970er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf "Asserbo" stammt von Børge Mogensen & Roland...
Steel, Chrome
2010s Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair in Grey Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. This particular chair was produced in the 2010s. The design sports...
Aluminum
1951 Pair of Herman Miller Eames DAX Rope Edge Armshell Chairs in Greige
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a pair of circa 1951 production Herman Miller Eames DAX arm shell chairs with iconic rope edge. These are gorgeous original ...
Metal
9x Original Vitra EA 115 Sessel Charles & Ray Eames Netz Mesh
By Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten neun wunderschöne Vitra EA 115 Stühle mit Netzbezug zum Verkauf an. Die Stühle mit Netzstoff/ Mesh bezogenen Stühle wurden von Charles und Ray Eames entworfen und gelten h...
Steel, Chrome
1954 Herman Miller Eames Wire Shell Chair X Base DKX-1 Redwood Avenue Label
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a super rare and original Eames for Herman Miller 1954 DKX chair with wire top, upholstered pad, and early X base. This piece can be dated due to the use of this ...
Metal
1990s Eames Soft Pad Armless Lounge Chair and Ottoman with New Grey Upholstery
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Soft Pad Lounge Chair and coordinating Ottoman, models EA414 and EA223, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1969. These pieces date to the 1990s and have been freshly reupholstered in fine grey leather with correct Herman Miller pads...
Aluminum
1954 Herman Miller Eames Rope Edge DAX Arm Shell Dining Chair X Base 3 Available
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are Eames DAX fiberglass dining chairs, initially designed by Ray and Charles Eames in 1950. These particular examples were produced by Herman Miller in the USA C. 1954. Their design incorporates a tan fiberglass shell seat atop a steel X-base. DAX is an acronym for Dining Arm X Base Chair...
Steel
Ash Aniline Red DCM Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rare aniline dyed red ash DCM chair with satin chrome frame. By Herman Miller with original foil tag.
Steel
2009 Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Management Desk Chair in Grey Maharam Fabric
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair, Model EA335, designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. This particular example was produced in 2009. The des...
Aluminum
Set of LAR Chairs by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rare set of 4 original LAR upholstered fiberglass lounge chairs on a wire frame base. Original Boris Kroll fabric.
Upholstery, Fiberglass
1957 Herman Miller Eames DKX Wire Dining Chair with Full Naugahyde Orange Pad
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a single circa 1957 production Eames DKX dining chair with wire upper and fully upholstered pad. The pad is original naugahyde in a red/orange color. The upholster...
Aluminum
2010s Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Management Desk Chair in Cream w/ Manual Lift
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. This particular example was produced in the 2010s. The desig...
Aluminum
1952 Set of Four Herman Miller Eames Rope Edge SAX Dining / Side Armshell Chairs
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a super rare and original set of four lemon yellow Herman Miller Eames fiberglass dining / side chairs, designed by Ray and Cha...
Metal
1958, Ray and Charles Eames Red Adjustable Tilt Office Chair with Five Wheels
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach, check last pictures on this listing and/or find more details on his family name plus eu, is for sale soon too. :-) Red Alu chair 117. This beautiful office chair is mobile, rotating and adjustable in height (picture #1 and #2) and can tilt. The upholstery has a velour quality (#14). The chair shows traces of wear, like some damage of the fabric at the corners of the backrest (#11 and #12) and some tiny stains (#10 and #15). Originally the armrests was glossy, but lost some shine (#10) and has some stains (#13 and #16) and scratches . The base and armrests show some traces of wear. More Eames Alu...
Aluminum
1964 Eames for Herman Miller 3473 Three-Seater Sofa in White Naugahyde #2
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a 3473 sofa, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1964. It's constructed from aluminum, iron, and plywood. It may be the original white naugahyde...
Aluminum, Iron
1964 Eames for Herman Miller 3473 Three Seat Sofa in White Naugahyde #1
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a 3473 sofa, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1964. It's constructed from aluminum, iron, and plywood. It may be the original white naugahyde...
Aluminum, Iron
Eames Desk Chair EA 117 by Herman Miller, 1990s - 3 Available
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brussels, BE
Eames Desk Chair EA 117 by Herman Miller, 1990s - 3 available.
Metal
Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller DKX-1 Chair, Black Leather, H-Base, 1955
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller DKX-1 chair, black leather, H-base, circa 1954, Boot glides .Pricing is per chair. Please change quantity to 4 to purchase entire set. The ab...
Steel
1958 Ray and Charles Eames, Fabric, Adjust, Tilt 2 Office Chair 4 Wheels No Arms
By Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach...
Aluminum
2017 Herman Miller Eames EAG Aluminum Group Management Chair in Grey Leather
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Management Desk Chair, model EA335, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. These particular examples date to 2017. Th...
Aluminum, Steel
2010s Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Management Desk Chair in Grey w/ Manual Lift
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. This particular example was produced in the 2010s. The desig...
Aluminum