When I started my blog back in 2006, I wrote frequently about Dorothy Draper, who remains my all-time favorite decorator. From the time I first saw her work, I was enthralled with Draper's sense of theatricality, which, still today, exhilarates me. But after referencing her in those old blog posts every chance I could get, I reluctantly had to put Dorothy on the back-burner. All of a sudden, it seemed that Dorothy and her work were everywhere, splashed all over the internet. Although I didn't grow tired of her work, I felt that I needed to give it a rest. When something you love becomes ubiquitous, it means it's time to focus your attention elsewhere.
But then, a few days ago, I flipped through my copy of The High Style of Dorothy Draper, the catalogue that accompanied the Museum of the City of New York exhibition on Draper, which I attended back in 2006. Becoming reacquainted with those great, old black-and-white photos of The Carlyle, Hampshire House, and her apartment at The Carlyle especially, I was reminded of how much I love her work- and how much I miss writing about her. There isn't a lot more to be said about Draper that hasn't already been said before. And, likely, you've seen most, if not all, of the published photos of her work. But now that the Dorothy Draper-mania of recent years has simmered down, it seems like now is a good time to cast my focus back to this legendary original.
All photos from The High Style of Dorothy Draper