de Wolfe, Elsie

orig. Ella Anderson de Wolfe

(born Dec. 20, 1865, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died July 12, 1950, Versailles, France) U.S. interior designer. A New York City socialite, she worked as a professional actress (1890–1904) before becoming a designer. Her design principles of simplicity, airiness, and visual unity helped transform and modernize heretofore dark, excessively ornamented Victorian interiors. She was the first female professional interior designer in the U.S. She spent much of her life in France as a noted hostess. During World War I she nursed soldiers; she received the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honour for her relief work.

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