The Eames House

Case Study House No. 8 was designed and built by Charles and Ray Eames as part of the Case Study House Program in the 1940’s. The aim of these 36 Case Study prototype homes was to come up with plans for post-war homes that were easy and cheap to build. Located in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, the Eames house is a simple structure using the limited materials available at the time. A home designed for work and family life; it has plenty of light, a modern feel, modular furnishings that can be moved around (even the plants are on a platform with wheels) so the whole room can be reconfigured at any time. Objects collected by the Eames over the years are displayed and incorporated throughout. Just below center in this photograph of the Eames living room is a pile of three pillows which inspired my #2293 floor pillows.

Charles and Ray Eames in their living room, as photographed by Julius Shulman in 1958. Photo: J. Paul Getty Trust.

Eames house

One of my favorite places in L.A. without a doubt is the Eames ‘Case Study House #8’.

The design of the house began in 1945 to fit in with the surrounding meadow and eucalyptus trees, building with only post-war off-the-shelf materials. The Eames moved in in 1949 and lived and worked there for the rest of their lives. The house has been kept pretty much as they left it.

You’re not allowed inside the house, just allowed to peer in as much as you can through the windows … and photos of the interior are forbidden. It was built as half house and half work studio, with a small courtyard in between. It’s very simple in design but incorporates a beautiful movable system inside that enables the interior to be rearranged, allowing for the optimum display of certain objects. Of course it contains plenty of furniture and objects designed by Charles and Ray Eames, which inevitably makes us hungry for a bit of shopping!

I always come away from this house feeling inspired. It is such a peaceful place and the details are so simple yet fantastic. It really makes me want to build my own home. Now.