about her: Eileen Gray
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It is well known that women designers were often overlooked throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, and Eileen Gray is one of the most striking examples in architecture and design history. Gray was an architect and furniture designer whose innovative work significantly impacted the modernist movement. Despite her pioneering contributions, Gray’s talent went largely unrecognized until late in her life. In this newsletter, we highlight three key projects that define her influential career.
“A house is not a machine to live in. It is the shell of man, his extension, his release, his spiritual emanation.” - Eileen Gray
“One must build for the human being, that he might rediscover in the architectural construction the joys of self-fulfillment in a whole that extends and completes him. Even the furnishings should lose their individuality by blending in with the architectural ensemble.” - Eileen Gray, 1929 issue of L’Architecture Vivante
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Born in Ireland in 1878 to an artist father, Gray became one of the first women admitted to London's prestigious Slade School of Art in 1898. Her regular visits to the Victoria and Albert Museum ignited a lifelong passion for lacquerware, leading her to train under Japanese master Seizo Sugawara. After moving to Paris in 1902, Gray and her friend Jessie Gavin would often visit spaces where women were barred, with Gavin dressing in men’s clothing to gain entry to “places where you can’t go without a man.” Gray herself was openly bisexual and part of prominent queer circles in Paris at this time.
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Initially, Gray had a positive relationship with famed modernist architect Le Corbusier, who admired Villa E-1027’s innovative design. However, their relationship soured, reportedly due to Le Corbusier's jealousy of Gray's talent. In 1972, designer Yves Saint Laurent purchased one of Gray's pieces and the first ever retrospective exhibition of her work was held in London, sparking renewed public interest in her career. Gray continued working until her death at age 98, finally achieving significant recognition in the 1990s. Today, Gray’s pioneering contributions to design are widely celebrated.
Image Source: The New York Times
Project one: Villa e-1027
Massolin, 06190 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France (1926-1929)
Villa E-1027 remains Gray’s most acclaimed architectural achievement. Initially misattributed solely to Badovici and even sometimes to Le Corbusier, Gray's role gained proper recognition through a pivotal 1967 essay by Joseph Rykwert. The villa, named after Gray's and Badovici's initials, differs from modernist open-plan designs, progressively revealing interior spaces. Integrated furnishings—including rotating screens, modular tables, wardrobes doubling as movable walls, convertible sofas, and adjustable mirrors—illustrate Gray’s holistic approach. Its color palette, combining white walls, metallic accents, and vivid blues, complements the coastal setting.
Image Source: dda Architects
The villa’s history is marked by controversy. After Gray moved out, Badovici permitted Le Corbusier to paint murals on its walls, which Gray criticized as acts of vandalism (due to their purposeful opposition to the Villa's colour scheme and offensive references to her sexuality). Le Corbusier remained fixated on the villa and spent much of his lifetime focussed on it, unsuccessfully attempting to purchase it, and tragically drowned in the bay in front of it in 1965.
Image Source: Manuel Bougot.
During World War II, German soldiers damaged the villa by using its walls for target practice. Later, in 1980, owner Marie-Louise Schelbert died in Zurich three days after her physician, Dr. Peter Kägi, secretly auctioned off nearly all of Gray’s original furniture from the property. Kägi subsequently inherited the villa, hosting notorious parties until his murder in the living room in 1996. Cap Moderne, a non-profit organization, is now restoring Villa E-1027, supported by crowdfunding: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/irish-female-bisexual-genius#/
Image Source: Dezeen
Project two: The Adjustable Table (1927)
Originally designed for Villa E-1027, Gray’s Adjustable Table showcases her dedication to practical, human-focused design. Its height-adjustable chrome frame and glass top arose from the simple yet thoughtful desire to comfortably enjoy breakfast in bed, with the tubular top lip surround preventing crumbs in the sheets. The round base is designed to sit around a bed leg.
Image Source: Architecturehistory.org
This table remains one of Gray’s most iconic and reproduced pieces, reflecting both functionality and elegance. A significant collection of Gray’s furniture is held by the National Museum of Ireland, where visitors can experience some of her designs firsthand: https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collections-Research/Art-and-Industry-Collections/Art-Industry-Collections-List/Eileen-Gray
Designed in 1922 with Paul Ruaud for Madame Mathieu-Levy, Le Salon de Verre marked Gray’s shift from furniture design to architecture. Gray integrated curved wood and metal furnishings with bold contrasts, such as a zebra-print carpet flowing onto tiled floors.
Image Source: Wikimedia
This project illustrated her innovative approach, merging furniture and architecture into cohesive, harmonious environments—a principle that became a hallmark of her career.
Image Source: Design Museum
We hope this journal entry gave you a deeper appreciation of Eileen Gray’s incredible legacy — her bold, human-centered approach to architecture and furniture inspires us to create spaces that not only serve, but truly resonate with the people who inhabit them.
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