NEW YORK – This debut edition of Bid Smart Recap, which brings together Bid Smart articles on a specific topic, showcases leading women designers of furniture, lighting, and home fittings. Each, with her own visions, has shaped the look and feel of our homes.
A Gae Aulenti prototype Saint Moritz table for Pierluigi Ghiandi, which never went into production, brought €9,000 (about $9,195) plus the buyer’s premium in November 2019. Image courtesy of Viscontea Casa d’Aste srl and LiveAuctioneers.
Gae Aulenti (1927-2012) excelled at translating architectural principles into décor. The Italian’s keen design acumen yielded furnishings and lighting that embodied the mid-century Modern aesthetic.
This Eileen Gray Transat chair achieved $4,250 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2020. Image courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers.
Irish-born Eileen Gray (1878-1976) went largely recognized in her own lifetime, but her designs, including her famed Transat chair, have since been ardently embraced.
A trio of snakes forms the legs of Judy Kensley McKie’s 1997 Serpent side table. This example, numbered 15 of 16, sold for $26,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2010. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.
Judy Kensley McKie (b. 1944-) took up furniture-making for eminently practical reasons: as newlyweds, she and her husband were too poor to buy any. Now she ranks among the greats of American studio furniture.
This Greta Magnusson Grossman Grasshopper lamp earned $9,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2022. Image courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers.
A pioneering woman architect and designer whose contemporaries were mostly men, Greta Magnusson Grossman (1906-1999) applied traditional Swedish sensibilities to her work.
A Mira Nakashima single-board Conoid dining table with six single-board Conoid dining chairs realized $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2023. Image courtesy of Freeman’s and LiveAuctioneers.
Mira Nakashima (b. 1942-) helped her famed father, George, in his New Hope, Pennsylvania atelier. After he died, she continued his legacy. Now, works bearing her name alone are gaining favor.
A pair of Rose Tarlow yellow velvet Lambertus chairs achieved a robust price of $7,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Andrew Jones Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
American interior designer Rose Tarlow (b. 1944-) has had her finger on the pulse of California design since the 1970s. Through her business, Rose Tarlow Melrose House, she and her team produces unique and spectacular pieces.
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Andrea Valluzzo
Andrea Valluzzo is an award-winning journalist who has worked for media publications for more than 20 years. Today, she enjoys writing about antiques, collectibles, art and the art of collecting. Based in Connecticut, she's also an avid scrapbooker who loves Broadway shows.
This Eileen Gray Transat chair achieved $4,250 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2020. Image courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers.
NEW YORK — Furniture design underwent a radical shift between the first and second world wars, with lavish and stuffy interiors giving way to pieces that were informal and adaptable. Among the most forward-thinking designers of this era was Irish-born Eileen Gray (1878–1976), whose inventive furniture designs were not only functional but also adapted principles of architecture and sculpture.
