DESIGNER

Terrence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings

T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings (1903–1976) was a British-born architect and furniture designer, and a leading figure in American interior design during the 1930s and 1940s. Based in New York, where he opened a Madison Avenue showroom in 1936, he worked for prominent clients including Doris Duke, Alfred A. Knopf, and Thelma Chrysler Foy.

Drawing on the visual language of the classical world, Robsjohn-Gibbings developed a distinctive design approach inspired by ancient Greek forms—particularly the furniture depicted on Greek vases—reinterpreted through original, modern designs. In collaboration with the Widdicomb Furniture Company, he combined classical Greek elements with Art Deco detailing, creating a refined aesthetic often described as modern historicism. His work is noted for its clarity, restraint, and enduring sense of timelessness, and was recognized with honors including the Waters Award (1950) and the Elsie de Wolfe Award (1962).