Living

Living That
Eames Life

"Who ever said that pleasure wasn't functional?" Charles Eames once famously asked. That philosophy of style, utility and lack of unnecessary details is the maxim by which mid-century design is measured—no muss, no fuss. And Charles Eames, along with his wife Ray, could be considered one of the most important creative minds behind the movement. Their work defined a new, multifunctional style that was simple, sleek and sophisticated. Of course, for the husband-and-wife team, it was about more than just creating an aesthetic. They set out to create items that would fulfill practical, everyday needs. Items that would bring greater ease and pleasure to our lives.

Eames by Gloria Koenig, $14.99 at Amazon

Their timeless designs for the Herman Miller furniture company are part sculpture, part nature and part science. That iconic lounge chair? It may be something of a status symbol, but it's also damn comfortable, thanks to a permanent 15-degree tilt, which takes the weight off your lower spine. Even the lightweight leg splint they designed for the US Navy during World War II is now in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Such a unique life and legacy are celebrated in the newly updated Eames compendium by architectural historian Gloria Koenig. It offers a comprehensive look at this hardworking couple's rich body of work and clever points of view, in a handy 8"x10" edition that's sharp enough to display on a coffee table yet portable enough to travel with. And we think the Eameses would approve of such a form-follows-function design.

 

Classics

Introduced in

1956

Walnut and leather lounge chair, $3,929

Introduced in

1950

Fiberglass
wire-base chair
, $429

Introduced in

1951

Elliptical
"surfboard" table
,
$899

Choose your corner,
pick away at it carefully, intensely and to the best of your ability and that way you might change the world.”