Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Few would argue with the statement that Dorothy Draper was the most influential American interior decorator of the past century. They might make a case for Elsie de Wolfe, who had banished heavy dark furnishings and finishes from late Edwardian-era rooms, or plump for Sister Parish, and her easeful gentrified look. But Draper simply was the face of decorating. Savvy, decisive and trim — she looked the part. And her 1939 book Decorating Is Fun! and a regular column for Good Housekeeping maintained that public image. As did, of course, her work.
Born to wealth in Tuxedo Park, New York, Draper received little formal schooling but did travel extensively in Europe, where she refined her eye and tastes. Draper invented the interior design style known these days as Hollywood Regency. She loved bold vibrant color, which she deployed in unusual combinations (pink paired with eggplant was a favorite). She had a penchant for black-and-white checkered floors.
Draper liked a room to have a statement piece on the wall, preferably a plaster scrollwork-framed mirror. But most of all Draper liked such things as huge moldings brimming with Baroque detail; upholstery fabrics with overscaled florals, such as her signature print called “Cabbage Rose.” Draper could keep it simple. Many of her chairs are unfussy slipper or club chairs, with maybe a little tufting. Her cabinets and other case pieces are equally elegant — the quiet España chest, which has three drawers with round brass pulls, has been a staple of classic decorating ever since Draper designed it in 1953.
During a heyday of production in the mid-1950s, Heritage entered into a partnership with Draper, while Frank Lloyd Wright created several lines of furniture for Henredon — the works by both designers, which included Draper's España line and Viennese furnishings group, were marketed under the Heritage-Henredon name owing to a cross-licensing agreement between the brands.
Because of her passion for scale and grand gestures, most of Draper’s commissions were for hotels, resorts and apartment towers. In these spaces, she could follow her whim and produce such extravagances as the massive, playfully modernist chandelier in the lobby of the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia; the wildly Baroque fireplace in the lounge of New York’s Hampshire House; and the towering lacquered doors of the Arrowhead Springs Hotel in California. The woman thought big.
Browse a collection of vintage Dorothy Draper furniture on 1stDibs.
1960s American Vintage Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Brass
Early 1900s French Mid-Century Modern Antique Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Glass, Wood
19th Century English Antique Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Wood
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Satinwood
19th Century English Antique Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Mirror, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dorothy Draper Vitrines
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Brass
1960s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Brass
Early 20th Century French Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Brass
20th Century American Dorothy Draper Vitrines
Brass
Dorothy Draper vitrines for sale on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 19, 2025Dorothy Draper was famous for designing furniture and interiors. Few would argue with the statement that Draper was the most influential American interior decorator of the past century. Savvy, decisive and trim — she looked the part. Her 1939 book, Decorating Is Fun!, and a regular column for Good Housekeeping maintained that public image and influence. As did, of course, her stylish work. Shop a range of Dorothy Draper furniture on 1stDibs.