Vintage furniture enthusiasts are likely no strangers to Dorothy Draper's unmistakable anti-minimalist aesthetic – often rooted in large prints and vibrant colors that tap into the 'Hollywood Regency' style.
This look may be synonymous with the late 30s and 40s (the time when Dorothy Draper established herself as a celebrity designer in her own right), but it's timeless enough to impress long into the twenty-first century – starting with RuPaul's living room.
'RuPaul's living room is an ode to the great Lady Decorators of the 1930s and 40s, particularly Dorothy Draper, whose high glam style translated so well into this dramatic space,' comments designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Martyn, the designer responsible for RuPaul's Beverly Hills mansion, curated an Art Deco haven that pays homage to history but inspires in the contemporary day.
Martyn added 18-foot metal arched windows to design a Dorothy Draper-inspired space with 'full drama and an explosion of natural light.' He dressed the windows in his Tangier weave, designed for The Shade Store, and constructed the fireplace using plaster-dipped rope swags to decorate the built-in mirror panel.
'The chinoiserie style emerald lacquer cabinets hold a collection of orange ware porcelain and are balanced by the Elsie De Wolfe slipper chairs covered in a Tony Duquette malachite fabric,' Martyn explains.
'My own Stevie Mac rug designed for The Rug Company covers the floor, and a pair of Amethyst stone pedestals hold vintage brass and Murano glass lamps from the 1950s. High glamour design for a high glamour (and very fun) client.'
In Dorothy Draper-inspired style, Martyn has incorporated large geometric prints (in the form of the rug) and pockets of color via the turquoise, emerald, and purple furnishings. Despite its anti-minimalist aesthetic, however, Martyn has used a white base that grounds the entire living room and acts as a neutral base that allows the colorful pieces to make an unrivaled statement.
This white canvas reminds us that it's surprisingly simple to follow RuPaul and tap into the Hollywood Regency look (even if it is on a small scale). The secret, North Carolina-based designer Jayson Parker explains, is having a timeless white base that allows our prints and colors to take center stage.
'White is an incredibly versatile color that will never go out of style and provides the most versatile palette. I especially love to use this color in large spaces, like living rooms, where it provides a neutral backdrop to a vast range of styles and designs,' he says.
'The hue has always evoked a sense of openness in a room; however, I have been increasingly playing with shades, textures, and undertones of white to evoke subtle differences in the emotion of a space as your eye moves throughout the room,' he explains.
For a bold white living room [like RuPaul's], layer saturated colors in the main furniture pieces (sofas, sectionals, chairs) and play with patterns in the accents, such as pillows, chairs, and rugs.'
For a failsafe starting point, we're picking up these RuPaul-inspired buys below.
