Eileen Gray

Anyone with a basic knowledge of the history of modern furniture design knows that it is a male-dominated field during its early years. However, despite this disparity in gender there were also a handful of notable female furniture designers during that period of history. One of these was the Irish architect-designer Eileen Gray
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Though she is not was well-known as his male counterparts like Le Corbusier or Mies van der Rohe, only the ignorant would deny Eileen Gray's place as one of the greatest minds of modern furniture design. Credited for pioneering modern design in the early 20th century, Eileen Gray broke through the conventional mold of traditional furniture with her fresh, innovative designs that continue to inspire modern designers to this day.

Unlike the rest of her colleagues who were architects who branched out into furniture design, Eileen Gray started out as a lacquer artist before becoming an furniture designer and finally as an architect. Her pivotal moment came in 1917, when she was commissioned to redecorate the interior of an apartment at Rue de Lota in Paris. It was there that she several of her now-famous furniture designs, including the Bibendum chair and the Pirogue sofa, and put her name on the spotlight. As an architect Gray would continue to work on furniture design, notably to complement the interiors of her building projects.

However, despite her accomplishments Eileen Gray faded into obscurity after World War II when most of her possessions and the houses she designed and built in France were destroyed by the retreating Nazis. She was also largely overshadowed by fellow modern design pioneers Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, who became the face of modern design. It was only shortly after her death in 1976 that her work was rediscovered by the public. Today reproductions of her designs are highly sought after in the market.

Born Kathleen Eileen Moray Gray on August 1878 in Brownswood near Enniscorthy, west Ireland, Eileen Gray is a designer, architect and lacquer artist who pioneered the Modern design movement in the 20th century. Like her contemporaries Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, Gray's designs for architecture and furnishings were amongst the earliest examples of modern design and are considered to be among the best of our time.

The youngest daughter of the well-to-do Scottish-Irish Gray family, Eileen Gray attended the esteemed Slade School of Fine Art in Bloomsbury, London in 1898., but transferred shortly after to the Ecole Colarossi and the Academie Julian in Paris when her father passed away in 1900. Gray eventually returned to London in 1905, where during a visit to the Soho district she became fascinated with lacquer-work. She later studied lacquerwork under the tutelage of Seizo Sugawara, a Japanese lacquer artist working for the Exposition Universelle in Paris. Finally in 1913, Gray made her very first exhibit featuring several of her decorative panels during the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs.

Eileen Gray started her career as a lacquer artist before branching out into furniture design and architecture. The buildings she designed were noted for their long and narrow interior spaces and numerous levels for storage and viewing decks, a nod to her fondness to ship architecture. In addition, Gray would also often design furnishings with the express purpose of placing them inside the interiors of the buildings she designed and decorated. Some notable furniture designs she made include the Bibendum Chair, the Biboquet Table, and the E-1027 Table Lamp.

Despite her successes, Gray's career went downhill after World War II when her houses and most of her possessions in France were destroyed by the retreating German Army. Eileen Gray stayed in France for the remainder of her life, eventually regaining most of her status in the public eye after being featured prominently in design magazines. Shortly after a successful auction of her work was launched, Gray died in October 1976 in Rue Bonaparte, France.

Considered by many as one of the greatest designers of the 20th century, Eileen Gray is a designer, architect, and lacquer artist who pioneered modern design in the 20th century. Though she may not be as well-recognized as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe or Le Corbusier, Gray was pivotal in establishing modern furniture design as a dominant force in 20th century furniture, and her work continues to serve as a benchmark and inspiration to other designers to this day.

Born on August 1878 near the town of Enniscorthy in southwest Ireland, Kathleen Eileen Gray studied drawing in fine art at the Slade School of Fine Art of the University College London and later at the Ecole Colarossi and the Academie Julian in 1900s. Eileen Gray went back to London in 1905, and during a walk at the Soho district she became acquainted with lacquer design, particularly Asian lacquerwork. Soon after, she studied the art of lacquerwork under Seizo Sugawara, a Japanese lacquer artist working for the Exposition Universille in Paris. After five years of training, Gray made her first exhibit in 1913 featuring several decorative lacquered panels at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs.

Probably the work that Eileen Gray is best known for today is that of the Rue de Lota apartment in Paris. After fleeing to London during World War I, Gray returned to France in 1917 and was hired by a wealthy milliner named Mathieu Levy to redecorate her apartment at Rue de Lota. It was at Rue de Lota that Eileen Gray unveiled several of her most popular work, including the "Block Screen" lacquered wall panels, the Bibendum and Serpent Chair, and the Pirogue bed. When it was completed in 1921, critics called Gray's work a "triumph of modern living". Boosted by the critical and commercial success of her work on the Rue de Lota apartment, Gray eventually established the studio Jean Desert in Paris to showcase her work.

Born on August 9, 1878 in Enniscorthy, Ireland, Eileen Gray is an Irish architect and designer who helped pioneer the Modern Movement in the early 20th century.

The youngest daughter of an amateur painter, Eileen Gray was exposed to art at an early age and was often brought along by her parents across painting tours in Europe. In 1898, Gray was admitted to the Slade School of Fine Art of the University College London but later transferred to the Académie Julian and the Académie Colarossi in France when her father died in 1900. Gray went back to London in 1905 when her mother became ill, and it was there she studied the art of lacquerwork from Japanese lacquer artist Seizo Sugawara. By the time she was 35 years old, Gray finally exhibited her work, which consisted of a series of decorative lacquer wall panels, at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs in 1913.

In the 1920s, Eileen Gray joined the influential modernist group Union des Artistes Modernes and began designing modernist architecture such as the Tempe à Pailla and the E-1027 House. Her structures were noted for their free-flowing spaces, their long and narrow shapes, and the frequent use of decks and levels of storage. In addition, Gray also designed furnishings to fit the interiors of her projects. Her designs, which include the Bibendum Chair and the E-1027 Side Table, incorporated the modernist qualities of her structures and can still be acquired today as reproduction pieces.

Eileen Gray died at the age of 98 on October 31, 1976 at Rue Bonaparte in Paris. Today, several of the buildings she designed are still standing or under restoration, while her furniture designs recognized as icons of modern furniture and are highly sought after by collectors and furniture enthusiasts. Recently, a "Dragons" armchair designed by Gray between 1917 and 1919 was auctioned off on February 2009 at nearly $28.3 million.

Considered as one of the greatest interior designers of the 20th century, Eileen Gray is an architect, designer and pioneer of the Modern design movement. Her conceptsfor furniture transcended the conventions of traditional furniture design and helped pave the way for modern furniture design.

Born Kathleen Eileen Moray Gray in August 1878 near Enniscorthy, Ireland, Eileen Gray studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in the University College - London but later transferred to the Académie Julian and the Académie Colarossi in Paris in Paris, France when her father died in 1900. Gray stayed in Paris until 1905, where she moved to London, England to care for her sick mother. During her stay in London, Gray studied lacquer-work under the tutelage of Seizo Sugawara, a Japanese lacquer-work restorer working at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

Eileen Gray first started her career as a lacquer artist, then as a furniture designer and finally as an architect. Gray spent five exhausting years learning lacquer-work from Sugawara, even to the point where she acquired a painful "lacquer disease". Despite her setbacks, Gray nevertheless persevered and displayed her work for the first time at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs in 1913

Probably what most people remember Eileen Gray for today is that of her work at Rue de Lota subsurbs in Paris. In 1917, Gray was commissioned by Mathieu Levy to redecorate the interior of her apartment in Rue de Lota. The project, which lasted until 1921, saw Gray designing everything from the rugs on the floor to the decorative "Block Screen" lacquered wall panels. It was also during the Rue de Lota project where Gray introduced some of her now-famous furniture designs, including the Bibendum chair, the Serpent chair, and the Biboquet table.

After her work at Rue de Lota, Eileen Gray continued designed furniture and buildings (such as the E-1027 and the Tube Light) until her death in October 1976 in Paris.

Born on August 1878 in Enniscorthy, Ireland, Kathleen Eileen Moray Gray or Eileen Gray is an Irish designer, architect, and pioneer of the Modern design movement in the early 20th century. She, along with her contemporaries Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is credited for creating some of earliest examples of modern architecture and designed furnishings that transcended the conventions of traditional furniture design.

Eileen Gray developed a fascination and deep respect for the arts at an early age. Her father, James Maclaren Gray, was an amateur painter and often took the young Eileen along his painting tours of Europe. In 1898, Eileen was admitted to the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art of the University College but later transferred to the Académie Julian and the Académie Colarossi in Paris when her father died in 1900. Gray returned to London in 1905, where she learned the art of lacquerwork from Seizo Sugawara, a noted Japanese lacquer artist working at Paris' Exposition Universelle. Gray spent five years studying lacquerwork, eventually acquiring a painful lacquer disease on her hands, and displayed several of her decorative lacquer wall panels at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs in 1913.

One of the designs that Eileen Gray is best known for is the E-1027 Table. Also known as the Eileen Gray Side Table, the E-1027 Table is a side table Gray designed for her E-1027 house in Cap Martin, France. Consisting of a long, slender steel shaft and a disc-shaped glass top, the E-1027 Side Table's asymmetrical construction is characteristic of Gray's non-conformist designs for architecture. Strangely however, the Side Table was originally intended for a specific purpose, namely for use in eating breakfast in bed. Gray's sister, who frequently visited her in E-1027, had requested such a furnishing while staying at the house.

Eileen Gray passed away on October 31, 1976 at the age of 98 at Rue Bonaparte suburb of Paris, France.

One of the premier designers of the 20th century, Eileen Gray is an Irish architect, interior designer, and pioneer of the Modern design movement. Her creations are considered to one of the earliest examples of modernist design and continue to influence artists and their designs to this day.

Born on August 1878 near the town of Enniscorthy in southeast Ireland, Kathleen Eileen Moray Gray was the youngest daughter of the wealthy Scottish-Irish Gray family. Eileen Gray displayed a fascination for arts at an early age which was fostered by her father, an amateur painter, by taking the young Eileen around painting tours in Europe. In 1898, Gray was admitted at the renowned Slad School of Fine Art of the University College London, but transferred to the Académie Julian and the Académie Colarossi in Paris when her father died in 1900. Gray stayed in Paris until 1905, where she returned to London and learned the art of lacquerwork from Seizo Sugawara, a lacquer artist working at Paris' Exposition Universelle.

Probably the work that Eileen Gray is most remembered for is that of the Rue de Lota apartment. In 1917, Gray was requested by milliner Mathieu Levy to refurbish the interior of her apartment in Rue de Lota suburbs. In the four years she spent at the apartment, Gray furnished everything from the floor rugs to the "Block Screen" lacquered panels on the walls. It was also at the Rue de Lota that Gray developed several furniture designs including the Bibendum Chair, the Pirogue Sofa and the Biboquet Table.

Eileen Gray received much accolades for her work in Rue de Lota, which in turn prompted her to set up her own studio in Paris, the Jean Desert, where she can showcase her work and that of her artist-friends. Gray continued making designs for buildings and furnishings until her death from natural causes in October 1976 in Rue Bonaparte. Today, several of her furniture designs are still being manufactured as reproductions.

Although she may not be as well-known as her contemporaries Le Corbusier or Mies van der Rohe, no one can deny that the Irish architect and designer Kathleen Eileen Moray Gray is one of the greatest furniture designers of all time. Recognized as one of the pioneers of modern furniture design, Eileen Gray produced some of the earliest examples of modern furniture and broke the conventions of traditional furniture design.

Born on August 1878 in the small town of Enniscorthy in the south of Ireland, Eileen Gray was the youngest daughter or a well-to-do Scottish-Irish family. His father, James Maclaren Gray, was an amateur painter and fostered young Eileen's fascination for the arts by bringing her along painting tours around Europe. By the time she was twenty years old, Gray studied at the pretigious Slade School of Fine Art of the University College in London. But when Gray's father died in 1900, she continued her studies at the Académie Julian and the Académie Colarossi in Paris until 1905. She also studied lacquerwork under Seizo Sugawara, a noted Japanese lacquerwork restorer, and made her first lacquerwork exhibits when she was thirty-five.

Probably the work that Eileen Gray is best remembered for his the Rue de Lota apartment in Paris. In 1917, Gray was commissioned by Mathieu Lévy, a wealthy milliner and boutique owner, to redecorate her apartment in the Rue de Lota suburbs. Gray spent nearly four painstaking years of work at Rue de Lota, furnishing everything from the bed, rugs, and the "Block Screen" lacquered panels on the walls. It was also here that Gray debuted two of her famous chair designs, the Bibendum Chair and the Serpent. When the work was completed in 1921, critics loved Gray's ideas for the apartment and called her designs a "triumph of modern living. Buoyed by confidence and the generous commission she received from Lévy, Gray set up her own studio in Paris, the Jean Desert, where she could showcase her designs.

When people are asked to name the pioneers of 20th century modern furniture, the names that they would usually drop include Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, or even Arne Jacobsen. Now while these are true, the emergence of modernism as a dominant force in 20th century furniture design is also due to the efforts of other, unsung designers. And one such man, or woman in this case, is the Irish architect-designer Eileen Gray.

Although she may not be as well-known as Mies van der Rohe or Le Corbusier, few would doubt the enormous contributions Eileen Gray has made in the field of modern furniture. Recognized as one of the pioneers of the modernism movement, Eileen Gray's designs are early examples of modern furniture that broke conventions brought about by traditional furniture design.

Probably Eileen Gray's most well-known furniture creation is the so-called Bibendum chair. Commissioned for the Rue de Lota apartment in 1917, the Bibendum chair is a red leather chair with a combination backrest and arm rest made from padded leather tubes. The chair got its name because it resembled the Bibendum mascot of the Michelin tire company. The chair's rounded form and plain red color was meant to complement the interiors of the Rue de Lota apartment without drowning out the various decorations on the interior.

Another lesser-known, but nevertheless beautiful, furniture design by Eileen Gray is the E-1027 Side Table. Built for the E-1027 house in the coast of France, the E-1027 Side Table is a breakfast table with a polished steel base and a glass top. The table was designed at the request of Gray's sister, a frequent visitor of E-1027, who wanted a table she could use while eating breakfast in bed. The table was complemented with the E-1027 Tube Lamp, a steel lamp with the bulb housed in a polished steel tube.

Although she is not as famous as Le Corbusier or Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, no one could contest the generous contributions the Irish designer Eileen Gray has made to the field of furniture design. Also known for her works in architecture and her elegant lacquerwork, Kathleen Eileen Moray Gray was among the first of many to break from the traditional design methods for furnishings and create innovations that would later influence designers to this day.

Born on August 1878 on the small town of Enniscorthy in southeast Ireland, Eileen Gray seemed destined for the arts even at an early age. The youngest daughter of a painter, Gray frequently went to painting tours in Italy and Switzerland. Then in 1900s she and her mother went to Paris to attend the Exposition Universelle. It was there that Gray was exposed to Art Noveau and was inspired by several of the Exposition's exhibits, most notably the works done by architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. To pursue her ever-growing fascination for the arts, Gray studied at the Slade School of Fine Art of the University College London, but she late

The 20th century has been host to many great furniture designers, but only a handful could compare to the contributions by Irish designer Eileen Gray to the industry. Born on August 9, 1878 at south-eastern Ireland, Gray produced some of the most iconic furniture designs done in the modern style. One such design is the Bibendum Chair

Considered to be of the 20th century's most recognizable designs for furniture, the Bibendum chair is a red leather chair designed by Eileen Gray between 1917 and 1921. The chair was commissioned by Mathieu Levy, a well-to-do milliner and boutique owner as part of the interior decorations and furniture for her apartment in Rue de Lota, Paris.

The Bibendum Chair's most recognizable feature is its back and armrest which consists of C-shaped padded tubes. Eileen Gray based the name of the chair on this feature, as the rounded tubes resemble the body of Bibendum, the mascot of the Michelin tire company. Aside from this unique armrest, the chair also had a sturdy frame made of tubular stainless steel coated with chromium, a seat frame made from fine beechwood, and a rubber webbing interwoven across the base of the chair's seat to provide support. And for additional style and comfort, the seat, back and arm rest are covered in soft pale red leather. Gray intentionally chose a basic red color for the Bibendum to prevent it from making the apartment interior become too cluttered. Overall, the chair had a relatively large size of about 840mm deep and 740mm tall.

After its unveiling at Rue de Lota in 1921, the critics immediately praised the Bibendum chair, calling it in reviews and papers as a "triumph of modern living". The chair's design was also a break from Eileen Gray's earlier, more traditional work, which she attributes as simply to make progress. Nevertheless, because of the Bibendum Chair's success (and the generous commission she received from Madame Levy) that Eileen Gray decided to set up her own studio in Paris to showcase her work.

Although the Bibendum Chair is one of the popular designs of the modern age, but it was not fully recognized until the late 20th century. The chair was largely undiscovered until 1972 when the original piece resurfaced in an auction and re-invigorating the interest on the design. Today this classic design by Eileen Gray is produced by a various manufacturers around the globe, albeit with several changes such as flame-retardant polyurethane filling and several color options.

Since its inception in the early 19th century, the modern style has become a dominant force in furniture design. And one of the people who helped made it so was the Irish-born architect and designer Kathleen Eileen Moray Gray. Born in 1878, Eileen Gray is one of the most renowned furniture designers of the 20th century and the pioneer of the modernism movement.

It was not until the later years of the 1910s that Eileen Gray found success in her furniture designs. Prior to that time, Gray was studying lacquer work and staying in London with her ailing mother. Then in 1917, Gray was commissioned by Madame Mathieu Levy, a well-off boutique owner, to furnish her apartment at Rue de Lota. Gray spent the years of 1917 to 1921 of painstaking work, which included designing and fabricating the furnishings. After the project was completed, Gray's furniture designs for the apartment were positively received, and Gray received ample compensation in return for her efforts. Brimming with confidence, Gray decided to set up her own studio in Paris, which in turn lead to numerous successful projects.

One of the most popular furniture designs by Eileen Gray is the so-called Bibendum chair. Considered to be one of the icons of modernism, the Bibendum chair is a lounging chair with a distinctive back and arm rest composed of two, semi-circular padded leather tubes. According to Gray, she named the Bibendum chair after the Michelin tire company mascot of the same name. The Bibendum was relatively large, with a depth of about 840mm and 740mm tall, and had a distinctively bright red covering. The chair also featured a stainless steel tube legs coated with chromium, a beechwood seat frame, and rubber webbing interwoven across the base of the seat for added comfort.

Another well-recognized design by Gray design is the Eileen Gray Side Table. Designed in 1927, the Side Table was a bedside table commissioned for the guest room of the E-1027 home which Gray owns in Cap Martin, France. The Side Table is known for its distinct asymmetry, a signature "non-conformist" style that Gray has adopted in her architectural and furniture projects. But the table isn't just for the looks alone; aside from its asymmetrical appearance the Side Table can be adjusted in such a way that it can be used to eat breakfast in bed with, an accommodation which Gray's sister requested during her visits to the E-1027.