History of Contemporary Furniture Design

This series of 4 articles takes a brief, but insightful look in 21 of the most well-known and Interior designers, from the first leaders directly through to the most celebrated present day designers. Jean Henri Jansen, designer, launched Maison Jansen in 1880, which became famous for creating beautiful and designing and top quality furniture that will be utilized in plenty of interior decoration projects. Branches opened in 8 of the world's cities. Jansen worked closely whom he made manager of the business. House of Jansen's customers comprised the rich and Royalty and famous. Decoration, Elsie de Wolfe's lady believed herself an ugly kid'. 

This stage celebrity was a rebel of her days and has been credited by many to be all the inventor of all the interior design profession, even though there were established designers. Tastes were disliked by Elsie her designs were usually composed of bright and light colors, in spite of the drab and gloomy dcor. This is a departure from the designs of the time. Elsie's influence carries on to be felt in the contemporary world of interior design. American interior decorator along with architect, Ogden Codman spent his childhood in his birthplace of Boston before going to France in his youth for an amount of time. 

Codman had two uncles that influenced him tremendously - architect John Hubbard along with decorator Richard Ogden. Some of Ogden Codman's works include Edith Wharton's Newport home, Land's End, all the Rockefeller family estate of NY client John D. And all the Newport summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Along together with novelist Edith Wharton, Codman co authored a guidepost of American interior design, The Decoration of Houses in 1897. Born in Milwaukee, Frances Adler Elkins is probably the most outstanding interior decorator along with designer of the previous century. Sister of the famous Chicago architect David Adler, Elkins was famous for her futuristic projects that brought together different styles and components from various periods. They included country French fashions, chinoiserie and art deco. The furnishings featured in her designs comprised designers like Jean Michel Frank and Alberto Giacometti. The career of Elkins which spanned over 3 decades is glittered with lots of high profile commissions in Hawaii, all the Midwest and North and southern California, none more intriguing than the restoration of the 1830 structure, Casa Amesti in Monterrey, California.