author
Elsie De Wolfe
1865–1950
Best known for brightening up stuffy Victorian rooms, this American decorator helped turn interior design into a modern profession. She also wrote influential advice on taste and home life, mixing practical ideas with a flair for elegance.
1 Audiobook
The House in Good Taste
by Elsie De Wolfe
About the author
Born in New York in 1865, Elsie de Wolfe began her public life as an actress before becoming one of the most recognizable names in interior decoration. She is often remembered for pushing back against the heavy, dark look of late Victorian interiors and favoring lighter colors, comfort, mirrors, painted furniture, and a greater sense of air and ease.
Her reputation grew quickly in the early 20th century as wealthy clients sought out her fresh style. She helped popularize the idea that rooms should feel livable as well as beautiful, and her book The House in Good Taste brought her ideas to a wide audience beyond private clients.
De Wolfe lived an unusually visible and cosmopolitan life, moving in prominent social circles in both the United States and Europe. Even now, she is widely seen as a pioneering figure in the history of interior design because she helped define decorating as a profession in its own right.