In 1998, Beatriz Colomina penned an article in Blueprint magazine arguing that the Eames House "signals the start of a new-all American architecture." Colomina's article covers Charles and Ray, and how their relationship helped contribute to the house's unique style.
1) Part of the house's fun personality comes from the personalities of Charles and Ray themselves. The Eames defined architecture as an "ongoing theatrical spectacle of everyday life, understood as an exercise in restrictions rather than self-expression." Colomina focuses on Charles and Ray's love for dressing up, and that their sense of style helped contribute to the house's overall design.
2) The Eames House was built only a few years after the end of World War II, which during the war "domestic life could no longer be taken for granted." Charles and Ray understood this well, which is why they designed the Eames House to portray a "form of art therapy for a traumatized nation." Every design decision, from the exterior structure, to the interior furnishings, and even the landscape around the house reflects this.
3) Many of the artifacts and much of the furniture inside of the Eames House showcase different cultures and beliefs. This is because Charles and Ray felt a deep sense of appreciation for the outside world. The collection of so many unusually different artifacts being displayed together Colomina calls the "Eames aesthetic." Although one would think this would result in an ugly amalgamate of trinkets, Colomina states that "seeing the culturally disparate together," is actually "a kind of wide-eyed wonder."
Source: "Reflection on the Eames House" by Beatriz Colomina from Blueprint Sept 1998
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