McMillen: 100 Years of Decorating

A lavish volume celebrating the centenary of McMillen, the storied American interior design firm

The story of McMillen is the story of American interior design. From humble beginnings in a townhouse on New York City’s East 55th St. in 1924, McMillen evolved into the premier interior design firm in the country under the intrepid leadership of Eleanor Stockstrom McMillen (later Eleanor McMillen Brown). This centennial volume, written by Ann Pyne, the current president of McMillen, traces the history of the company from the early years of experimentation through the lean years of the Depression and World War II, the so-called glory years of the 1960s and 1970s, and into the modern era, beginning in the 1980s. McMillen’s clientele has always comprised a who’s who of American movers and shakers, along with renowned corporate clients, and some of its employees — Albert Hadley, Mark Hampton, Tom Buckley, and Kevin McNamara among them — went on to become the major interior designers of the late 20th century.

Sumptuously illustrated with color and vintage black-and-white photographs of luxurious homes, as well as public spaces such as the Steuben Showroom and the Cosmopolitan Club, both in New York, plus exquisite period watercolors, this celebration of McMillen showcases the very best of design history.

About the Author:

Ann Pyne is the current president of McMillen, succeeding her mother, Betty Sherrill, who took over the presidency when Mrs. McMillen Brown retired. She has a masters degree in decorative arts from the Bard Graduate Center and an MA in English and American literature from Columbia University. She lives in New York.