Cumming’s famous drawing room contained a bonanza of rare French furniture and Oriental art. An 18th-century Chinese wallpaper covers the entire room. Her company is now owned by Dessin Fournier.
The first professional interior designer in the United States was a woman, Elsie De Wolfe, who was closely followed by a bevy of others—including Elsie Cobb Wilson, Ruby Ross Wood, Rose Cumming, Eleanor Brown and Frances Elkins. These women collectively from an enduring part of design history. See a visual timeline of their contributions. +read article