Charlotte Perriand: The little-known twentieth century designer who may see our properties of the longer term

The story of the late Charlotte Perriand is an inspiring tale of an adventurous designer whose ideas and creations left a lasting mark on homes around the world. But most people will have never heard of the pioneering maker — her place in history often overshadowed by her male contemporaries.

Starting off as a young furniture designer in Paris in the late 1920s, Perriand was one of very few women in the field at a time when society was often unwelcoming to working women. Le Corbusier, a giant of modern architecture, famously dismissed her when she first turned up at his office in search of a job after completing her studies. “We don’t do embroidery here,” he quipped condescendingly.

A year later, Le Corbusier reneged on his snap judgement when he saw Perriand’s work on display at an annual fair for young artists, the Salon d’Automne, in 1929. Her installation, “Bar sous le Toit” (Bar in the Attic), a simple staging of modern,…