After my Hollywood Regency post, I couldn't resist ordering this fun little book by one of the era's most influential designers, Dorothy Draper. A delightfully lighthearted read, it is the product of Ms. Draper's belief that everyone can be a successful designer by implementing her principles.
Originally published in 1939, it features a forward written by Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr who reveres the designer for empowering the average woman to gain the confidence to move beyond a "good neutral tan" and "the drab and mediocre."
And while much of her advice is timeless, such as her seven design "building blocks," the book is still very reflective of the time in which it was written. Sure to make you smile is her list of new bride essentials, which includes such items as "three handsome ornaments for the mantelpiece," "four candy or nut dishes," and "doilies and lunch mats."
I ordered my copy at Pointed Leaf Press, and you can imagine my delight when it arrived wrapped with paper, ribbon and even a handwritten note!
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