Design Heroes

The French furniture and interior designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann [1879 – 1933] is known for his aesthetic refinement, sumptuous materials and impeccable craftsmanship.  His masterful work merged luxury with functionality in complete harmony, which in turn created a formal elegance enabling him to be a leading contributor to the Art Deco…

Imagine – in 1926 – a room where a camelback sofa and some chairs were covered in peach-coloured corduroy. That is a fair example of Frances Elkins’s fearless use of bold colour. This quote is taken from Albert Hadley’s forward of Stephen M Salny’s book on Frances Elkins. Today this…

“All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the person in the space”   Philip Johnson is known for his theatricality in architecture.  He drew from the architectural greats of the past though the was most inspired by what he…

The words Beauty, Inspiration, Magic, Spellbound, Enchantment, as well as the concepts of Serenity, Silence, Intimacy and Amazement, all these have nestled in my soul. In his early work, though described by Barragan as “edificitos” or little buildings and “nothing great”, one finds this emotive and sensorial progression through space,…

“Elegance is elimination.” Jean Michele Frank is considered to be the most influential designer of the 1930s for his understated and stripped-back interiors.  His ‘less-is-more’ approach allowed simplicity and proportion to be the key factors within his spaces, creating a ‘lightness’ and somewhat minimalist aesthetic.   In addition to this,…

‘We may talk of the weather, but we are looking at the furniture’ Elsie de Wolfe For most if not all designers, Elsie de Wolfe plays an influential role in their design approach.  She is revered as America’s first designer, if not going further to say she invented the profession. …

‘Dorothy Draper was to decorating, what Chanel was to fashion’ Carleton Varney Dorothy Draper interiors are celebrated for their flare of the unexpected, along with a brilliant sense of colour.  She turned a world that was dreary and drab and gave it personality through colour and playfulness. She hated dull…

‘Stick to the things you really love. An honest room is always up to date.’ Billy Baldwin is one of the worlds most celebrated designers.   He had a completely American outlook in his aesthetic and created crisp, elegant interiors which above all were simple and practical.  He favoured the…

‘He is the only person who has the gift to conjure up interiors that look as if they’ve never been decorated.  Everything is always so natural’ The French designer Jacques Grange is the go-to decorator for fashion icons and billionaires searching for a high-end interpretation of an eclectic bohemian style.…

‘Understatement is extremely important and crossing too many t’s and dotting too many i’s make a room look overdone and tiresome’ Nancy Lancaster is considered a crucial figure for 20th Century Interior Design.  Although born in America, she was obsessed with British architecture and lifestyle and her work is considered…