Dorothy Draper's Greenbrier

The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  The main hotel, pictured above, dates back to 1913 .

The Greenbrier offers all the luxury amenities that one could hope for in a countryside resort, but its decorating and history set it apart from anywhere else.  Guests have been coming to The Greenbrier since the 1700's and the main hotel dates back to 1913.  The Greenbrier is known as one of America's great social resorts, and was in need of a dramatic makeover after it was used as an army hospital during World War II.  That is when The Dorothy Draper Company of New York was commissioned to completely redesign the hotel.  This original assignment took two years but The Dorothy Draper Company (now owned and run by Carelton Varney) has been The Greenbrier's decorator for the past sixty five years.

The main staircase in the lobby of The Greenbrier is an example of exuberant Draper decorating.  She unexpectedly paired the historical Zuber wall mural with bright, bold colored carpet, which is grounded by simple black and white tiles.

The Decorated Wall

Utilized by the early Egyptians, stenciled walls are still very popular today.  Refined stencils were used in this 1800's home in San Miguel, Mexico.

Art dealer Jennifer Gyr invited me to attend Florence de Dampierre's lecture on her new book, Walls: The Best of Decorative Treatments. In her research, de Dampierre found that in many people, walls stir passion. Thus, she began the lecture with Oscar Wilde's deathbed quote: "my wallpaper is killing me - one of us must go!"