Maison Jansen

Maison Jansen was founded in 1880 in Paris by Dutch-born Jean-Henry Jansen. It was located in Rue Royale, in a building designed by the architect Gabriel for the Duke de la Rochefoucauld. Originally, the shop sold antiques and only later became an emblem of international luxury.

In 1889, Maison Jansen took part in the Universal Exposition in Paris, gaining world renown. Henry Jansen was the first to use the term “decorator.”

His vision was revolutionary for apartments interiors as he invented the profession of interior designer, a a change made necessary by the rise of industry that had displaced the master furniture-makers of Faubourg Saint Antoine and the Mobilier National suppliers.

Jansen first used the term “global decor.”

Henry Jansen founded the Camondo school, which is still running today, mixing theory and practice in his workshops which spawned great decorators remembered to this day. 0In the 1930s, decorators working for the Jansen Paris atelier included Pierre Delbée, Carlos Ortiz Cabrera, Francis Chaillou, Serge Robin, Henri Samuel, Claude Mandron, and Arthur Kouwenhoven.      

Meanwhile, the Maison Jansen name spread worldwide.

A long list of international clients has chosen Maison Jansen. A few of the biggest of these names include English royals, William III of Holland, Alfonso XII of Spain, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Rockefellers, Elsie de Wolfe, Coco Chanel, the royals of Belgium and Alfonso XII of Spain, and the Kennedy family. Some of their most famed projects included the Red Room in the White House designed by Paul Manno. Prestigious projects have included the Carthage Palace for President Bourguiba, the Rothschild family, Aristotle Onasis, the Dassault family, and many more.