In the Pink: Dorothy Draper--America's Most Fabulous Decorator

by Carleton Varney

Has there ever been an American decorator as famous as Dorothy Draper? Like Martha Stewart, Draper was a preacher and teacher whose how-to books and Good Housekeeping columns provided middle-class housewives with affordable ideas for making their homes more functional and comfortable.Thanks to her originality as a stylist and her daring as a businesswoman, she became one of the most respected career women in the United States. She shocked the design world in 1937 when she decorated the thirty-seven-story Hampshire House apartment hotel on Central Park South in New York City, delivering a project that became indicative of her signature touch - 'baroque fantasy'. In the Dorothy Draper, America's Most Fabulous Decorator , by Carleton Varney, lavishly illustrates for the first time Draper s most important projects. From the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia and Quitandinha in Brazil to her important fabrics for F. Schumacher & Co. and her automobile and airplane interiors of the 1950s, Draper c

Genres: Design, Interior Design, Nonfiction, Art, Photography, Architecture

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 25, 2006

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having recently read an historical fiction, book about the innovative designer, Dorothy Draper, I wanted to see more of her designs than what I found on Google. This book “In The Pink: Dorothy Draper, America’s Most Fabulous Designer” by her protégé Carleton Varney seemed to fit the bill. Unfortunately, this book was a huge disappointment. Dorothy Draper is known and revered for her exuberant use of color in her designs. In this book, probably 95% of the photos are in black-and-white, defeating the purpose of exploring and highlighting her designs. I know that printing color photography in a book can be expensive, but would you want to see a book about Monet, Picasso, or Renoir in black-and-white? I don’t think so. So although you do get an idea as to Dorothy Draper’s design style, and the motifs that she used, a book about her style using black-and-white photos is just a huge disappointment.
Back to Google.

[Queer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most people don't realize the enormous impact of Dorothy Draper on the history of interior decorating in the US. I think her work chronicled here is a good appraisal. It would have been great to get a stronger sense of what else was going on around her as her work has often been criticized for being derivative of queer decorating of the time. Regardless, her legacy is worth reckoning with.

[IE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book and the history on Dorothy Draper, oh to have been there and seen her designs in the flesh would have been magnificent!

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great table book featuring the interior design work of Dorothy Draper. I got this book from the library after a summer trip to the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island (which was decorated by Draper) and greatly enjoyed it.

My biggest regret about the book is that most of the historical photos are black & white, which greatly limit the visual impact of her work. She used COLOR and lots of it!

She was fun and whimsical - a la Kate Space or Lilly Pulizer x 100. She used multiple bold colors and patterns in the same space! I was inspired to redecorate with color and patterns - although maybe only using about 75% as much Draper. She was really over the top. I especially loved the hot pink striped walls. I also loved the black and white checkerboard floors she frequently used. Very feminine, very cute. Preppy and old-money.

Secular - no religious icons or references in the book.

I loved reading the text descriptions on each page that provide historical information about Draper's career. These were just as enjoyable as the pictures to me.

Some spaces were amazing because of the (preexisting) architecture as much as the interior design. Regardless, I enjoyed looking at the photos!

I got some other books on Draper's life as well as books she published on decorating, but they all fell flat in different ways and I abandoned them. This is the one book worth mentioning.

I would buy this book to revisit it later.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive examples of 20th century interior and textile design icon Dorothy Draper, who built her career post-divorce and influenced a generation with her dramatic flair.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome designs. Just wish more of the photos were in color.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorothy Draper is the original Martha Stewart. She made the 40-60's fabulous and full of glamore. (poor mid-american house-wives)

[Muffy Kroha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had no idea that all that stuff we did at Bendel's came from her! Love!!!