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Charles and Ray Eames Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

American

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.

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Creator: Charles and Ray Eames
1st Generation Eames ESU 220-C for Herman Miller, in Red, Blue, Yellow
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Original 1st generation ESU, model 220-C storage unit, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Inspired by industrial warehouse shelving, this first-generation ESU from ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Steel

Rare Midcentury Eames ESU 400-C for Herman Miller 1st Series
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
For your consideration is this Charles and Ray Eames designed ESU 400-C for Herman Miller. This is the rarest 1st series ESU (Eames Storage Unit) A versatile case piece that makes a ...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Eames Original 1st Generation ESU 200-N Storage Unit
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Original first-generation ESU 200-N storage unit, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This iconic piece embodies the Eames' innovative approach to modular design, fe...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Steel

Charles & Ray Eames ESU 400 Storage Unit, 1994 USA
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Eames storage unit for Herman Miller made in 1994. Great colors and designs on plywood. Plenty of storage space with wooden panels on the top and bottom. Shelves and 3 drawers in the...
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1990s American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Steel

First Generation ESU Cabinet model 220C by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Seattle, WA
A rather iconic design from Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, Eames Shelving Units or ESU for short have recently reached a new level of collectability due to the rarity especially of the First Gen...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Steel

1953 ESU 240-N Shelving Unit by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller w/ Walnut
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an original 1953 ESU 240-N Shelving Unit designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller in 1949. This unit dates to 1953 and will be accompanied by its original receipt ...
Category

1950s American Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Enamel, Steel, Chrome

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Herman Miller ESU 420 Modular Unit
Herman Miller ESU 420 Modular Unit
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Eames for Herman Miller ESU 420 Modular Storage Unit, ca. 2005
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Second Generation Eames Storage Unit ESU 400-N series by Charles and Ray Eames
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Seattle, WA
The Eames Storage Unit (ESU) is a lightweight system of freestanding modular cabinets that was initially promoted as an economical solution to the changing storage needs of American ...
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Charles And Ray Eames case pieces and storage cabinets for sale on 1stDibs.

Charles and Ray Eames case pieces and storage cabinets are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Charles and Ray Eames case pieces and storage cabinets, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original case pieces and storage cabinets by Charles and Ray Eames were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider case pieces and storage cabinets by M. Singer & Sons, Hudson Rissman, and Bernhardt. Prices for Charles and Ray Eames case pieces and storage cabinets can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,600 and can go as high as $50,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $11,000.
Questions About Charles and Ray Eames Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Charles and Ray Eames are famous for their chair designs. The couple released their first iconic Eames Lounge and Ottoman in 1956 and went on to create more chairs that changed the idea of comfortable seating. In addition to being great furniture designers, Ray and Charles were also graphic and textile designers, architects and film-makers. Shop a collection of Eames chairs from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024
    Charles and Ray Eames were related by marriage. Charles studied architecture and industrial design. Ray (née Bernice Alexandra Kaiser) was an artist who studied under painter Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit and married the next year. Shop a selection of Charles and Ray Eames furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Rosewood was the favorite wood of famed American designers Charles and Ray Eames. Rosewood made its way into some of the duo’s most celebrated designs, including the iconic Eames lounge chair. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of genuine Eames furniture from some of the world’s top sellers.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Charles and Ray Eames have been recognized as the 20th century’s most influential designers and are best known for their highly recognizable chairs. The Eames lounge chair and ottoman are an iconic duo in modern-styled furniture, and s​ome 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. Find vintage Charles and Ray Eames furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    For Charles and Ray Eames’ chairs designed for Herman Miller, molded plywood, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, bent and welded wire mesh, and cast aluminum were used in production. You can shop a collection of Eames furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2024
    Yes, Charles Eames chairs are comfortable. The Eameses — Charles and Ray — were fascinated by ergonomics and designed chairs with comfort in mind. The legendary mid-century modernist designer-couple famously called their Eames lounge chair and ottoman “a special refuge from the strains of modern living” and described their design as having the “warm receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt.”

    While the couple’s DCW chairs, introduced in the 1940s, prioritized ease of production and affordability of materials, the Eames lounger, which debuted in 1956, was Charles and Ray’s interpretation of luxury furniture. And to the Eameses, luxury meant, above all, comfort.

    Find vintage Charles and Ray Eames furniture on 1stDibs.

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