“Design addresses itself to the need,” Charles and Ray used to say. Whether you’re looking for something big or small this season, the Eames Shop has a whole host of toys, prints, furniture, and accessories on sale to fulfill your holiday needs. Check out our top 10 favorite picks!
1) Eames Office: 80 Years of Design Timeline
In celebration of the studio’s 80th anniversary, the Eames Office created a nearly 20 foot long timeline for “Eames Office: 80 Years of Design,” an exhibition at ISETAN THE SPACE in Shinjuku Tokyo, Japan. The timeline at the exhibition’s entrance weaves together eighty years of art, architecture, furniture, textiles, film, toys, books, exhibitions, and collaborations by the Eames Office across three phases: Charles and Ray’s life and work together (1941-1978), Ray’s work following Charles’ death (1978 – 1988), and the studio’s ongoing work through to today (1988 – 2021).
This remarkably detailed and graphically rich timeline that greets visitors at the exhibition has been scaled down to a still impressive 80″ long size for Eames fans to dive deep into the Eames Office history from the comfort of their own home or office. The timeline measures 80 x 32″ and is available in a thick archival paper or an ultra-durable Tyvek option.
2) Limited Eames Birch Mobile
In the early 1940s, Charles and Ray Eames created two objects whose biomorphic shapes strongly reflect Ray’s artwork and graphics. The Eameses hung them as mobiles from the ceiling of their Los Angeles apartment. Each Plywood Mobile consists of two abstract, organically shaped plywood elements that playfully revolve around one another.
In celebration of “Eames Office: 80 Years of Design,” Vitra and the Eames Office have released a special edition of the 1941 Eames Plywood Mobile in a natural birch veneer.
3) Eames Office: 80 Years of Design House of Cards
Charles and Ray designed the original House of Cards in 1952. Fifty-four playing-sized cards, each with six slots, two on either side and one at both ends, so they lock together to create three-dimensional structures. This year, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Eames Office, we compiled 54 significant moments in our eclectic history to bring you a very special edition to the House of Cards lineup.
The 80 Years of Design deck begins with Charles’s proposal letter to Ray in 1941 and continues through to 2021 events such as “Eames Office: 80 Years of Design.” Each moment celebrated in this unique deck is noted with a rich photograph and a corresponding insert providing context.
4) Small Plastic Elephants
Whether used as a toy or a decorative item (indoors or out) – this friendly-looking animal with its distinctive, over-sized ears is bound to bring cheer to your home. The Eames Small Plastic Elephant is identical to it’s larger version in every way, reduced to a sale of 1:6.
5) Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
The Eameses wanted their Lounge Chair and Ottoman to have the “warm receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt.” Often referred to as a twentieth-century interpretation of the nineteenth-century English club chair, this seating instantly became a symbol of comfort. Give a holiday gift that will become an heirloom!
6) Eames: Beautiful Details
Eames: Beautiful Details is already being called the ultimate Eames book. The book is a visual celebration of the Eameses and sure to become a collectible. Featuring page after page of rich graphics, images, and essays by the Eames family as you explore the many facets of their work, including graphic design, films, exhibitions, and of course, furniture. A gorgeous slipcover featuring a graphic pattern inspired by “The Toy” makes the book as interesting in your home as it is to read. Hardcover book with slipcover, 408 pages
7) Eames Eucalyptus LTR
A defining feature of the Pacific Palisades property Charles and Ray Eames bought in 1945 are its non-native eucalyptus trees. Rather than cutting the trees down, the designers chose to build their house—a raised steel and glass box—around them and the adjacent meadow. In 2018, the Eames Foundation harvested several of the trees as part of ongoing conservation efforts and decided to do something with the wood. The resulting Eames Eucalyptus LTR Table was made in partnership with Herman Miller and Vitra.
8) Ravensburger Eames Design Puzzles
Charles and Ray began working with Ravensburger, a family-owned toy business located in Germany, in the 1950s. Multiple versions of the House of Cards and Memory Card game have been in production since, and this year, we’ve introduced puzzles to the collaboration!
These 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles combine captivating imagery with clean-cut pieces and Ravensburger’s perfect interlocking fit for a most pleasurable puzzling experience. Crafted with an exclusive, extra-thick cardboard backing along with superior, linen-structured paper, the printed image is vibrant, crisp, and glare-free. Measures approximately 70 x 50 cm (27 x 20 inches) when completed.
9) Vintage Computer House of Cards
Charles and Ray Eames designed the Computer House of Cards for the IBM Pavilion at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan. Photographs on the back of each card present the diversity and rich imagery of the computer’s inner and outer workings, as they were before the computer chip’s invention. They are tremendously rare, as they were created as souvenirs for guests, and were printed only once.
10) Molded Plywood Splint
In 1942, a friend visited Charles and Ray in their Los Angeles apartment and mentioned that the Medical Corps struggled with a problem. The standard metal splints used to brace wounded service members were causing further injury. The issue stemmed from the metal stretcher-bearers, which amplified vibrations in the brace. Charles and Ray went to work on a solution!By 1943, the Eameses had made their first Molded Plywood Splint. The splint, which remedied the vibration issue, conformed to the human leg, offering ideal support through its natural form.