Elsie de Wolfe

Elsie de Wolfe (1865–1950) is widely regarded as the first professional interior decorator, transforming the field from an amateur pursuit into a recognized creative profession. A former actress, she rebelled against the dark, heavy Victorian interiors of her era, championing light colors, fresh flowers, comfortable furniture, and the principle that a room should reflect the personality and lifestyle of its inhabitants. Her 1913 book "The House in Good Taste" became the first popular guide to interior decoration. De Wolfe's influence is so foundational that many of her innovations now seem like common sense—which is precisely her legacy. She introduced the use of mirrors to enlarge spaces, chintz for comfortable charm, trelliswork indoors, and the revolutionary idea that rooms should be light, airy, and livable rather than dark showpieces of Victorian excess. Every bright, comfortable, personality-driven home owes a debt to Elsie de Wolfe's insistence that good taste means creating spaces that serve the people who live in them.