Eileen Gray: 11 Iconic Pieces of Furniture Designed
Eileen Gray was a spectacular designer (one of my personal faves, actually) and architect who left a lasting impact on the world of furniture design. Born in 1878, Gray spent much of her life in France, where she developed a unique style that blended Art Deco and Modernism. Her work was characterized by simplicity, functionality, and elegance, and it remains popular to this day.
Over the course of her career, Gray designed a number of iconic pieces of furniture that are still celebrated for their beauty and practicality. Among her most famous creations are the E-1027 adjustable table, the Bibendum chair, and the Transat chair. Each of these pieces reflects Gray’s unique style and approach to design, and they continue to inspire furniture designers around the world.
Despite her many achievements, Gray’s work was often overlooked during her lifetime. It was only in the years following her death in 1976 that her designs began to receive the recognition they deserved. Today, her furniture is highly sought after by collectors and design enthusiasts alike, and it remains a testament to her enduring legacy as one of the greatest designers of the 20th century.
Early Life and Career
Artistic Beginnings
Eileen Gray was born Kathleen Eileen Moray Smith on August 9, 1878, in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland. She was the youngest of five children in an aristocratic family. Her father, James McLaren Smith, was a Scottish painter who encouraged her artistic interests from an early age. He split from her mother, Eveleen Pounden, when Eileen was eleven and left Ireland to paint in Europe. Gray attended the Slade School of Fine Art in London, where she studied painting, drawing, and sculpture.
Transition to Architecture
After completing her studies at the Slade School of Fine Art, Gray moved to Paris in 1902, where she began to experiment with furniture design. In 1913, she met the Japanese lacquer master Seizo Sugawara, who introduced her to the art of lacquer. Gray became fascinated with the material and began to incorporate it into her furniture designs. She opened a workshop in Paris in 1919, where she produced her most famous pieces of furniture.
In the 1920s, Gray began to transition from furniture design to architecture. She purchased a plot of land in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the French Riviera and began work on a villa that would become her masterpiece. The villa, named E-1027, was designed in collaboration with her partner Jean Badovici. It was a groundbreaking work of modernist architecture, featuring a series of interlocking spaces that blurred the boundaries between indoors and outdoors.
Gray continued to work in both furniture design and architecture throughout her career, becoming a leading figure in the modernist movement. Her work was characterized by a minimalist aesthetic and a focus on functionality and comfort. She passed away in 1976 at the age of 98, leaving behind a legacy of innovative design and artistic achievement. What a life!
Iconic Furniture Designs
Eileen Gray was a pioneer in furniture design and her pieces have become iconic in the world of modern design. Her designs were known for their innovative use of materials, form, and function. Here are nine of her most iconic furniture designs.
Bibendum Chair
The Bibendum (the literal translation from Latin is “to drink”) Chair, named after the Michelin Man, is one of Eileen Gray’s most iconic designs. The chair features a curved backrest and armrests, and a circular seat cushion. It is made of tubular steel and upholstered in leather. Besides the E1027 adjustable table, I would say that this is one of her most recognizable furniture designs. It oozes comfort, no?
E1027 Adjustable Table
Originally created for her French Riviera getaway, the E1027 Adjustable Table is a versatile piece of furniture that can be used as a side table or a coffee table. The table features a glass top and a chrome-plated frame. The most notable feature of the table is its adjustable height, which allows it to be used in a variety of settings. One of her most recognizable designs.
Transat Chair
The Transat Chair is a classic piece of modernist furniture that is still reproduced today. It resembles chairs found on ocean liner decks – hence the name, which is a shortened version of “transatlantic”. Created by Eileen Gray in the mid-1920s, the original model was made of sycamore with metal fixtures, a nod to the elegant craft of the ship’s chandler (a dealer in supplies and equipment on ships).
Non-Conformist Chair
The Non-Conformist Chair is a classic piece of modernist furniture that is still reproduced today. Created by Eileen Gray in the mid-1920s, it is made of tubular steel and leather upholstery. According to Gray, “An armrest was omitted in order to leave the body more freedom in movement and to allow it to bend forward or to turn to the other side unrestricted.”
Roquebrune Chair
The Roquebrune Chair is a lounge chair designed by Eileen Gray in the 1920s. It is made of tubular steel and thick leather upholstery. This chair was originally designed for the terrace of her second house in Menton, France (Tempe a Pailla).
Brick Screen
The Brick Screen is a folding screen designed by Eileen Gray in the 1920s. It is made of lacquered wood and features a geometric pattern. The screen’s unique form allows rays of light to pour through, making it semi-transparent.
Lota Sofa
The Lota Sofa is a two-seater sofa designed by Eileen Gray in 1924. It is made of lacquered wood and upholstered in fabric. This was the product of her famed design of the decor for the apartment on rue de Lota of Madame Mathieu Levy, a successful hat designer who worked under the name of Suzanne Talbot.
Dragons Chair
The Dragon Chair is a lounge chair designed by Eileen Gray in the 1910s. It is made of lacquered wood and leather, and features an intertwined dragon motif. This was also made for the apartment owned by Madame Mathieu Levy. This was sold at auction in 2009 for $31,000,000. Ummmm….WOW! It holds the record for the highest priced decorative arts piece made in the 20th century.
Monte Carlo Sofa
The Monte Carlo Sofa is a two-seater sofa designed by Eileen Gray in the 1920s. It is made of tubular steel and upholstered in leather. I love how the “arm” floats above a portion of the seating.
The Tube Light
The Tube Light was designed by Eileen Gray in 1927, and is an fantastic example of modernist design, reflecting the era’s fascination with industrial materials and functional aesthetics. This lamp is characterized by its sleek, cylindrical form, crafted from chromium-plated steel.
Roattino Floor Lamp
Designed in 1931, the Roattino lamp is a testament to Gray’s ability to infuse functionality with a sense of personality and charm. This lamp features an elongated, slender body that curves at the top to support a pivoting, oblong-shaped shade. Crafted primarily from tubular steel, the lamp’s base is characterized by a distinctive Z-shape, which not only provides stability but also adds a visual intrigue to the design. The Roattino lamp is named after a small dog belonging to her friend, the architect Jean Badovici, as its shape humorously suggests a dog lifting its leg.
Eileen Gray’s furniture designs are still highly sought after today (Aram has an exclusive licensing/production deal) and continue to inspire designers around the world. Her innovative use of materials, form, and function set her apart as a true pioneer in the world of modern design.
Architectural Contributions
Eileen Gray’s contributions to modernist architecture are significant, and two of her most notable works are Villa E-1027 and Tempe à Pailla.
Villa E-1027
Villa E-1027, located in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, is a masterpiece of modernist architecture that Gray designed and built with her partner, Jean Badovici. The villa’s name is a combination of their initials: “E” for Eileen, “10” for Jean (the letter “J” is the 10th letter of the alphabet), “2” for B(adovici), and “7” for G(ray).
Villa E-1027 is a prime example of Gray’s commitment to functionality and simplicity. The villa’s design incorporates large windows that allow natural light to flood the interior, while the use of materials such as concrete and steel gives the building a sleek, modernist look.
Tempe à Pailla
Tempe à Pailla is another of Gray’s architectural masterpieces. Located in Menton, France, the building was designed by Gray as a summer home for herself and her mother. Like Villa E-1027, Tempe à Pailla features a modernist design that emphasizes functionality and simplicity.
Gray’s use of materials such as concrete and glass in the construction of Tempe à Pailla gives the building a clean, minimalist look that is characteristic of modernist architecture. The building’s interior is also notable for its use of space, with Gray designing the space to be both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
Overall, Eileen Gray’s contributions to modernist architecture have had a lasting impact on the field. Her buildings, including Villa E-1027 and Tempe à Pailla, are celebrated for their innovative designs and functionalist approach to architecture.
Legacy and Influence
Eileen Gray’s legacy as a pioneer of modern design is undeniable. She was a woman ahead of her time, breaking into a male-dominated field and creating some of the most iconic pieces of furniture in the 20th century. Her work continues to inspire designers and architects around the world.
Recognition and Exhibitions
Gray’s work has been recognized by numerous institutions, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In 1972, the museum held a retrospective of her work, which helped bring her designs to a wider audience. In recent years, her work has been exhibited at the Bard Graduate Center in New York and the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin.
Impact on Modern Design
Gray’s influence on modern design cannot be overstated. Her use of materials such as chrome and glass, as well as her emphasis on functionality and simplicity, helped shape the modernist movement. Her designs continue to be produced and sold today, and her iconic pieces such as the Bibendum Chair and the E-1027 Table remain as relevant and stylish as ever.
Zeev Aram, a London-based designer and retailer, has been instrumental in keeping Gray’s legacy alive. He began selling her designs in the 1960s and continues to do so today. Aram has said that Gray’s work “has a timeless quality that transcends fashion and trends.”
Overall, Eileen Gray’s impact on modern design is immeasurable. Her innovative use of materials and emphasis on functionality helped shape the modernist movement, and her iconic designs continue to inspire designers and architects around the world. In my opinion she is one of the all time greats!