Post on 28-Mar-2015
Historical DesignersThe Early Socialites:Elsie de WolfeDorothy DraperSyrie MaughamEleanor McMillan BrownSister ParishRuby Ross WoodBilly Baldwin
Elsie De Wolfe
• First to create the occupation of interior decorating• Considered the first
lady of interior decoration• Moved away from the
Victorian design
Elsie de Wolfe
Elsie de Wolfe
Villa Trianon
Dorothy Draper
• First successful commercial designer• Hotel projects and public
spaces• Total design including
china, furniture down to the match books• Her ornate style of eye-
popping colors and oversize prints, lost popularity in the 1950’s
Dorothy Draper
Dorothy Draper
• Metropolitan Museum Café, 1950’s
Draper Furniture by Kindel
Dorothy Draper
Syrie Maugham
Eleanor McMillan Brown
• Started the first full service design firm in 1924 called McMillan, Inc. in NYC.• The company created
many great designers like Albert Hadley, David Hicks and Billy Baldwin• The company is still in
business today.
Sister Parish
• First decorator to decorate the Kennedy White House• Co-founder of Parrish-
Hadley Assoc. 1962-1999• Known for painted
furniture, quilts and a lived-in look.
Sister Parish
Sister Parish
Sister Parish
Ruby Ross Wood
• Career started as a reporter and a writer on interior decorating• Was the ghostwriter or Elsie de Wolfe’s A
House in Good Taste.• Credited for creating the first department
store decorating firm.• She was a longtime employer of Billy Baldwin.
Billy Baldwin
• Began working for Ruby Ross Wood in 1935 and took it over in 1952.• First to use brown
with panache• Known for glossy
brown walls
Billy Baldwin
Billy Baldwin
19th and Early 20th CenturyWilliam MorrisCharles Rennie MackintoshGustav StickleyFrank Lloyd Wright
• One of the most influential designers of the last 150 years
• 1834-1896
• Painter, typography, wallpaper, carpets and stained glass
• Pioneer of the Arts and Crafts Movement
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
• Scottish Architect and designer
• Attended and designed the Glasgow School of Art
• His work was light, elegant and original
• Known for furniture, particularly those with tall, straight backs.
Hill House - Mackintosh
Gustav Stickley (1857-1942)
• American craftsman and business owner• A major force behind the Arts and
Crafts Movement in America• Designed furniture that was
simple with exposed joinery made from oak.• Stressed handmade furniture over
machine made.• His designs were referred to as
Mission or Craftsman
The Craftsman Home
• Designed for the middle class• A lot of wood with
built-ins using available materials• Form follows
function• Light fixtures and
hardware related to overall design.
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)
• American Architect• Founded Taliesin Fellowship in
1932 (Wisconsin and Arizona)
• Leader in the style known as Prairie Style
Wright Style
• Created the open floor plan• Used corner windows• Used natural materials and designed for a feeling
of being one with nature• Used low pitch roofs (no attics or basements)
with a horizontal feel• Always used a fireplace – heart of the home• Designed furniture with lots of built-ins
Famous Works by Wright
Johnson Wax Building
Wright Furniture and Interiors
Modern (International Style) DesignersMies Van der Rohe Le Corbusier Philip JohnsonMarcel BreuerCharles and Ray Eames
Mies Van der Rohe (1886 – 1969)
• German Architect• Last Director of Bauhaus School of
Design in Germany• Started the movement of the
“International Style” (use of glass and steel)• Famous quote: “Less is more”• Developed the first cantilever
chair• Famous chair: Barcelona Chair
dating to 1929
Mies Van der Rohe• Farnsworth House in the late
1940’s• International style use of steel
and glass
Le Corbusier (1887 – 1965)
• French Architect• Worked in the International Style• Used a lot of concrete, class and steel
with lots of open spaces
Le Corbusier Furniture• Chaise Lounge, 1927• Grande Comfort, 1929• Basculant Chair, 1929
Le Corbusier• Villa Savoye, 1928 - 31, France• “Machine for Living”• International Style
Philip Johnson (1906-2005)
• American Architect known for his “International Style”
• Pupil of Mies Van der Rohe• Best known for his the Glass House
The Glass House
Marcel Breuer (1902 – 1981)
• Hungarian born architect, furniture designer and teacher.• Trained under Walter Gropius,
founder of the Bauhaus School of Design• Invented the first tubular steel
frame used in furniture. • Known for his tubular steel
chair, Wassily.
Marcel Breuer
• Wassily Chair, 1925• Cantilever Chair, 1928
Charles and Ray Eames
• American architect/furniture designer. • Known for tubular steel
and molded plywood chair called the “Potato Chip” chair. • His furniture is still
produced by Herman Miller.
Charles and Ray Eames
Charles and Ray Eames
Current DesignersMichael GravesFrank GehryMario BuattaLeading Firms
Michael Graves (1934 – Present)
• American Born Architect• Most noted works are the
Swan and Dolphin Hotels in Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL.• Has designed over 200
houseware items for Target and also designs for Kohler
Michael Graves
Frank Gehry(1929 – present)
• American Architect born in Toronto Canada• Deconstruction style• Uses titanium as a building material• Best known structure is the
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain.• Know for making furniture out of
cardboard• Furniture is manufactured by Knoll.
Frank Gehry
• Power Play chair• Wiggle Chair
Mario Buatta (1935 – present)
• American Interior Designer• “Prince of Chintz”• He refers to his style as “the
undecorated look”• English Country look• Famous clients: Barbara
Walters, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, and Malcolm Forbes
Mario Buatta
Leading Architectural FirmsHOKGenslerPerkins and WillRTKL
HOK
• Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK) one of the worlds largest American architectural/interior design firms. They are best know for their designs of sports stadiums.• Founded in 1955, it now
employs over 1800 employees in over 25 locations worldwide
Gensler Assoc.
• American architectural firms with office in 41 locations across the world• Founded in 1965, they now
employ over 3,000• Most recognized firm
internationally and known as a leader in Green Design.• Studio 585 : branding,
signage/wayfinding/ web design (total package)
Perkins and Will
• Established in 1935• Internationally
recognized • A leader in Healthcare
and Higher Education• Designed Haworth
Showroom in Chicago Merchandise Mart
RTKL• An international firm • Specializes in• Architecture / Interior Design• Urban Planning• Branding • Environmental Graphic Design• Sustainable Design