Dorothy Draper was born into an aristocratic family in Tuxedo Park in New York. Although Draper had no formal education, she was “constantly in touch with surroundings of pleasant good taste.” Her family traveled extensively throughout Europe, further enhancing Draper’s understanding of her surroundings. After marrying Dr. George Draper, Dorothy redecorated their home with such flair that her high society friends were asking her to do the same for their homes.
Draper created her own style, which is known as Modern Baroque today, taking classic styling and adding a modern flair. Ornate moldings and plaster designs combined with exuberant combinations of color are the signature of a Dorothy Draper design. She was famous for her use of cabbage rose chintz upholstery.
Her first big break in interior design came in 1930 when she was asked to redecorate the Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. In the early 1950s, Draper was asked to design auto interiors for Kaiser-Frazer Corporation and Packard Motor Car Company. The latter collaboration resulted in a pink polka dotted truck. Draper is also credited with professionalizing the interior design industry in the U.S.
Draper designed interiors for The Essex House in New York, the Beverly Hills Hotel and The Fairmont in San Francisco, along with the Drake Hotel In Chicago and The Plaza in New York. In addition, she designed a variety of hotels, hospitals, department stores, airplanes, theatres and residences around the world. Draper also designed furniture lines for Heritage and Ficks Reed Co. along with a fabric line for F. Schumacher. Many of her pieces survive today and can be seen in hotel and apartment building lobbies. Several museum displays of her work have been put together and shown across the country as well. Well-known interior designer Carleton Varney penned her biography, titled, “The Draper Touch.”
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