Eileen Gray was born on 9 August 1878 into an aristocratic family near Enniscorthy, a market town in south-eastern Ireland. Gray’s father, James, was a painter who encouraged his daughter's artistic interests. He took his daughter on painting tours of Italy and Switzerland. Gray was well known for her independent spirit. In addition to art, Eileen designed furniture, carpets and lamps. After WWI she opened a small shop in Paris where she sold pieces to friends and other artist. Two of her more famous furniture works are the Bibendum Chair and the Eileen Gray Side Table. In February 2009, a "Dragons" armchair made by Gray between 1917-1919 was sold at auction in Paris for 21.9 million euros, setting an auction record for 20th century decorative art. Eileen was bisexual and her love interests included Damia (or Marie-Louise Damien) and Jean Badovici, the Romanian architect and writer.