The legacy of Charles Eames looms large in design. In partnership with his wife, Ray, Charles was at the forefront of pioneering innovation in the use of molded plywood for furniture making. The Eameses’ cheerful and inviting work has endured among the most important advancements in the history of 20th-century design.
Together, visionary mid-century modern duo Charles and Ray Eames introduced a wide range of renowned furniture to the postwar market, including iconic designs such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, the wildly colorful birch plywood-and-plastic-laminate Eames storage unit, the Eames compact sofa and more. The designers were trailblazers in molded plywood furniture and brought lively organic form to metal and plastic.
Charles Eames studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. He traveled to Mexico and Europe, and experienced firsthand the work of designer-architects Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In 1930, upon returning to Missouri, Eames opened an architecture practice with Charles M. Gray but later moved to Michigan in 1938. He received a fellowship at Cranbrook Academy of Art, which would become a breeding ground for the stars of mid-century design. Eames continued his architecture studies at Cranbrook and also taught in the design department.
In 1940, Eames met his future wife, artist and designer Beatrice Alexandra "Ray" Kaiser, who was studying at Cranbrook under Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. Charles teamed up with another Cranbrook instructor, Finnish-American designer Eero Saarinen, to explore the possibilities of plywood for use in furniture design.
With support from Ray, Charles and Eero created chairs and case pieces and submitted them to the “Organic Design in Home Furnishings” competition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City — among them was the groundbreaking organic Side chair made of molded plywood with maple legs. It was upholstered by Heywood-Wakefield. This exhibition is considered critical by many to the popularization of what is known as mid-century modernism. Eames and Saarinen won first place for their submissions to the competition.
Charles and Ray were married in 1941 and soon after moved to Los Angeles, California, and lived in an apartment building designed by architect Richard Neutra. Charles worked on set design at MGM, and at night, in a humble workshop they established in the guest bedroom, he and Ray experimented with molded plywood on a homemade device they called the “Kazaam!” machine. In 1942, the couple won a U.S. Navy contract to create molded plywood leg splints that would be used to support wartime medical efforts. Soon, the Evans Product Company was making the splints and the Eameses opened the famed Eames Office and studio.
The Eameses’ innovative use of wire framing, molded plywood and applied fabrics caught the attention of many notable figures in interior design and architecture, including George Nelson, director of design at Herman Miller, a now-legendary modern furniture manufacturer. The company enlisted the Eameses’ talents and was eventually home to the couple’s classic pieces such as the Eames DCW chair and the DCM chair.
Find an extensive array of vintage Charles Eames seating, tables and case pieces on 1stDibs.
$9,500 / set
Early Charles Eames Dining Set
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
Early Charles Eames Dining Set, This set consists of Four DCW Dining Chairs in Birchwood and Rare DCW-1 Walnut Dining Table. Tables measures; 29¼ h × ...
Birch, Walnut
Dining or Game Table by Charles Eames for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A square dining or game table with an ash top, on folding steel legs. Model DTM.
Steel
$1,437Sale Price|40% Off
H 27.88 in W 71.75 in D 42.75 in
Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller 6' Conference Dining Table
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in South Charleston, WV
71.75 x 41.75 x 27 7/8". Table was designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the early 1960s for Herman Miller, This model produced 1980. Laminate combed oak top. Signed to underside. Fea...
Aluminum
Early Alvar Aalto Dining Set C.1940s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Great Barrington, MA
Really beautiful, early and rare dining set by Alvar Aalto. Smart color combination and natural patina. Table and six chairs.
Birch
$1,800
H 29 in Dm 36 in
Charles and Ray Eames Round Oak Veneer Pedestal Dining Table for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Miami, FL
Herman Miller Aluminum Group cafe bistro / dining table with oak veneer top on an aluminum base originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames. This table was produced with the oak v...
Aluminum
$5,480 / set
H 31.89 in W 18.9 in D 19.69 in
Charles Ray Eames Herman Miller Dining Room Set 4 La Fonda Chairs & Dining Table
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
A rare set of four 1960s Charles & Ray Eames “La Fonda” DSL dining chairs for Herman Miller with fibreglass shells, original red naugahyde with black piping on a four column pede...
Metal, Aluminum
$6,000
H 28.5 in W 72 in D 41.75 in
Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller Restored Rosewood Conference Dining Table
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This rare table was designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the early 1960s for Herman Miller, the producer of all Eames designs at the time. It was not widely produced at the time, and...
Aluminum, Steel
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 15.5 in Dm 34 in
Charles and Ray Eames CTW 'Coffee Table Wood' for Herman Miller
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Eames for Herman Miller Coffee Table ("CTW"). Iconic Mid-Century Modern designer coffee table bearing "Eames Herman Miller" label. Excellent figuring in the birch wood grain. Bentwoo...
Birch, Bentwood
Dining Table Contract Base by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Beautiful early dining table with contract base by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. The table has an aluminum contract base and white formica table top framed with rubber ed...
Aluminum
Unique One of a Kind Herman Miller Eames Vintage Dining Set
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Unique one of a kind Herman Miller Eames dining set. Classic DCM chairs, each with own unique characteristics, paired with Herman Miller Eames table base...
Marble
Herman Miller Eames Dining Set with 4 Chairs
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Gorgeous Herman Miller Eames dining set. Featuring 4 pink model DSR chairs, recoated in pink and atop fresh new Eiffel bases. All chairs signed Herman...
Fiberglass
$2,800
H 15.25 in W 34 in D 34 in
Early Production RED "CTW" Molded Plywood Coffee Table by Charles & Ray Eames
By Charles Eames
Located in Buffalo, NY
Seldom seen ,, Early Production ,1950s in RED aniline dye "CTW" Molded Plywood Coffee Table by Charles & Ray Eames,, Amazing original f...
Plywood
Charis Dining Set
By Pete Deeble
Located in Long Beach, CA
Charis is the Greek word for grace. A dinner table is a place of grace, where we gift each other with food, conversation, and family. And this table features a solid walnut top grace...
Cherry, Teak, Walnut, Oak
$4,008
H 28.35 in Dm 45.28 in
Round dining table model La Fonda by Charles Eames for Herman Miller. USA 1960s
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Catania, CT
This elegant mid-century modern dining table features a circular top in white laminated wood supported by a cast aluminum pedestal base with four splayed legs. Designed by Charles an...
Metal
$2,295 / item
H 29.5 in W 72 in D 36 in
Mid Century Modern Herman Miller Charles & Ray Eames Ash Conference Dining Table
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Portland, OR
This is an authentic & iconic table designed by Charles and Ray Eames and was first produced by Merman Miller in 1964. The 6 ft long table having a blond ash top and raised on black ...
Aluminum, Steel
$3,400 / set
H 29 in Dm 42 in
Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller Dining Set with 4 DSX and 42" Dining Table
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed by the legenday Charles and Ray Eames, this dining set was produced in the 1970s by Herman Miller. This set consists of 4 DSX chairs with bright orange shells and metal base...
Metal, Aluminum
Charles Eames Dining Set
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
Eames for Herman Miller Four Dining Chairs (DCW) and Dining Table (DTW) Rare set only produced for a few years.
Dining Room Set By Charles Eames
By Charles Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
a very nice and rare dinning room set, it was my for ten years and now i am ready for a change, the color of the vinyl is salmon color, which you can not find anymore, they is a litt...
Metal
Charles Eames - Model DSW chair, six available
By Charles Eames
Located in San Francisco, CA
Charles Eames, Six shell chairs. model DSW, with orange fiberglass, dark-stained wooden dowel leg base of later date. Produced by Herman Miller, marked accordingly, model DSW.
Steel