American Glamour-Dorothy Draper

"I had no schooling to speak of, except that I was brought up where I had the privilege of being constantly in touch with surroundings of pleasant good taste." A sublime quote from one of the most influential decorators of the last century. It must have been hard growing up in the wilds of American Aristocracy-a rich pageantry of historical family members (a Grandfather who signed the Declaration of Independence) trips to and from Europe, friends like Elenore Roosevelt, and style that most Americans could only dream about. . .ah the life of Dorothy Draper.

Drapers style was big, brash, bodacious, and bold. Some may find Drapers' aesthetic a bit much, but she stands alone as one of most influential figures in the industry. Here is a short list of major projects. I'm sure you will be familiar with more than a few of these iconic spaces:

West Virginia's Greenbrier

New York's Hampshire House

World's Fair Terrace Club

Chicago's Drake Hotel's Camelia House

Washington's Mayflower Hotel

Hollywood's Arrowhead Springs Hotel

Some MUST SEE blogs

http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.htm
Think your diet is hard. . .take a look at this!

http://catalogliving.tumblr.com/
Ever feel like you live in a Crate and Barrel catalogue. . .

"Style Over Comfort"-Anouska Hempel

The design world is a varied and fantastical place, filled with interesting people who interject their specific eye into the industry. Case-in-point, Anouska Hempel--the actress turned hotelier, turned designer. LUX LUX LUX is the name of the game for Hempel and her designs' "style over comfort" is not only a quote from Hemple, but dictates her taste and her work as a designer. Hempel has designed retail stores for Van Cleef and Arpels (London, Paris, Monaco, Beverly Hills, Osaka and Geneva stores) and Louis Vuitton, including their flagship Paris store. She has also designed items such as luxury fountain pens. Hempel is always expanding her design empire with new hotels and projects, currently in Brazil, Goa, Istanbul, Las Vegas, London and Oman. Check out her website: http://www.anouskahempeldesign.com/

Take a peek at her work, her projects will knock your socks off!

A Life of Design

David Hicks represents the epitome of color and design in the 1960's. His designs graced many cultural icons of the time and royalty including: Vidal Sassoon, Helena Rubinstein, Ms. Conde Nast, and the Prince of Whales. He also had great influence on contemporary culture though set design for cinema. Alongside celebrity and royalty clientele Hicks furthered his design empire though publishing 9 design books which give a glimpse into his world of design. Hick's children have furthered their father's legacy by publishing their own personal books on design and the legendary David Hick A Life of Design (pictured here).

Hicks truly is one of the greats and his legacy will always live on though his astounding and stunning work in the design field-look at these and tell me its not true!