‘Dorothy Draper was to decorating, what Chanel was to fashion’ Carleton Varney
Dorothy Draper interiors are celebrated for their flare of the unexpected, along with a brilliant sense of colour. She turned a world that was dreary and drab and gave it personality through colour and playfulness. She hated dull pastels and muddy neutrals, and instead illustrated saturated colour schemes of crimson, sky blue and shiny black. Through her colour combinations she displayed optimistic interiors guaranteed to enhance your mood.
Although her commissions were mainly commercial, she also infiltrated the domestic sphere, allowing her to be positioned as an expert on home decorating. Her sense of play in her interiors is infectious, and as a studio we love to introduce overscale elements i.e. elaborate door frames along with a general sense of joie de vivre to our spaces.
Her signature elements or ‘draperisms’ include overscale black and white chequerboard floors, elaborate plaster mouldings, overscale stripes and prints, dense textured carpets, striking detail and plant life. What’s not to love!
Area of Inspiration: Boldness, use of colour, Playfulness and Optimistic Interiors