"I believe deeply that a beautiful decor can have a beneficial influence on our lives" Albert Hadley, (1920 - 2012), American designer and interior decorator
One of our home decor muses is Albert Hadley who was part of the dynamic decorating duo, Parish-Hadley. The story of how the two started the legendary decorating firm is fun. "Sister" as Sister Parish was known, was looking for a partner and asked her friend Van Day Truex who was the creative director for Tiffany's if he knew of anyone. He suggested Albert. Sister had started the interior design firm in the Depression and it was called "Budget Decorating" before it was renamed Mrs. Henry Parish II. The original name is really a hoot since they went on to decorate homes for the likes of clients like the Rockefellers, Paleys, Astors, Kennedys and oodles of others. When Albert signed on, the firm was renamed simply Parish-Hadley.
Decorating StylesAlbert Hadley and Sister Parish had very different ways to approach room decoration but they worked together beautifully. He was trained as a designer and managed to organize the firm so that there were teams on various jobs, a style of working that interior designers still use today. She was not trained as a decorator. She simply relied on her innate sense of style. And what style! She could come in and rearrange a room, a tabletop, an entrance hall, a bunch of throw pillows...like noone else and make things pretty and comfortable. Albert could too but he was much more likely to draw it all out first. He called it the skyline of a room. Another difference is their lifestyles. Sister knew how to live. She loved to entertain. Her homes always felt lived in. Maybe her Depression years were always with her. She loved to go out to an early chain store called World Bazaar and find some interesting very inexpensive room accents and accessories and bring them to clients. They loved her decorating self confidence and authority. It didn't matter how many Van Gogh's they had on the wall! Decorating Is FunThrow pillows, throw rugs and window valences are all easily accessible room decoration that make a difference. As Dorothy Draper, (November 22, 1889 –March 11, 1969), who was famous for her work on The Greenbriar Hotel and other well-known interior decoration said, "Decorating is fun!" One thing the greatest decorators seem to have in common is a joie de vivre and belief that decorative details make a difference. The idea is for room decoration to be joyful and include a mixture of the memorabilia of living, as well as your passions. Billy Baldwin, another great American decorator, (1903 – 25 November 1983), aspired to "the elegance of simplicity and honesty." He wanted to create, "Rooms suitable for their use created with an awareness of budget and maintenance cost." At Decorative Things, we try to create and source home accessories for you that offer you this option and help you make your rooms personal and special. The most important thing is to find joy in your home decor. Home Decor to Grow Old WithIn his book "Sissinghurst" about his ancestral home, Adam Nicholson, writes about exploring the well-preserved writing room of his great aunt, Vita Sackville West (1892-1962) , the British writer, renowned gardener, and creator, with her husband Nigel Nicholson, of Sissinghurst. Vita's writing room was in a tall tower overlooking her famous White Garden and other gardens on the grounds of her home, Sissinghurst. In the writing room, Adam found many aging items like chipped pencil cups and other less than perfect decorative accessories and treasures. Vita always believed that your possessions should age with you, he tells us. As much as we admire Vita, there are those of us who sometimes want to refresh our home decor with DIY projects and home accents that we enjoy. Window valences are simple curtains you can install yourself. We sell valence curtains for every room. Kitchen valences are a wonderful form of kitchen curtains. They can perk up kitchen decor immediately and add a finished look to home decor in any room. Our living room valences can be used with more formal drapes and curtain panels or alone. Match the window valences with your home decor theme. We have curtain valences that go with rustic home decor, farmhouse decor, country decor, beach decor and more. It's fun to match your home accents with your room decoration theme. Likewise, throw pillow covers are a quick fix for home decor. Piling a bunch of couch pillows on a simple sofa makes a big difference in the ambiance of room decor. You can use the same pillow inserts each season and just change the pillow covers for a whole new look. Our accent pillows range from Frida Kahlo pillow covers to fun Fornasetti inspired sunshine motif pillow covers. We have decorative throw pillows for sofas indoors, or outdoor throw pillows. Take your pick from an array of decorative pillows. With our throw pillow covers, you can change your room decoration from beach decor to farmhouse decor with the toss of a throw pillow. Our Claire Murray rugs are washable rugs that look like wool rugs. Use them for area rugs or doormats. They can be used in high traffic areas, washed, and used again for years. Our muse, Vita Sackville West, would have appreciated the durability of these throw rugs. Claire Murray rugs are usually quite costly. Washable rugs are a practical approach to rugs for kitchen rugs, bathroom rugs and other highly trafficed areas. They are durable small rugs you can use as area rugs, in whatever home decor area you choose. For people fortunate enough to have a nice home that they enjoy, now is the time to do those interior decoration projects you've been meaning to get done. If your decorator is quarantined, or you are on a budget, our home decor offers lots of tricks for "disciplined luxury" that can grow old with you.
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