DECORATING ICON DOROTHY DRAPER***

Dorothy Draper (1889 –1969) the most influential American interior designer of the 20th century. She is to interior design as Coco Channel is to fashion — a pioneer, an inspiration!

Dorothy Draper was quoted saying "Never look back, except for an occasional glance, look ahead and plan for the future. Success is not built on past laurels, but rather on a continuous activity. Keep busy searching out new ideas and, experimentally, keep ahead of the times, or at least up with them."

Draper created a new style known as "Modern Baroque", adding a modern flare to a classical style. She used ornate moldings and plaster designs on almost every surface of a room, combined with flamboyant color combinations. Dorothy Draper believed that the energy of beautiful and bright vivid colors would make people feel happier, so she led design away from the dark color schemes used throughout the Victorian style of design and introduced bright colorful color schemes. She also chose color schemes that were very dramatic and contrasting such as black with white and adding in some bits of color. Along with using bright and extreme color schemes, she also used bold textures and materials in her designs. She combined different colors, fabrics and patterns together, combining stripes with floral patterns. She often used large, oversized details and a lot of mirrors.

One of Dorothy Draper's most famous designs was the The Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Dorothy Draper-inspired Design

via Architectural Digest, blog.designpublic.com, wikipedia.org, pinterest,
 

                                     Aurelia