Elsie de Wolfe referred to
herself as a "rebel in an ugly world." During
Elsie's heyday from 1926 to her death in 1950, the
rest of the world just called her Lady Mendl.
In 1913, Elsie wrote what may have been the one of
the first great books on interior design, The
House in Good Taste. She became well known in
New York, Paris, and London, and was believed by
some to be the person who first invented the
profession of interior design. Whether or not
that's the case, Elsie de Wolfe could include some
very influential people among her clientele, such
as Ann Vanderbilt, the Duchess of Windsor, and
Adelaide Frick.
Elsie's decorating style often featured light,
fresh colors, and she was responsible for
brightening the interiors of some of the most
impressive Victorian homes of her era. She was NOT
a fan of the dark nature of traditional Victorian
décor, and worked diligently to change it as much
as possible.
Interestingly, Elsie de Wolfe started out as an
actress, making her debut on the stage in 1890 as
a member of the Empire Stock Company. She later
formed her own stock company, and became
interested in interior design while working on the
sets for plays. In 1903, she left the theatre for
good to pursue her passion for decorating houses.
Her first commission came in 1905, in a building
at 120 Madison Avenue in New York City, which
became the city's premiere women's social club.
(In an ironic twist of fate, that building is now
home to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.)
Elsie's success on that project led to a very
lucrative career, which saw her make a million
dollars over a twenty-year period; a considerable
sum at that time.
When she married diplomat Sir Charles Mendl in
1926, the New York Times described Lady Mendl as
"one of the most widely known women in New York
social life." She was even mentioned in one of the
popular songs of the day, Irving Berlin's "Harlem
on My Mind," in which the legendary songwriter
mentions a "high-falutin' flat that Lady Mendl
designed."
In 1935, Paris experts named Lady Mendl the
best-dressed woman in the world, which was high
praise, coming from best-known the place in the
world for high fashion at the time. In her clothes
as well as her interior design, she lived by the
motto she had embroidered on taffeta pillows in
her parlor: "Never complain, never explain."
See
Elsie de Wolfe's Interior Design Ideas
Dorothy Draper, America's First Interior Designer?
Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher
America's "Dream Home"
Maker
Jeanette Fisher,
author of best-selling real estate investing and
interior design books, has researched the effects
of the environment on emotions for over 15 years.
She is the author of ten books, including
university textbooks, and encyclopedia articles on
color psychology. For more information on interior
design psychology, free ebooks and newsletters,
please visit
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