Double D of Decorating

Dorothy Draper was a pioneer of Interior Design. Creating her own firm in the 20s (it's still in operation under the leadership of Carleton Varney) she actually broke away from period design which was the norm, and established interior design as an actual art form.

During her lifetime she had regular articles in Good Housekeeping on interior decorating, designed fabrics for Shumacher&Co. as well as being the choice designer for corporations, restaurants, retail stores and of course, high-end interiors. In 2006, The Museum of the City of New York [not to be confused with the Metropolitan Museum of Art] had a retrospective of her work, the first ever exhibit focusing on an interior designer.

Her signature look was the large cabbage roses and the augmented, over-sized plaster reliefs on furniture and over doorways as well as her classic shiny black and white furniture and interior spaces.

I was at a friend's studio and noticed the Kindle furniture catalogue and remembered the company was creating reproductions of her furniture. Without commentary on these pieces, I thought I'd share a few photos of my favorites that are available. Enjoy!