Designers: Greta M. Grossman

Greta Grossman was born and raised in Sweden, and it is often said she was the link between European design and California modernism. Once Grossman established herself in Sweden she immigrated to Los Angeles to get in on the design boom. Grossman’s work was well respected and in high demand throughout the "Mid-Century Modern" Era of the 1950s and 1960s. A lot of her pieces were photographed by Julius Shulman, and she appeared frequently Art & Architecture magazines. She was well deserving of the two prestigious Good Design Awards that she received from the Museum of Modern Art; however, her fame faded, but was she has  recently made a comeback!

Grossman’s ingenuity and brilliance were evident in the homes that she designed between 1949 and 1959. They were built on spec, and Grossman lived in them until she found buyers. These homes were known to have a small scale and lightness of form that balanced perfectly on the edges of hillsides. Unfortunately, many of the homes have been demolished over the years. California design “is not a superimposed style, but an answer to present conditions. It has developed out of our own preference for living in a modern way.” Her own preferences and groundbreaking work as a female designer have become recognizable parts of the visual vocabulary of American modernism.

France and Son has re-imagined many of Grossman's classic lighting designs, so they can be more obtainable and affordable to the masses. We believe that Grossman's ingenuity should be available to those in every tax bracket.