Ogden Codman

Born in Boston in 1863, Ogden Codman Jr. became an influential architect, decorator, and writer whose career bridged American high society and European elegance. He is especially remembered for The Decoration of Houses (1897), written with Edith Wharton, a book that argued for simplicity, proportion, and historical understanding in interior design.

Codman designed houses and interiors for wealthy clients in the United States and France, and his style stood apart from the heavy ornament popular in much of the Victorian era. His work drew on classical and French models, and he earned a reputation for refined rooms that felt orderly, polished, and livable.

He later settled in France, where he continued to work and cultivate the cosmopolitan life reflected in his designs. Today, he is remembered not only for the homes he created, but also for helping define a more modern approach to interior decoration.