Charles Eames & Bernice Ray Eames
Charles Eames & Bernice Ray Eames
designer
- Charles Eames (1907-1978)
- Bernice “Ray” Eames (1912-1988)
- Nationality: American
Charles Eames and Bernice “Ray” Eames were an American design duo who made tremendous contributions to contemporary architecture and furniture design.
They married in 1941 and co-operated on an extensive assortment of products, most famous of which are their molded plywood designs. The Eames developed a spectrum of chairs in this style, including the “DCW” (Dining Chair Wood) and “DCM” (Dining Chair Metal with a plywood seat) the “Eames Lounge Chair” and the “Eames Chaise“, and also applied the technique to their interest in toys. The “Eames Elephant” (1945) was designed for children to use as both a toy and a piece of furniture. I is also made of plywood. Only two wooden prototypes were made, one of which was presented at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but today it is manufactured in plastic by the furniture house Vitra.
The Eames team continued to innovate the field of design, developing new technologies for working with fiberglass, plastic resin, and wire mesh. Their office maintained its success for more than 40 years, and their projects included occasional collaborations with other designers, like Charles’s long- time friend Eero Saarinen. In 1949, Charles and Ray designed and built a home for themselves in California, which became one of the most renowned post-war residences in the world. In 1979, the Royal Institute of British Architects awarded Charles and Ray Eames the Royal Gold Medal.
