The designer Alexander Girard drew wide acclaim with his interior concept for the legendary Miller House (1953-57), for which he personally selected each individual object. The centerpiece of the house was a so-called 'conversation pit', a sunken seating area in the living room, with built-in sofas covered in fabrics by Girard and decorated with embroidered pillows made specifically for this setting.

Girard's famous 'double heart' motif was used and varied by the designer throughout his lifetime. It is composed of two intersecting S's that form a continuous loop of mirrored hearts. Each S represents the first letter of the pet names used by Girard and his wife, Sandro and Susie, which prompted him to name the double heart symbol 'Sansusi'.

Alexander Girard was educated in Europe as an architect. Returning to the United States in 1932, his designs defined a new kind of "opulent modernism", a look that became synonymous with 1960s America. His pioneering work in fabric design as well as his innovative commercial and residential interiors, captivated the public with their theatricality. Girard described himself as "a reasonable and sane functionalist, tempered by irrational frivolity."

The embroidered pillow with the 'Double Heart 2' motif was created by Alexander Girard for the Miller family in 1975, 20 years after the completion of the Miller House.