Elsie de Wolfe, the mother's history of interior design

In the 1890s, Elsie returned in New York to enter as an actress professional. Although Live with Elizabeth Bessie Marbury, famous representative of literary and theatrical artists, His career on stage did not prosper, However, he captured attention for his choice of costumes and scenographies.

Wolfe forged his career as an interior designer by decorating the department he shared with Bessie, With an opposite style to the Victorian, with Clear colors and French furniture of the 18th century. Little by little he gained fame thanks to orders for friends and acquaintances, until he got his First great work: Decorate the Colony Club de Manhattan, The first New York Women's Social Club.

Thanks to its innovative style, of Wolfe decorated famous residences of the Astor, the Vandervilt, the Morgan or the Harriman, with which he gained recognition not only in the United States, but in Europe.

One of his best clients was the entrepreneur Henry Clay Frick, who proposed to decorate his house in New York. To do this, Wolfe traveled to Europe to acquire antiques, becoming Art collector also. After staying several years in New York, he returned to France, where he died in 1950.

Wolfe's decoration style managed to highlight thanks to the use of clear tones and light spaces, contrary to Victorian style.

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Elsie de Wolf, mother of interior design

In addition to his Great style that broke with the decoration canons of the time, Elsie de Wolfe is considered mother of interior design, Being one of the first women to devote themselves to it.

It is worth mentioning that this land was dominated by men At that time, so Elsie achieved great recognition and her Style managed to transcend not only in the United States, but in Europe.

Washington Irving House, the department of Wolfe and Bessie in New York.

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What is Wolf's Elsie legacy?

Elsie de Wolfe left a great legacy within interior design, given that broke with a male tradition In the field of decoration, characterized by Recharged and dark environments Typical Victorian style.