Georges Geffroy
Encyclopedia
Georges Geffroy was a post-war French interior designer.
,
Geffroy was a purist. He never accepted more than one job at a time—that way he could devote himself entirely to each assignment. Moreover, he guided his clients in buying art, assisting them with the polite authority of a connoisseur. In the appraisal of antique furniture, he had an especially unerring eye.
The designer was a prominent society figure in postwar Paris, and his clients were invariably personal friends. In the afternoons he could be seen making the rounds of the dealers with millionaire socialite Arturo Lopez-Willshaw, and later he would escort Gloria Guinness
through the galleries.
His own beginnings as a fashion designer left Geffroy with an abiding taste for fabrics. “He draped the folds of his curtains like a couturier,” says Antoine de Grandsaignes of Decour, where the art of upholstery has been handed down from father to son since 1840. When Geffroy became an interior designer, he had his taffeta
s, silk satins and failles made to measure by Prelle
, one of the last great silk manufacturers of Lyons. He was demanding, insisting on the highest standards of workmanship.
. Geffroy was also daring in the way he mixed colors. In the salon of Pierre David-Weill
’s country house at Gambais
, he paired solid pink with canary yellow. There was always a provocative touch: In an otherwise classical décor at the baronne de Montesquiou
’s house in Neuilly-sur-Seine
, Geffroy slipped in a sofa covered with leopard-print velvet.
A keen collector, Geffroy favored eighteenth-century pieces, though he preferred the elegant sobriety of Louis XVI or the Directoire to the busier style of Louis XV. His own apartment on the ue de Rivoli was proof of this, containing chairs with the stamp of Georges Jacob
, architectural furniture by Adam Weisweiler
or Jean-Henri Riesener, Neoclassical bibelots, vases and stone obelisks.
He had a sense of theater and delighted in trompe l’oeil effects. The bookcases he designed reflect that. He built a large number of them, notably for Baron Alexis de Redé at the Hôtel Lambert
and, in 1944, in collaboration with Charles de Beistegui, for the residence of Sir Duff Cooper
and Lady Diana Cooper
, the British ambassador to France. Are the columns in these bookcases lapis lazuli or wood? Neither—they’re made of stucco.
Staircases were another specialty—he would sketch them out with a bold hand while sitting at his Louis XVI desk. Indeed, it was around a spectacular staircase that he organized the avenue Messine house of movie actor Alain Delon
, and it was a staircase that set the Geffroy stamp on antiques dealer Jacques Kugel’s Paris shop in 1971. A few months later he was dead, but his final creation was worthy of its author, the lover of antiques who was Georges Geffroy.
Biography
"an eighteenth-century gentleman, a figure from another era, one of a breed of decorators that is extinct today,” remembers couturier Hubert de GivenchyHubert de Givenchy
Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy is a French aristocrat and fashion designer who founded The House of Givenchy in 1952. He is famous for having designed much of the personal and professional wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn, as well as clothing for clients such as Jacqueline Kennedy...
,
Geffroy was a purist. He never accepted more than one job at a time—that way he could devote himself entirely to each assignment. Moreover, he guided his clients in buying art, assisting them with the polite authority of a connoisseur. In the appraisal of antique furniture, he had an especially unerring eye.
The designer was a prominent society figure in postwar Paris, and his clients were invariably personal friends. In the afternoons he could be seen making the rounds of the dealers with millionaire socialite Arturo Lopez-Willshaw, and later he would escort Gloria Guinness
Gloria Guinness
Gloria Guinness , born Gloria Rubio y Alatorre, was a Mexican-born socialite and fashion icon of the 20th century, and a contributing editor to Harper's Bazaar from 1963 until 1971...
through the galleries.
His own beginnings as a fashion designer left Geffroy with an abiding taste for fabrics. “He draped the folds of his curtains like a couturier,” says Antoine de Grandsaignes of Decour, where the art of upholstery has been handed down from father to son since 1840. When Geffroy became an interior designer, he had his taffeta
Taffeta
Taffeta is a crisp, smooth plain woven fabric made from silk or synthetic fibers. The word is Persian in origin, and means "twisted woven." It is considered to be a "high end" fabric, suitable for use in ball gowns, wedding dresses, and in interiors for curtains or wallcovering. There are two...
s, silk satins and failles made to measure by Prelle
Prelle
Prelle is a family owned textile and silk factory in operation since 1752; the oldest silk factory in Lyon, France. Curators, collectors and interior designers use their fabrics for re-upholstery jobs...
, one of the last great silk manufacturers of Lyons. He was demanding, insisting on the highest standards of workmanship.
“du Geffroy”
What was meant by “du Geffroy?” A certain brand of ostentation? Perhaps. More likely, people were talking about his unique gift for selecting textiles. The bedroom of Mrs. Moreira-Sales, the wife of the Brazilian ambassador to France, was upholstered in yellow silk, all of it hand-embroidered, that would have done honor to VersaillesVersailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
. Geffroy was also daring in the way he mixed colors. In the salon of Pierre David-Weill
Pierre David-Weill
Pierre David-Weill was a French investment banker.Born Pierre Sylvain Désiré Gérard David-Weill in Paris, France, he was the son of Flora Raphael and David David-Weill , Chairman of Lazard Frères...
’s country house at Gambais
Gambais
Gambais is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France....
, he paired solid pink with canary yellow. There was always a provocative touch: In an otherwise classical décor at the baronne de Montesquiou
Montesquiou
Montesquiou is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.The village of Montesquiou is the historical seat of the Montesquiou-Fezensac family.-Population:-References:*...
’s house in Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
, Geffroy slipped in a sofa covered with leopard-print velvet.
A keen collector, Geffroy favored eighteenth-century pieces, though he preferred the elegant sobriety of Louis XVI or the Directoire to the busier style of Louis XV. His own apartment on the ue de Rivoli was proof of this, containing chairs with the stamp of Georges Jacob
Georges Jacob
Georges Jacob was one of the two most prominent Parisian master menuisiers, producing carved, painted and gilded beds and seat furniture and upholstery work for the French royal châteaux, in the early Neoclassical style that is usually associated with Louis Seize.Jacob arrived in Paris in 1754 and...
, architectural furniture by Adam Weisweiler
Adam Weisweiler
Adam Weisweiler was a pre-eminent French master cabinetmaker in the Louis XVI period, working in Paris.Weisweiler is said to have been born at Neuwied-am-Rhein and to have received his early training in David Roentgen's workshop. He was in Paris before1777, when he married Barbe Conte, and was...
or Jean-Henri Riesener, Neoclassical bibelots, vases and stone obelisks.
He had a sense of theater and delighted in trompe l’oeil effects. The bookcases he designed reflect that. He built a large number of them, notably for Baron Alexis de Redé at the Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert is a hôtel particulier, a grand mansion townhouse, on the Quai Anjou on the eastern tip of the Île Saint-Louis, Paris IVème; the name, Hôtel Lambert, was a sobriquet that designated a 19th-century political faction of Polish exiles, who gathered there.-Architectural history:The house...
and, in 1944, in collaboration with Charles de Beistegui, for the residence of Sir Duff Cooper
Duff Cooper
Alfred Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich GCMG, DSO, PC , known as Duff Cooper, was a British Conservative Party politician, diplomat and author. He wrote six books, including an autobiography, Old Men Forget, and a biography of Talleyrand...
and Lady Diana Cooper
Lady Diana Cooper
Lady Diana Cooper, Viscountess Norwich was an English socialite and actress.-Birth and youth:Born Lady Diana Olivia Winifred Maud Manners, she was officially the youngest daughter of the 8th Duke of Rutland and his wife, the former Violet Lindsay, but Lady Diana's real father was widely supposed...
, the British ambassador to France. Are the columns in these bookcases lapis lazuli or wood? Neither—they’re made of stucco.
Staircases were another specialty—he would sketch them out with a bold hand while sitting at his Louis XVI desk. Indeed, it was around a spectacular staircase that he organized the avenue Messine house of movie actor Alain Delon
Alain Delon
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
, and it was a staircase that set the Geffroy stamp on antiques dealer Jacques Kugel’s Paris shop in 1971. A few months later he was dead, but his final creation was worthy of its author, the lover of antiques who was Georges Geffroy.