Dorothy Draper

Dorothy Draper:   Get Draperized!
Who was Dorothy Draper?
She was the first commercial interior designer male or female
She designed the interiors for many famous hotels including the Greenbrier
And she was considered a rebel when it came to interior designing

How did it all start?
Dorothy Draper was not content to be a housewife
She wanted to make a name for herself
Her first project was her own home
Draper partnered with a close friend who was a real estate agent to advance her career.  

What were her major projects?
Dorothy Draper decorated lobbies, residences, theaters, and many other spaces
These are two examples of the rooms she designed. The one on the right is from the Greenbrier and the one on the left is from The Stoneleigh Hotel.

What made her so unique?
She was a trendsetter in her time due to her expressive patterns and colors
These two pictures exhibit her non-traditional   techniques
Dorothy Draper Company Incorporated.
Positive feedback from clients influenced Draper to establish her own company which was brave for a woman to do back then!

Carleton Varney
After Draper passed away, the company was in the hands of Carleton Varney
He carried out the Draper Touch!

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Here are some examples of modern day designers that were inspired by Dorothy Draper
How can you Get Draperized?
Avoid clutter
Never use pastels, use the boldest colors
Black and White checkered tiles are a key to success
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Use patterned wallpaper and layer them if needed!
And use striking accessories!

For my product I created a Design Board for a client’s living room.   Inspired by Draper, I used many of her tips for decorating this room. My goal for my product was to create a room inspired by Draper’s style, but in a more modern way.   My other objective was to learn about the process of designing a room, such as finding the fabrics and perfecting the floor plans!