Candace Wheeler

Born in Delhi, New York, in 1827, Candace Wheeler became one of the most influential figures in American interior and textile design. She is often described as a founding force in the field of interior decoration in the United States, and her long career stretched across a period of major cultural change in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Wheeler helped create new professional opportunities for women through design and decorative arts. After being inspired by the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, she founded the Society of Decorative Art in New York and later became closely associated with the firm Associated Artists. Her textiles, wallpapers, and interiors were widely admired, and she also wrote about design, including books such as Principles of Home Decoration.

Beyond her business success, Wheeler stood out for the way she connected art with everyday life. She believed homes should be both beautiful and livable, and she encouraged an American style that drew from nature, craft, and local identity. She died in 1923, leaving behind a legacy that shaped both design history and the place of women in the profession.