EYE ON DESIGN BY DAN GREGORY

Stamps of Approval

First class seating acquires new meaning with the recent debut of 42-cent stamps commemorating design visionaries Charles and Ray Eames, shown here. Order them from the US Postal Service.

This remarkable husband-wife team of industrial designers re-imagined modern living in the Fifties with their Eames Molded Plywood Chair, Eames Lounge and Ottoman, and Eames Storage Units (manufactured by Herman Miller and also available from Design Within Reach). The Los Angeles area house they designed for themselves in 1949 became one of the most enduring and influential architectural icons of the 20th century. lt’s visible on the stamp in the upper right hand corner. Charles and Ray’s interest in the nature of materials, new manufacturing processes, and “disciplined play” revolutionized how we sit down, how we store our possessions, and how we view the world.

I remember meeting Ray once in her loft-like and sunlit living room with its adacent terrace overlooking a meadow — a fine balance between the urban and the rural — and being struck at how the room seemed both expansive and compact at the same time. The high ceiling, balcony, and tall glass made it spacious and universal; the built-in conversation area tucked under the balcony, the precise arrangement of small artifacts beside a vase of flowers on the floor, and the bowl of bright red strawberries on a low coffee table made the space intimate and personal. This seemingly effortless juxtaposition of opposites is an art in itself, making me realize once again that simplicity ain’t all that simple. You can learn more about the Eames legacy and find out how to tour the house at the Eames Foundation. Soon we’ll have a very Eames-inspired design to offer you at Houseplans.com. Here’s a sneak peak (look for it in late July):

Design is a Game

Games are often about solving problems in a playful or fun way and that’s what design is about, too. Here are some recent objects that express a similar creative spirit.

Eric Pfeiffer’s new Rolo Lounge draws inspiration from architect Alvar Aalto’s bent wood furniture as well as from the Eames’ work.

But he takes the cantilever chair concept into new territory — I mean into a literary landscape — by making it double as a book storage unit. In this chair you’re never just lounging around, you’re being supported by an active imagination. For info contact Pfeifferlab.

And here’s something a little different: an outdoor shower that’s treated as a sculptural interpretation of a splash of water.

A summer dreamscape! This very modern European example is by Designerzeit.

Or how about this useful portable battery-powered lantern for the patio. It’s rechargeable and dimmable.

It’s called the Oxo Candela Luau. The spare teardrop shape and built-in handle make it easy to use on a table or beside a walkway — and though it’s very simple it brings to mind milk jugs and carriage lanterns as if in a hazy midsummer dream. Or is that just my fevered brain…

Green Update: The Best Green-Building Book

But before I get carried away: Al Gore’s recent challenge to reduce carbon emissions reminds me that an extremely helpful new book on eco-friendly design has just been published: Green From the Gound Up: Sustainable, Healthy, and Energy Efficient Home Construction, by David Johnston and Scott Gibson (Taunton). I recommend it highly.

This comprehensive book presents short step-by-step advice on every aspect of building an energy-efficient home. Carefully targeted color photographs illustrate each idea or action. For Houseplans.com customers there’s a particularly useful series of sections on orienting your house for energy savings. This book is simply essential for anyone building a house.