Beryl S. Austrian

Austrian attended Barnard College and Columbia University. She was first hired at Macy’s and Bonwit Teller, where she designed displays for merchandise. In 1937, along with fellow designer Hilda Swarthe, launched Intramural Inc. As an interior designer, Austrian was credited with developing the field of lobby decorating. By end of her life, she had decorated over 600 lobbies with partner Carl E. Norrist. Before preparing a lobby for design, she would conduct historical research of the neighborhood and the building, which entailed looking at architectural blueprints and interviewing longtime residents.