A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes
Designer and weaver Dorothy Liebes (1897–1972), who introduced handcraft and brilliant color to the modern interior, was among the most influential designers of the 20th century. This digital platform explores how the “Liebes Look”—which combined vivid color, lush texture, and often a glint of metallic—became inextricably linked with the American modern aesthetic. Choose a topic to explore her impact on mid-20th-century interiors, fashion, film, and industrial design, and meet some of the studio weavers who contributed to the success of the Dorothy Liebes Studio.
Your journey so far
All pages
Unusual Occupations
About the Designer
Arts & Skills
Get to Know Dorothy Liebes
The “Mother of Modern Weaving”
Timeline
Argonaut
Lurex
Pretty Penny
SS Independence & SS Constitution
SS Santa Rosa & SS Santa Paula
SS United States
The Marco Polo Club
The Persian Room
Toss Pillows and TV Cushions
United Nations Delegates Dining Room
Doris Duke’s Shangri La
Frank Lloyd Wright
Samuel A. Marx
The Decorative Arts Display at the Golden Gate International Exposition
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel & SS Lurline
William Pahlmann
Anna Kang
Balbir Kaur
Daren Pierce
Dorr Bothwell
Emma Amos
Geraldine Funk
Glen Kaufman
Harry Soviak
Kamma Zethraus
Louise and Vanita Fong
Mary Walker Phillips
Nancy Kenealy
Ralph Higbee
Tammis Keefe
The Gift of Daren Pierce to the Smithsonian
“Kashmir” for Pomona Tile
American Airlines
Bigelow-Sanford Custom Carpets
Carol Stanley
Chrysler Plymouth Fury
DuPont Pavilion
Goodall Fabrics
Kenwood Blankets
United Wallpaper
Adam’s Rib
East Side, West Side
Souvenir de Paris
Bonnie Cashin’s Skirtings Inc.
Clare Potter
Gilbert Adrian
The Personal Jewelry Collection of Dorothy Liebes
Color
Glitter
Materials
Synthetic Material Identification in Dorothy Liebes Samples at Cooper Hewitt
Texture
Two Liebes Looms