10 Designers

Thomas O'Brian is a designer who is known for his knack for warm modernism. He is the owner of Aero Studios. He as a line called Vintage Modern just for target stores. As a designer Thomas likes to take vintage artifacts and produce it in a modern style. He takes things that are old and new and puts them together in a traditional and elegant fashion that creates an atmosphere that is familiar.

Ron Dayan is a successful designer who is known for designing for the rich and famous. He has appeared on tv shows such as Life Styles of the Rich and Famous, Good Morning America, and Style on CNN. Dayan uses an interesting method of designing for others much like Sherlock Holmes. Dayan explains, "I actually use Holmes' methods of detection in my design process, to discover what the client would love to be surrounded by, and need now, and years from now. I often do this without even asking the client any questions, simply observing, listening, and being in tune with their signals."

Frank Gehry is an architect from Toronto whose success began to take place during the 70s. Gehry designs "functional scultpures" as opposed to buildings. His work that is displayed in museums all around the world include his drawings, models, and designs for furniture, and interpretations of fish. In addition, Gehry often works with performers, painters, and sculptors.

Frank Loyd Wright is a famous American architect. He has designed furniture for many including the Chicago School, the Arts and Crafts culture, Art Nouveau, the Avant-garde, Japanese traditions, etc; although, he was not as innovative in furniture design as he was as an architect. Wright created a new concept called "organic architecture" where building materials were limited to what was found in the area.

Lois Sullivan is known for his idea of the importance of function. Sullivan was named "Lieber Meister" from Frank Lloyd Wright, who he had admired. Sullivan is known for his work in large commercial buildings. His design for houses was left to his staff- which includes Wright.

Le Corbusier was a pioneer of bringing funtion into design. He was born in Chaux de Fonds in 1887 and died in Roquebrune-Cap Martin in 1965. Influenced by the industrial revolution, he used materials like chromed aluminum for construction. In Villa Savoye, he takes the idea of funtion and brings it into the concept of life. Le Corbusier removes any decorative element from his furniture designs that are not relevant to the structure of the work.

Salvador Dali was born in Figueres in 1908 and died in 1989. He was a close friend of interior designer Jean Michel Frank. Frank was well known in the 1930s in Paris. The two worked together on projects. He produced furniture such as outdoor peices for his house. He also produced mundane items, including handles and faucets.

Josef Hoffman is an Austrian designer who introduced the Vienna Secession. This movement rejected the styles of the past and the ornamental details that came from nature. His inspiration came from abstract geometrical forms. He used cube-shaped or elongated rectangles in furniture. Some of is furniture designs include small spheres in contrast to the straight lines. Much of his work has been on show in exhibitions.

Alvar Aalto is a Finnish architect that is very influential to modern architecture. Some of his work includes organic buildngs that use material that were fragmented or included curves. He made the stool with three legs. His contribution to the modern movement was modest, but very important.

Charles R. Mackintosh was born in Glasgow in 1868 and dien in London in 1928. He is one of the founders of Art Nouveau. He is also the representative of the Glasgow School. He is strong in his furniture designs. His best furniture design was for the Glasgw Tea Room and other private houses made between 1901 and 1911. After 1923 he stoped being an architect and started to paint watercolour.