Charles Eames was one half of dynamic American husband-and-wife design team Charles and Ray Eames.

Their best known design, the Eames Lounge Chair, was proclaimed the “chair of the century” by renowned critic Esther McCoy. Charles himself described it as having “the warm receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt.” Mmmm, leathery.

Charles went to school at Washington University in St. Louis on a scholarship for architecture but was kicked out for being a major fan of Frank Lloyd Wright. Seems a bit extreme, but Charles took it in his stride and started his own architectural office instead. His second wife, Ray, studied in New York under Hans Hofmann (wink, wink) before meeting Charles at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. 

In the midst of the drama caused by Charles’ numerous affairs, the duo was commissioned by the U.S. Navy to produce splints, stretchers, and glider shells in their signature molded plywood. Back before we came to associate it with horrifically lit '80s living rooms, molded plywood was considered pretty much the best thing since sliced bread. They chose it in part for its affordability: “We wanted to make the best, for the most, for the least.” 

In 1949, Ray and Charles were sponsored by Arts & Architecture magazine to design and build a home in Pacific Palisades, California. They constructed it from pre-fabricated industrial steel parts in a matter of days and lived there together until their death. Cozy. The Eames' also found success in industrial design, graphic design, film, architecture, and fine art. Show-offs.