Ray and Charles Eames were both experts in their fields, so when they joined forces it is no surprise that they quickly made history.
Charles Ormond Eames, Jr was born in 1907 in Saint Louis, Missouri. His interest in architect started when he was only 14 years old. Charles worked part-time at a steel manufacturer where he learned about engineering and architecture, and grew a profound love for it. He moved on to study architecture at Washington University where he met his soon to be wife Catherine Woermann. After only two years of study, he left the university for personal reasons, and began pursuing a life with his new wife. A year later they had a daughter, Lucia. Shortly thereafter Charles began working with two architects by the names of Charles Gray and Walter Pauley. After he felt that he had an ample amount of time working in the field, he moved himself his wife and his daughter to Michigan and began studies at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He proved his talent and dedication for architecture and soon became not only a teacher, but also the head of the industrial design department. He went on to design award winning furniture for the Museum of Modern Art’s home furnishings competition along with a good friend of his, Eero Saarinen. They perfected the technique of plywood molding which would later give way to his most famous design, the Eames Lounge Chair. After many frustrating disagreements, Charles and his wife Catherine divorced. Charles soon after grew an infatuation for his colleague Ray Kaiser who he soon married. Charles and Ray moved to Los Angeles, California where they worked and lived for the remainder of their lives. They worked together creating architectural masterpieces including their place of dwelling dubbed the Eames House. Built from the ground up by hand, and constructed of industrial steel, it still stands today as a modern masterpiece.
Ray-Bernice Alexandra Kaiser Eames was born in 1912 in Sacramento, California. an American artist, designer, and filmmaker who, together with her husband Charles, is responsible for many classic, iconic designs of the 20th century. She was born in Sacramento, California. Having lived in a number of cities during her youth, in 1933 she moved to New York, where she studied abstract painting with Hans Hofmann.
In September 1940 she began studies at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where she met Charles Eames, marrying him the following year. Settling in Los Angeles, California, Charles and Ray Eames would lead an outstanding career in design and architecture.
Ray Eames died in Los Angeles in 1988, ten years to the day after Charles.
I intend to finish this post, but have just been busy…
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Who Says Designer Furniture Has To Be Expensive?
Many people are under the misconception that they have to spend a lot of money to achieve the design they are looking for.
In all my years of providing people with design ideas and with helping them achieve the living spaces they desire, the biggest misunderstanding I come across quite frequently is that people think good design comes with a big price tag. This just isn’t the case. Sure if you run out to DWR and purchase a leather sectional from their Reid Collection and accent it with a few Cellula Chandeliers and an exquisite Angela Adams designer rug, you are sure to break the bank. The problem is that most people don’t realize there are other options. A simple search on Google will reveal a wealth of options for furniture, lighting, accents and accessories to suit everyone’s tastes.
Everyone knows that modern design is about simplicity. Instead of collections of smaller, inexpensive items, a modern look keeps it simple by displaying a select few items that really work with each other to achieve the overall look you are going for. The problem many of us run into, though, is that many times most of the items don’t make the cut. We spend weeks going from store to store searching for that perfect piece to really add that feel we are going for, while also complementing our existing pieces. Why not save some time and shop online? Not only do you get the convenience of shopping many stores from the comfort of your own home, you also get your items delivered right to your door. Even better than that, most of the time you end up paying a lot less than you would have by going to the store. Ready for the really good news? Most of the time when you find that perfect piece, it carries a price tag that reflects its rarity. When you buy it online, you get it at a price closer to the actual cost of manufacturing. That’s not to mention the fact that most places offer you the option of free shipping, and more times than not, you don’t even have to pay sells tax.
The big-ticket item on everyone’s list is also the centerpiece of the room, the furniture. Nothing kicks off a room better than a beautiful well-made classic sofa set. Classic designs from designers such as Le Corbusier, Charles Eames, Mies Van Der Rohe, Eileen Gray and Florence Knoll are sure to make your eyes shine like those of a child in a candy store. But the price tag brings about feelings reminiscent of the first day back to school after a long summer’s break. What if you could have those same designs in a sofa set that is customized with dimensions to suit your already existing décor, and in a rich warm firebrick red to match your curtains and drapes? Welcome to the age of the Internet.
Custom Furniture manufacturers such as ShangriLaSofa offer classic furniture reproductions, customized to your likings, for less than half the price of the originals. ShangriLaSofa boasts a large collection of fabrics, leathers and micro fibers in over 300 colors, and the ability to customize any piece to your heart’s content, and don’t worry about sacrificing quality. Aniline dyed top grain leathers, fully enclosed back panels, and brushed stainless steel frames are standard features on all of their sets. Reproductions don’t just stop with furniture. AgelessClassicalReproductions carries a large collection of replica museum art, Rejuvenation carries replicas all types of lighting and shades, and Artsheaven will provide you with all of your oil painting replicas.
In this day and age it simply does not make sense to waste your time going from store to store. The simple fact is that the places that carry affordable items for your home do not have a large retail chain. They are tucked away out of sight in places you wouldn’t think to look. But with the help of the World Wide Web, they are now only a click away.
In all my years of providing people with design ideas and with helping them achieve the living spaces they desire, the biggest misunderstanding I come across quite frequently is that people think good design comes with a big price tag. This just isn’t the case. Sure if you run out to DWR and purchase a leather sectional from their Reid Collection and accent it with a few Cellula Chandeliers and an exquisite Angela Adams designer rug, you are sure to break the bank. The problem is that most people don’t realize there are other options. A simple search on Google will reveal a wealth of options for furniture, lighting, accents and accessories to suit everyone’s tastes.
Everyone knows that modern design is about simplicity. Instead of collections of smaller, inexpensive items, a modern look keeps it simple by displaying a select few items that really work with each other to achieve the overall look you are going for. The problem many of us run into, though, is that many times most of the items don’t make the cut. We spend weeks going from store to store searching for that perfect piece to really add that feel we are going for, while also complementing our existing pieces. Why not save some time and shop online? Not only do you get the convenience of shopping many stores from the comfort of your own home, you also get your items delivered right to your door. Even better than that, most of the time you end up paying a lot less than you would have by going to the store. Ready for the really good news? Most of the time when you find that perfect piece, it carries a price tag that reflects its rarity. When you buy it online, you get it at a price closer to the actual cost of manufacturing. That’s not to mention the fact that most places offer you the option of free shipping, and more times than not, you don’t even have to pay sells tax.
The big-ticket item on everyone’s list is also the centerpiece of the room, the furniture. Nothing kicks off a room better than a beautiful well-made classic sofa set. Classic designs from designers such as Le Corbusier, Charles Eames, Mies Van Der Rohe, Eileen Gray and Florence Knoll are sure to make your eyes shine like those of a child in a candy store. But the price tag brings about feelings reminiscent of the first day back to school after a long summer’s break. What if you could have those same designs in a sofa set that is customized with dimensions to suit your already existing décor, and in a rich warm firebrick red to match your curtains and drapes? Welcome to the age of the Internet.
Custom Furniture manufacturers such as ShangriLaSofa offer classic furniture reproductions, customized to your likings, for less than half the price of the originals. ShangriLaSofa boasts a large collection of fabrics, leathers and micro fibers in over 300 colors, and the ability to customize any piece to your heart’s content, and don’t worry about sacrificing quality. Aniline dyed top grain leathers, fully enclosed back panels, and brushed stainless steel frames are standard features on all of their sets. Reproductions don’t just stop with furniture. AgelessClassicalReproductions carries a large collection of replica museum art, Rejuvenation carries replicas all types of lighting and shades, and Artsheaven will provide you with all of your oil painting replicas.
In this day and age it simply does not make sense to waste your time going from store to store. The simple fact is that the places that carry affordable items for your home do not have a large retail chain. They are tucked away out of sight in places you wouldn’t think to look. But with the help of the World Wide Web, they are now only a click away.
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