Greta M. Grossman: An Icon in the World of Furniture Design

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hKg1Hp59DA Greta Magnusson Grossman is one of the most significant figures in the world of interior design of the 20th century. For over four decades, Grata worked in architecture, interior design, and industrial design. She is the creator of some of the most iconic pieces, including the Cobra Table Lamp and Gräshoppa Floor Lamp. Greta's private life was filled with quite fascinating events. In the early 1930s, she married jazz musician Billy Grossman. At the end of that same decade, the couple emigrated to the US and settled in Los Angeles. Moving to LA inspired Greta to open a studio there. In the early 1940s, she opened a shop on Rodeo Drive, becoming one of the first to present Scandinavian modern aesthetics to California's modernist scene. Ingrid Bergman, Greta Garbo, Joan Fontaine, and Frank Sinatra were admirers of her work. During the 1940s and 1950s, the designer exhibited her pieces in museums worldwide, including The National Museum in Stockholm and MoMA.

The Modern Line Collection

Higher legs and a less deep seat make the Modern Line Dining Sofa ideal for restaurants and bars. It is available in various sizes and fabrics. [caption id="attachment_213255" align="alignnone" width="785"] Modern Line Dining Sofa[/caption]   The simple form of the Modern Line Side Table, combining functionality and lightness, expresses an organic yet modern character. The linoleum tabletop, available in different colors, and slender metal legs, producing a playful silhouette, create an eye-catching piece ideal as a coffee or side table. [caption id="attachment_213269" align="alignnone" width="785"] Modern Line Round Side Table[/caption]   The Modern Line Pouf, as an evolution of the original Modern Line Sofa, keeps feminine aesthetics and simple lines. The pouf is available in two sizes — Its slender legs lend visual lightness allowing mobility when needed. [caption id="attachment_213271" align="alignnone" width="785"] Modern Line Pouf[/caption]

The 62 Dresser

Designed in 1952 but named the 62 Dresser was a decade ahead of its time. The piece expresses the designer’s fondness for remarkable shapes and unusual pairing of materials. The thin metal legs and ball-shaped feet, in combination with the sharp rectangular form in luxurious American walnut, give an appearance of lightness that almost defies gravity. As an addition to its elegance, the dresser is provided with a deep, black full gloss finish on the tabletop and small solid wooden spheres. [caption id="attachment_203900" align="alignnone" width="785"] 62 Dresser[/caption]

 

The GMG Collection

Designed in 1949, the GT Lounge Chair echoes the influence Scandinavian design had on Grossman’s work. With its feminine and sleek lines, the chair is designed for both aesthetics and comfort. A light and feminine silhouette supported with elegant thin legs was a genuine signature of Greta Grossman’s design. [caption id="attachment_213280" align="alignnone" width="785"] GT Fully Upholstered Lounge Chair[/caption]   GT Lounge ChairThe GMG Chaise Lounge was designed almost seventy years ago. Its playful elegance preserves the qualities of mid-century design, making it ideal for lounging. The piece is built in a way to look like it is floating above slender legs. The GMG Chaise Lounge is a delicate yet powerful piece showing Grossman's strong interest in merging comfort and functionality. [caption id="attachment_213273" align="alignnone" width="785"] GMG Fully Upholstered Chaise Lounge[/caption]

The B-4 Table Lamp

With its playful angles and movable colorful visors, the B-4 Table Lamp enables light to spread around any piece of furniture it stands on. The lamp fits perfectly into almost any space, enriching it with a dash of American modernism. [caption id="attachment_213276" align="alignnone" width="785"] B-4 Table Lamp – Green, Red, Black, White[/caption]

The Cobra Collection

Created in the 1950s, the Cobra Wall Lamp, with its oval shade, resembles the snake’s head. The lamp’s simple, soft-edged form provides functionality and aesthetics. Its flexible shade creates a soft light, making it an ideal illumination for hallways and entrances. [caption id="attachment_203888" align="alignnone" width="785"] Cobra Wall Lamp[/caption]   The Cobra Table Lamp is of the most iconic designs by Greta Grossman. In the same decade, when it was exhibited at the Good Design Show at the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York, the lamp won the Gold Design Award. The Cobra Table Lamp is a unique yet classic piece. It can be bent in all directions, allowing the shade to be rotated through 360º. [caption id="attachment_203450" align="alignnone" width="785"] Cobra Table Lamp[/caption] Designed in the 1950s and inspired by the shape of a cobra’s neck, the Cobra Floor Lamp is an extraordinary yet classic lamp. Thanks to its flexible neck that can be rotated in all directions, the lamp creates an artistic or light ideal for reading.

The G-10 Collection

The G-10 Floor Lamp is characterized by the elegant lampshade, rough surface, and polished brass details, all defining the lamp’s extraordinary look. The combination of an industrial character and refined luxury gives it a classic yet contemporary appearance. The lamp was manufactured in both Sweden and America. It was named G-10 because it was Grossman’s 10th product for the Swedish manufacturer Bergboms. Despite its industrial look, the G-10 Pendant consists of a soft, elegant, and feminine silhouette. This unique and classic piece resembles the woman’s hat, and it is an ideal illumination for dining rooms. [caption id="attachment_213284" align="alignnone" width="785"] G-10 Pendant and G-10 Floor Lamp[/caption]

The Gräshoppa Collection

The Gräshoppa Floor Lamp is one of Grossman’s most iconic designs. The lamp’s tripod stand is leaned backward — it looks like the piece is alive and stalks its prey. The lamp has an elongated conical shade that can rotate in any direction. [caption id="attachment_213287" align="alignnone" width="785"] Gräshoppa Floor Lamp[/caption]   Designed in 1945, the Gräshoppa Table Lamp, with its sophisticated and playful design, is still as relevant today. Its elongated conical shade, combined with a tubular brass stand, is a true example of Grossman’s design expression, both modern and organic. [caption id="attachment_213288" align="alignnone" width="785"] Gräshoppa Table Lamp[/caption]   Hanging from the ceiling, the Gräshoppa Pendant brings classic elegance and modernistic style to any space, perfectly suiting over a dining table or kitchen counter. The piece has come out from Grossman’s original lamp design from 1947, expressing the designer’s fondness for inhaling lightness and functionality into organic yet modern pieces. [caption id="attachment_213289" align="alignnone" width="785"] Gräshoppa Pendant – Oyster White[/caption]