Eames served the war effort by designing a molded plywood leg splint for the US Navy. In 1949, he and Ray settled in Pacific Palisades, CA, where they designed a now celebrated house for themselves out of prefabricated components. Its open plan and lightness of scale suggested Japanese architecture, and the house soon became a destination for design enthusiasts from around the world.

Eames' furniture is among the most recognizable produced during the mid century period, much of it stemming from extensive experimentation with molded plywood. Manufactured by Herman Miller, his notable pieces include the LCW, or laminated wood chair (1945), the LCM, a molded plywood chair with a tubular steel frame (1946), the ESU storage system, which doubled as a room divider (1950), and the ES106 lounge chair and ottoman (1968).

Both Eameses were also active as filmmakers, exhibition designers, and compiled a massive photographic archive. The design firm they founded is still active today.