Paul Theodore Frankl (born October 14, 1886, in Vienna and died March 21, 1958, in Los Angeles) was an architect, Art Deco designer, painter, and writer. Trained in architecture at the Polytechnic Institute of Berlin, he moved to New York in 1914, where he was fascinated by the city’s skyline. After opening a gallery in 1922 and a showroom on Madison Avenue in 1924, he gained recognition with his modern furniture inspired by urban architecture, helping to shape a distinctly American aesthetic.

An author of books and articles on the Modern Style, Frankl was also a painter exhibited in several galleries. Settling in Los Angeles in 1934, he taught at USC and the Chouinard Art Institute, opened a gallery on Rodeo Drive, and became an interior designer for a prestigious Hollywood clientele, including Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, and Alfred Hitchcock. His creations, known as the “California Modern” style, combined elegance with experimentation in materials such as cork veneer, metal, glass, and Bakelite.