Rise of the Decorator

 Rise of the Decorator 

    Durning this period of eclectic architecture a need came about for a designer. A professional that could find furnishings for the interiors according to a specific style and the building that it would be housed in. In the early 1900s there were Interior Decorators, before this time an architect would most commonly hire craftsmen to complete elements of the interior design. 

    The job of an Interior Decorator was to fully furnish the interior. Obtaining furniture, art, accessories, floor coverings, and any other aspects of the design to create a cohesive design plan. Elsie de Wolfe was an actress and interior designer; she was educated in New York. Much of her work was on restoring Victorian interiors into light and bright spaces with the use of French furniture. She paved the path for Interior Design to become a separate entity from architecture. One thing I found most interesting about Elsie was that she believed that the residential home should reflect the personality of the woman of the home. Her design style was promoted as a "blueprint" of modern residential design. Some words to describe her style and concept could be comfort, practicality, beauty, and quality lighting. These were all elements of design that were very important to her. When looking at images of her design you can see her use of light and bringing in an open feeling space. She liked to use fresh colors mainly used in fabric, rugs, and furniture. Lots of her interiors were inspired by the garden as well as incorporating the use of mirror to expand lighting. 

    Dorthy Draper was an American Interior Decorator; she had no formal training but relied on social connections. She used traditional furniture but used in very non-traditional ways. Her style was fun and appealing. She also created America's first design firm which is still in existence today. 

    Draper was known for her dramatic use of black and white on the walls, as well as flooring and upholstered pieces. She used lots of clear vivid colors and stuck to Modern Baroque style. When looking through her work she loved to use bright colors that brought life into the space. A great example of this was in the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia. The colorful pops of color throughout different materials even, add to the space. She uses different textures such as the wall and the carpeting on the stairs. 

    Billy Baldwin was a designer for the middle class as well as many famous clients, he didn't have any formal design training but worked with a restricted color scheme. He had an American style that consisted of being neat, tidy, and snappy. After reading about Baldwin I liked how he approached design projects, it talked about how he would use materials and pieces that the client already had and mixed the old with the new. Comfort was his main priority, and I think this was of designing has a great effect on comfort. What's more comforting that the items in your home that you already own, items that have memories and hold an emotional connection. Each one of his designs didn't have a common theme to it, I like this because I think it shows how he designed for the client in mind. 

    Overall, I found it very interesting getting to learn about the people that truly shaped the Interior Design World and made it was it is today. Especially the woman that paved the path of the design world. I liked seeing their methods and the materials that they commonly used.