“Many of the most pleasant things about the house are things on which we had not planned, but which came one by one as surprise. The difference between the shapes of things in sunlight, twilight, and at night, and the little things that happen in relation to the trees and shadows.” — Charles Eames letter to Peter Blake, August 15, 1950, nearly eight months after Charles and Ray moved into their new home. You can feel their delight in these surprises as you watch the Eameses’ own film (1955) on the Eames House, House: After Five Years of Living.
Their home continues to surprise, reflections painting the house in a myriad of colors.
There is always a sense of wonder, of being encouraged to look again… perhaps it is simply rooted in those childhood days when Charles and Ray would say to me: “Look at this leaf” (a glorious red!) or “Can you roll all the way down the hill?!” They delighted in sharing the evolving shadows with me. They were always encouraging deep looking, even when simply seeking the perfect clovers and delicate lobelia blossoms for Ray to arrange in a miniature vase. I think our visitors feel that too.
Even now, especially after last week’s rain (below, first photo), the sun took my breath away — catching on the tree tops in the late afternoon as I worked in the Studio (safely distanced from another). Yet another delight in nature’s ever-evolving show, a joy that Charles and Ray celebrated deeply.
— Lucia Dewey Atwood, Director, 250 Year Project
Please help safeguard our community. We are temporarily CLOSED to all visitors at least until May 15, 2020, or later if conditions change.
