Charles Eames (1907–1978) and his wife, Ray Eames (1912–1988) were American designers who made significant contributions to modern architecture and industrial design. These Cranbrook Academy of Art grads turned mid-century-modernist power couple are a case study in excellent design. Charles and Ray’s prolific partnership took shape with the molded plywood chair in the 1940s, but the duo also dabbled in film, exhibition installations, toys, and even a miniature train in Los Angeles’s Griffith Park.

The Eames Office is dedicated to communicating, preserving and extending the work of Charles and Ray Eames. They feel that all three of those dimensions are important to keeping the office useful and vital, and that all of Charles and Ray’s work was the result of a way of looking at the world—a design philosophy and process that is worth sharing in many different dimensions. They do create new works as well, believing that creating wholly new works is as consistent with that philosophy as restoring and distributing classic ones.

Herman Miller is named after a West Michigan businessman who helped his son-in-law buy the furniture company he worked at in 1923. By the middle of the 20th century, the name Herman Miller had become synonymous with “modern” furniture. Working with legendary designers George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames, the company produced pieces that would become classics of industrial design. Herman Miller has continued this tradition of working with top designers, including Alexander Girard, Isamu Noguchi, Robert Propst, Bill Stumpf, Don Chadwick, Ayse Birsel, Yves Béhar, and many talented others.

Justin Nelson started Fernweh Woodworking in 2015. He calls his role "Designer/Craftsman" and cherishes both the woodworking and design elements of the company. A former Marine Officer, Justin has a bachelor's degree in business from Purdue University, and is a self-taught woodworker. He is inspired by the design philosophy and work ethic of Sam Maloof, and admires the legacy and designs of Hans Wegner and the Eames, among many others. "I'm just a baby woodworker and designer, and to some extent I hope to always feel that way; no matter how much you learn, you should always be overwhelmed and excited by the oceans of things yet to be discovered. I hope to do my small part to keep the craft of woodworking not only alive, but fresh."

With offices in Tokyo and Paris, British designer Jasper Morrison has worked for a staggering array of companies including Flos, Vitra, Samsung, Muji, Olivetti, Cappellini, Canon, Alessi, and others. An industrial designer trained at the Royal College of Art in London, Morrison's furniture design ranges from the contemporary classic Air Chair and the Eames-inspired Lotus Lounge Chair to bus stops, benches, and a tram for the city of Hannover, Germany. He's certainly one of the most respected industrial designers working today. He also represents the height of English industrial design, along with Tom Dixon.

Italian-born American sculptor Harry Bertoia is best known for his eponymous collection of woven-wire seating for Knoll, including the Diamond and Bird chairs. Despite a scandal over creative rights between Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames, with whom Bertoia worked in the 1940s, the line continues to leave its mark on the design world—–and waffle patterns on the backs of those who grace the seats.

Born to world famous architect and Cranbrook Academy of Art director Eliel Saarinen and textile artist Loja Saarinen, Eero Saarinen was surrounded by design his whole life. Eero studied at sculpture in Paris and architecture at Yale before returning to Cranbrook himself to work on furniture design and practice architecture with his father. IT was there that he met Charles Eames, with whom he collaborated closely on their molded plywood chair designs. He also met Florence Knoll at Cranbrook, who eventually brought him to Knoll where he designed some of their most well known pieces over the course of 15 years.

Mid Century Modern, Eames, Herman Miller, Chilewich, West Elm, CB@

Finance, History, Philosophy, Architecture, Charles & Ray Eames

I grew up in a mid-century modern / dwell house designed and built in 1955, and populated with furniture and lighting designed by Eames, Bertoia, and Nelson. I love the design genius of this era, and I'm enamored with the wide variety of architecture and interior furnishings that continues to be inspired by the design giants of this time in history.

Ron Rezek designed the world’s first contemporary-styled ceiling fan, the Stratos, in 1986. But his list of accomplishments in the design world is long and varied, from lifeguard equipment to contemporary lighting. As a young man, Ron learned directly from progressive designers who were his teachers: Henry Dreyfuss, Charles Eames, Neils Diffrient and Don Chadwick. He worked in the studios of Deborah Sussman and Frank Gehry. Ron received a B.A. and an M.F.A from UCLA. In his early career, he taught at UCLA’s art and architecture departments, the Art Center College of Design and Southern California Institute of Architecture. Ron is a design entrepreneur. He has designed, developed, manufactured and marketed his ideas over the length of his four-decade career. His designs reflect his philosophy of “simplicity in form and economy in production.”