428:
255:
530:
272:, curtain design, and the mechanics of traditional upholstery. In 1922 at the age of 42, Maugham borrowed £400 and opened her own interior decorating business at 85 Baker Street, London. As the shop flourished, Maugham began decorating, taking on projects in Palm Beach and California. By 1930, she had shops in London, Chicago, and New York.
279:
in London. For the grand unveiling of her all-white room, Maugham went to the extreme of dipping her white canvas draperies in cement. The room was filled with massive white floral arrangements and the overall effect was stunning. Although she was known for white rooms, her own drawing room was the
290:
Although she made her fortune and fame with her white décors, by the mid-1930s she had largely given up the white décors to create interiors with baroque accessories and colour schemes punctuated by bright green, shocking pink, and bold reds.
996:
London: Duckworth. On page 6 the photograph of Syrie
Maugham captioned "Syrie Maugham at a luncheon, 22 November 1936" is in fact the photograph of her friend, the opera singer Olga Lynn. This photograph is often thought to be of Syrie
451:). She was 22 and he was 48, and they married soon after. In 1903 they had a son, Henry Mounteney Wellcome. The Wellcomes' marriage was not happy, and Syrie reportedly had numerous affairs, including with the department store magnate
245:
had converted at age 16 to
Protestant evangelicalism and believed in daily Bible reading, obedience, strict punctuality and the forgoing of worldly pleasures including drinking (alcohol), smoking and visiting the theatre.
858:
Her birth name is given as Mary
Elizabeth Wellcome in the immigration and naturalization files of ellisisland.org, wherein she is listed, along with her mother, then Syrie Wellcome, on the 21 July 1916 manifest of HMS
314:
Maugham charged high prices and could be very dictatorial with her clients and employees. She once told a hesitant client, "If you don't have ten thousand dollars to spend, I don't want to waste my time."
268:
In the 1910s, Maugham began her interior design career as an apprentice under Ernest
Thornton-Smith for a London decorating firm, learning there about the intricacies of furniture restoration,
318:
Maugham popularised mirrored screens, indirect lighting, and plump furniture upholstered in white. She preferred wood furniture to be pickled or stripped, painted, or finished with a secret
343:
Maugham's daughter Liza married in 1936, and the London house
Maugham decorated for her was among her best work. After finishing it, she sold her own house and travelled to India with
340:
After
Maugham closed her New York shop in 1932, someone suggested that Rose Cumming fill the gap and design white furniture of her own. "No," Cumming said, "white was always Syrie's."
491:, although he was predominantly homosexual and would spend much of his marriage apart from his wife. They divorced in 1929. Her divorce settlement from Maugham was their house at 213
238:
children, and his wife, Sarah Louise "Syrie" Elmslie. Gwendoline was the eldest girl in a family of six. As an adult, she preferred to be known by her last christian name (Syrie).
427:
1092:
727:
347:"to paint the Black Hole of Calcutta white". Maugham continued decorating, but had already completed her most famous and successful work. Her clients included
1097:
1087:
1082:
1038:
1009:
915:
400:
1072:
287:, a society resort in northern France. The salon was decorated entirely in shades of beige, relieved only by pale pink satin curtains.
983:
165:
1041:
1024:
615:
581:
33:
959:
Plunket, Robert. "Syrie's Turn: Once, everyone read W. Somerset
Maugham. But now his late ex-wife is the one selling books",
882:
818:
834:
254:
1067:
807:
Adler, David; Thorne, Martha; Chicago, Art
Institute of; Architecture, Kisho Kurokawa Gallery of (1 January 2002).
731:
408:
276:
456:
304:
295:
remembered leaf-emerald wallpaper, magenta cushions, and
Schiaparelli pink. In this period Maugham worked with
752:
510:, Maugham virulently criticised his former wife, which caused a public outcry. After Maugham's death in 1965,
1077:
231:
464:
452:
471:, in 1915, she was given Wellcome's surname. Wellcome then publicly sued for divorce, naming Maugham as
632:
1062:
1057:
759:
334:
262:
242:
224:
181:
901:
484:
460:
128:
781:
679:
571:
448:
212:
269:
503:, and 2,400 pounds a year for her and 600 pounds a year for Liza. Syrie Maugham died in 1955.
1034:
1020:
1005:
979:
921:
911:
878:
838:
814:
640:
611:
605:
577:
543:
416:
388:
376:
364:
330:
905:
808:
463:. Eventually, after some years of separation, she became pregnant with Maugham's only child,
511:
412:
356:
300:
949:
Lambert, Elizabeth (2000). "Syrie
Maugham. Famously White Rooms for An English Innovator".
500:
496:
444:
404:
368:
440:
360:
348:
344:
326:
99:
1051:
472:
396:
352:
228:
384:
372:
296:
292:
38:
468:
392:
925:
839:"The Glen, House and Service Wing (Category A Listed Building) (LB19746)"
535:
525:
492:
488:
380:
319:
308:
284:
200:
644:
529:
235:
1002:
The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design, 1870–1955
223:
Syrie Maugham was born in England on 10 July 1879. She was the daughter of
32:
215:
of the 1920s and 1930s who popularised rooms decorated entirely in white.
436:
325:
Maugham's glamorous rooms influenced almost every designer, particularly
258:
275:
Maugham is best-remembered for the all-white music room at her house at
1012:
The photograph from Richard B. Fisher's book is reproduced on page 165.
443:, an American-born British industrialist who had made his fortune in
426:
307:
in Sussex, creating what has been described as "the only complete
253:
956:
Petkanas, Christopher. "High Gloss", New York Times, April 2010.
431:
Gwendoline Syrie Maud Wellcome (née Barnardo). Photo from 1901.
1044:
With a picture of Syrie Maugham by Cecil Beaton on the cover.
782:"Syrie Maugham Famously White Rooms for an English Innovator"
1033:. Preface by Camilla Chandon. New York: Acanthus Press.
978:. San Francisco, Calif.: Fehrman Books. pp. 18–29.
680:"Design Legends: Syrie Maugham | Architectural Digest"
211:; 10 July 1879 – 25 July 1955) was a leading British
570:
Fehrman, Cherie; Fehrman, Kenneth (1 October 2009).
467:, who was known as Liza. When the child was born in
283:
Also well-known was Maugham's salon in her villa at
174:
155:
88:
80:
68:
45:
23:
607:The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham: A Biography
1031:Syrie Maugham: Staging the Glamorous Interior
974:Fehrman, Cherie; Fehrman, Kenneth R. (2009).
910:. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 255.
810:David Adler, Architect: The Elements of Style
8:
1042:Syrie Maugham. Creating Glamorous Interiors.
411:, Scottish home of Christopher Tennant, 2nd
514:wrote in rebuttal a defence of her called
31:
20:
896:
894:
1093:English people of German-Jewish descent
946:. London and Chicago, pp. 793–796.
631:Petkanas, Christopher (28 April 2010).
555:
877:. London: W.H. Allen. pp. 63–64.
16:British interior decorator (1879–1955)
199:
7:
976:Interior Design Innovators 1910–1960
702:
700:
673:
671:
669:
667:
665:
663:
661:
599:
597:
595:
593:
573:Interior Design Innovators 1910–1960
565:
563:
561:
559:
401:Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll
1098:People of Sephardic-Jewish descent
753:"Pair of Champagne Standard Lamps"
280:only all-white room she ever did.
166:Elizabeth Hope, Baroness Glendevon
14:
1088:English people of Italian descent
610:. Random House Publishing Group.
311:house ever created in Britain."
604:Hastings, Selina (25 May 2010).
528:
144:
115:
1083:English people of Irish descent
944:Encyclopedia of Interior Design
479:Marriage to W. Somerset Maugham
140:
111:
50:Gwendoline Maud Syrie Barnardo
1:
835:Historic Environment Scotland
196:Gwendoline Maud Syrie Maugham
1029:Metcalf, Pauline C. (2010).
1017:The Scandal of Syrie Maugham
875:The scandal of Syrie Maugham
459:, and the bisexual novelist
303:on the decoration of James'
992:Fisher, Richard B. (1978).
780:Lambert, Elizabeth (1999).
1114:
1073:English interior designers
732:Metropolitan Museum of Art
423:Marriage to Henry Wellcome
1015:McKnight, Gerald (1980).
873:McKnight, Gerald (1980).
813:. Yale University Press.
439:with her father, she met
415:, who hated the existing
30:
461:William Somerset Maugham
457:Percy Desmond Fitzgerald
162:Henry Mounteney Wellcome
37:Syrie Maugham, photo by
942:Banham, Joanna (1997).
516:A Case of Human Bondage
435:In 1901, on a visit to
453:Harry Gordon Selfridge
432:
265:
1004:. Rizzoli, New York.
499:, fully furnished, a
430:
257:
227:, the founder of the
1000:Lewis, Adam (2010).
951:Architectural Digest
786:Architectural Digest
760:Arts Council England
684:Architectural Digest
678:Lambert, Elizabeth.
419:style of the house.
225:Thomas John Barnardo
186:Sarah Louise Elmslie
182:Thomas John Barnardo
143: 1917;
114: 1901;
709:Old-House Interiors
506:In his 1962 memoir
487:married in 1917 in
485:W. Somerset Maugham
483:Syrie Wellcome and
241:Syrie's Irish-born
129:W. Somerset Maugham
637:The New York Times
449:Burroughs Wellcome
433:
407:. She redecorated
266:
213:interior decorator
1068:English designers
1039:978-0-926494-07-7
1010:978-0-8478-3336-8
961:Sarasota Magazine
917:978-0-671-50581-3
707:"Syrie Maugham".
576:. Fehrman Books.
544:Interior designer
447:(his firm became
417:Scottish Baronial
389:Clare Boothe Luce
365:Elsa Schiaparelli
331:Jean-Michel Frank
263:Paul César Helleu
193:
192:
84:Interior designer
1105:
989:
930:
929:
898:
889:
888:
870:
864:
856:
850:
849:
847:
845:
831:
825:
824:
804:
798:
797:
795:
793:
777:
771:
770:
768:
766:
757:
749:
743:
742:
740:
738:
726:O'Hanlan, Sean.
723:
717:
716:
704:
695:
694:
692:
690:
675:
656:
655:
653:
651:
628:
622:
621:
601:
588:
587:
567:
538:
533:
532:
512:Beverley Nichols
413:Baron Glenconner
357:Oveta Culp Hobby
203:
148:
146:
142:
119:
117:
113:
75:
59:
57:
35:
21:
1113:
1112:
1108:
1107:
1106:
1104:
1103:
1102:
1048:
1047:
986:
973:
970:
968:Further reading
953:, January 2000.
939:
934:
933:
918:
900:
899:
892:
885:
872:
871:
867:
857:
853:
843:
841:
833:
832:
828:
821:
806:
805:
801:
791:
789:
779:
778:
774:
764:
762:
755:
751:
750:
746:
736:
734:
725:
724:
720:
706:
705:
698:
688:
686:
677:
676:
659:
649:
647:
630:
629:
625:
618:
603:
602:
591:
584:
569:
568:
557:
552:
534:
527:
524:
481:
445:pharmaceuticals
425:
405:Stephen Tennant
369:Edward Molyneux
277:213 King's Road
252:
221:
189:
170:
151:
150:
147: 1929)
138:
134:
131:
121:
118: 1915)
109:
105:
102:
73:
64:
61:
55:
53:
52:
51:
41:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1111:
1109:
1101:
1100:
1095:
1090:
1085:
1080:
1078:Maugham family
1075:
1070:
1065:
1060:
1050:
1049:
1046:
1045:
1027:
1013:
998:
990:
985:978-0984200108
984:
969:
966:
965:
964:
963:, 2006, v. 10.
957:
954:
947:
938:
935:
932:
931:
916:
890:
883:
865:
851:
826:
819:
799:
772:
744:
728:"Edward James"
718:
715:(5): 44. 2009.
696:
657:
623:
616:
589:
582:
554:
553:
551:
548:
547:
546:
540:
539:
523:
520:
480:
477:
465:Mary Elizabeth
441:Henry Wellcome
424:
421:
361:DeWitt Wallace
349:Wallis Simpson
345:Elsie de Wolfe
335:Frances Elkins
327:Elsie de Wolfe
251:
248:
220:
217:
191:
190:
188:
187:
184:
178:
176:
172:
171:
169:
168:
163:
159:
157:
153:
152:
136:
132:
127:
126:
125:
124:
107:
103:
100:Henry Wellcome
98:
97:
96:
95:
92:
90:
86:
85:
82:
78:
77:
76:(aged 76)
70:
66:
65:
62:
49:
47:
43:
42:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1110:
1099:
1096:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1084:
1081:
1079:
1076:
1074:
1071:
1069:
1066:
1064:
1061:
1059:
1056:
1055:
1053:
1043:
1040:
1036:
1032:
1028:
1026:
1025:0-491-02761-3
1022:
1018:
1014:
1011:
1007:
1003:
999:
995:
994:Syrie Maugham
991:
987:
981:
977:
972:
971:
967:
962:
958:
955:
952:
948:
945:
941:
940:
936:
927:
923:
919:
913:
909:
908:
903:
897:
895:
891:
886:
880:
876:
869:
866:
862:
855:
852:
840:
836:
830:
827:
822:
816:
812:
811:
803:
800:
788:(31 December)
787:
783:
776:
773:
761:
754:
748:
745:
733:
729:
722:
719:
714:
710:
703:
701:
697:
685:
681:
674:
672:
670:
668:
666:
664:
662:
658:
646:
642:
638:
634:
627:
624:
619:
617:9780679603719
613:
609:
608:
600:
598:
596:
594:
590:
585:
583:9780984200108
579:
575:
574:
566:
564:
562:
560:
556:
549:
545:
542:
541:
537:
531:
526:
521:
519:
517:
513:
509:
504:
502:
498:
494:
490:
486:
478:
476:
474:
473:co-respondent
470:
466:
462:
458:
455:, Brig. Gen.
454:
450:
446:
442:
438:
429:
422:
420:
418:
414:
410:
406:
403:and the Hon.
402:
398:
397:Lynn Fontanne
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
377:Mona Williams
374:
370:
366:
362:
358:
354:
353:Marie Tempest
350:
346:
341:
338:
336:
332:
328:
323:
321:
316:
312:
310:
306:
305:Monkton House
302:
301:Salvador Dalí
298:
294:
288:
286:
281:
278:
273:
271:
264:
260:
256:
249:
247:
244:
239:
237:
233:
230:
226:
218:
216:
214:
210:
206:
202:
197:
185:
183:
180:
179:
177:
173:
167:
164:
161:
160:
158:
154:
130:
123:
122:
101:
94:
93:
91:
87:
83:
79:
71:
67:
48:
44:
40:
34:
29:
25:Syrie Maugham
22:
19:
1030:
1016:
1001:
993:
975:
960:
950:
943:
906:
874:
868:
860:
854:
842:. Retrieved
829:
809:
802:
790:. Retrieved
785:
775:
763:. Retrieved
747:
735:. Retrieved
721:
712:
708:
687:. Retrieved
683:
648:. Retrieved
636:
633:"High Gloss"
626:
606:
572:
515:
508:Looking Back
507:
505:
482:
434:
385:Bunny Mellon
373:Edward James
342:
339:
324:
317:
313:
297:Edward James
293:Cecil Beaton
289:
282:
274:
270:trompe-l'œil
267:
240:
222:
208:
204:
195:
194:
74:(1955-07-25)
72:25 July 1955
60:10 July 1879
39:Cecil Beaton
18:
1063:1955 deaths
1058:1879 births
902:Morgan, Ted
689:22 November
650:22 November
501:Rolls-Royce
493:King's Road
469:Rome, Italy
393:Alfred Lunt
322:technique.
207:, formerly
1052:Categories
937:References
926:1036531202
884:0491027613
820:0300097026
765:15 October
737:15 October
536:Art portal
489:New Jersey
381:Babe Paley
320:craquelure
309:Surrealist
285:Le Touquet
229:Barnardo's
81:Occupation
56:1879-07-10
792:13 August
645:0362-4331
236:destitute
997:Maugham.
904:(1980).
844:28 March
522:See also
518:(1966).
437:Khartoum
409:The Glen
367:, Capt.
259:Drypoint
209:Wellcome
205:Barnardo
156:Children
907:Maugham
497:Chelsea
232:charity
175:Parents
149:
137:
133:
120:
108:
104:
89:Spouses
63:England
1037:
1023:
1008:
982:
924:
914:
881:
861:Baltic
817:
643:
614:
580:
333:, and
250:Career
243:father
756:(PDF)
550:Notes
219:Birth
139:(
135:
110:(
106:
1035:ISBN
1021:ISBN
1006:ISBN
980:ISBN
922:OCLC
912:ISBN
879:ISBN
846:2019
815:ISBN
794:2016
767:2023
739:2023
691:2016
652:2016
641:ISSN
612:ISBN
578:ISBN
299:and
234:for
145:div.
116:div.
69:Died
46:Born
261:by
201:née
1054::
1019:.
920:.
893:^
837:.
784:.
758:.
730:.
713:XV
711:.
699:^
682:.
660:^
639:.
635:.
592:^
558:^
495:,
475:.
399:,
391:,
387:,
383:,
379:,
375:,
371:,
363:,
359:,
355:,
351:,
337:.
329:,
141:m.
112:m.
988:.
928:.
887:.
863:.
848:.
823:.
796:.
769:.
741:.
693:.
654:.
620:.
586:.
395:/
198:(
58:)
54:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.