Abstract Benjamin “Ben” Baldwin was a critically acclaimed interior designer and architect known for a sense of lyrical order and refined taste. His garden designs were as important as his interiors and reflected a philosophy, “The whole thing was to make the space beautiful.” Born in Montgomery, Ala. on March 29, 1913, Baldwin was awarded a scholarship to the Cranbrook Academy of Art, which he attended from 1938-39. While there, he worked under Eliel Saarinen in architecture and town planning, and...

Abstract Swanson Associates, Inc., an architectural and planning firm that incorporated interior design, was established in 1947 by J. Robert F. Swanson and Pipsan Saarinen Swanson. In December 1965, it split into two affiliated companies, Swanson Associates, Inc., and Countryside Investment Corporation, which managed rental and investment assets. Pipsan was its director and the Swanson family owned its stock. In 1973, Ludwig Jorgensen negotiated the purchase of the Lone Pine Inn from the Cranbrook...