The Hollywood Regency style: a certain idea of glamorous decoration

12/14/2020

When we mention the Hollywood Regency style, otherwise known as Regency Moderne, we think of Hollywood, Los Angeles, and its movie studios.... But what era are we talking about? That of the golden age of the Hollywood movie studios and their stars with their huge contracts, from the 20s to the 50s. The Hollywood Regency style refers to the interior design and modern architecture of these crazy years during which Hollywood stars displayed their luxurious lifestyle with impunity through the glamorous and flashy decoration of their homes. It continued into the 1960s. In a way, the Hollywood Regency style was meant to showcase the celebrity of these movie stars in a suave, chic and sexy setting. Who were the promoters of this style and what did they advocate in terms of decoration/design?

An image containing interior, ceiling, posing, clothingAutomatically generated description — *Marlene Dietrich in her home, Hollywood Regency style, circa 1932.*

Two major figures embodied this typically Anglo-Saxon style: William Haines (1900-1973) and Dorothy Draper (1889-1969). Let's start with the first one who was destined to a career in the film industry. In the 1920s, William Haines began to make a name for himself as an actor, first at MGM and then at Colombia. His career came to an abrupt end in 1933 because of his open homosexuality, which the studios asked him to silence with an arranged marriage. Haines refused, and since he had a taste for decorating, he started an interior design business with his partner Jimmy Shields.

The business went great, right up until his death in 1973, because Haines had an address book to make a studio executive swoon. Among his clients, friends already starred as Joan Crawford, Gloria Swanson, Carole Lombard, Marion Davies or the director George Cukor. The whole of Hollywood sought her services to design and decorate interiors, each more sumptuous than the last. In terms of decoration, the Hollywood Regency style favored glittering and shiny surfaces, gold (floor lamps with flowers, mirrors and frames), furniture with lacquered surfaces, chrome and large mirrors. The Sunburst, a mirror in the shape of a golden sun, became a classic of these opulent years. The Hollywood Regency is somewhat reminiscent of the Rococo style and contrasts with the strict, repetitive ornamentation of the Baroque.

An image containing interior, living, room, wallAutomatically generated description — *Joan Crawford in her William Haines-decorated home. In the background, behind the actress, note the emphasis on sheer and curtains often made of soft velvet or silk.*

Furniture-wise, Haines arranged couches, sofas, elegant chairs, small side tables and mirrored dressing tables in huge interior spaces. Seats were often upholstered, seat cushions, rugs and tablecloths adorned with art deco fabric patterns, sofas covered in brightly colored satin and velvet. Also an antiques dealer, Haines also liked to place glossy, lacquered chinoiserie here and there.

An image containing ceiling, interior, floor, wallAutomatically generated description — One of the most spectacular projects of William Haines' career: the interior design and decoration of Walter and Leonore Annenberg's reception home called Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage. Here the atrium in which the ubiquitous marble and coffered ceiling are noticeable.

An image containing interior, floor, living, roomAutomatically generated description — Sunnylands' living room. American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat, William Annenberg entertained important people from around the world at his estate. The design of the house recalls the organic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

An image containing armchair, furniture, chairAutomatically generated description — While William Haines is primarily considered an outstanding decorator, he also made elegant custom furniture such as the Conference Chair, considered the quintessential design. This chair was designed for the Sunnylands project (suite of 8 chairs). The curved backrest and flared legs make the model charming.

An image containing floor, interior, living, roomAutomatically generated description — Interior of a mansion owned by Ann Jack Warner, one of the co-founders of the Warner Bros. production company.Haines did several interior design projects for the couple. Here in one of their homes, the wallpaper was brought back from Europe by William Haines and Ann Warner during one of their trips.

An image containing furniture, armchairAutomatically generated description — Elbow Chairs, design William Haines. This small chair was used by the designer in interiors from 1949 to 1965. Placed in front of a coffee table, it allowed stars to rest their elbows on the edge, sitting sideways for a glamorous break!

An image containing interior, chair, floor, roomAutomatically generated description — Brentwood Chair, William Haines design. Like the Elbow Chair, the Brentwood model chair is now published by William Haines designs^©, a furniture publisher that reissues some of William Haines' furniture pieces.

Like William Haines, Dorothy Draper used the glamorous style of the Hollywood Regency to create a dramatic atmosphere to showcase celebrities in their homes. Born a Tuckerman, Dorothy Draper belonged to high society, her husband having been Franklin D. Roosevelt's personal physician. An interior designer at heart, she founded one of the first official interior design firms in 1925. During her career, Draper designed decorative schemes for homes, hotels, restaurants, theaters, and department stores.

Anti-minimalist, her design was referred to as "Modern Baroque" or "American Baroque," in that she was not afraid to combine dramatic interior colors (red, pink, acid green) in the interiors she designed. Her trademark: the use of a cotton fabric, chintz, printed with large cabbage roses, black checkerboard floors, bright red mansion entrance doors, baroque plasterwork, and large prints on the walls. The quintessence of his style can be seen in his great work: the redesign and decoration of the Greenbrier Resort, a luxury hotel in West Virginia.

An image containing text, interior, ceiling, wallAutomatically generated description — In 1937, Dorothy Draper remodeled the Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Pictured here is the lounge of the Carlyle Hotel. Photo Credits Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc, courtesy of The Museum of the City of New York.

An image containing interior, room, floor, livingDescription generated automatically — View of 2 rooms in a row at the Greenbrier Hotel Resort. Each room developed a different mood. An inordinate project at the time for which legend has it that Dorothy Draper received the highest salary ever awarded to a decorator! Photo courtesy of the Greenbrier.

An image containing interior, living, floor, roomAutomatically generated description — Hall of the Greenbrier Hotel Resort. A flashy, baroque style in the image of Dorothy Draper: shiny black and white tiles on the floor, woodwork, large, brightly colored prints on the walls, chandelier, ... Photo courtesy of the Greenbrier

An image containing interior, window, floor, livingAutomatically generated description — *Overhead hall, The Greenbrier Hotel Resort, design, layout and decoration: Dorothy Draper. Photo: Michael Arnaud, Courtesy of Dorothy Draper Company, INC.*

Dorothy Draper was very popular in the United States, influencing the American bourgeoisie with her tastes. She had her sofas and chairs made by craftsmen, copies of the elegant and traditional furniture of the Regency period in England (early 19th century). Hence the origin of the word "Regency" in Hollywood Regency, which also refers to the buildings constructed in Britain during the time when George IV (1762-1830) was Prince Regent. In England, the Regency style refers to a synthesis of national traditions, elements of Georgian style, a return to antiquity from which William Haines drew much inspiration (Greco-Roman elements: columns, pediments, porticos), neoclassical architecture, and a bourgeois feeling attached to interior comfort.

While the Hollywood Regency style was already very popular in the 1950s in the United States, Florence Knoll publishes under the eponymous brand and at the same time with success the pieces of Scandinavian designers. A design to say the least much more refined and functional ... However, the brilliant style of the Hollywood Regency influenced European designers and furniture manufacturers who used golden materials, such as brass. An appetite for gold that continued into the 60s and 70s.

An image containing wall, interior, plantAutomatically generated description — *Chandel in Hollywood Regency style, 6 arms, gold color, 1960.*

An image containing furniture, chair, armchairAutomatically generated description — *Hollywood Regency Style Dining Chairs, Vintage Gold Cobra, 1970s, Set of 6.*

An image containing text, furniture, armchair, chairAutomatically generated description — *Hollywood Regency Style Dining Chairs, Vintage Gold Cobra, detail, 1970s.*

*Pair of ceiling lights, Hollywood Regency style, design: Christoph Palme, made in Germany, 1960s. Metal and brass frame, gold color.*

An image containing table, interior, dishes, bowlAutomatically generated description — *Pair of ceiling lights, Hollywood Regency style, design: Christoph Palme, made in Germany, 1960s. Metal and brass structure, gold color. Same piece as above.*

An image containing furniture, tableDescription generated automatically — *Vintage table in the Hollywood Regency style in smoked glass and gold, 1960s.*

An image containing interior, automatically generated tableDescription — *German vintage nightstand, Hollywood Regency style, brass, Mirrored glass, Smoked Glass, 1970s.*

An image containing automatically generated tableDescription — *"Flowers" chandelier in the Hollywood Regency style, Germany, 1960s / 1970s. Gold metal chandelier and decorative elements in red and green*.

Popular in Hollywood and California in the 1920s to 1950s, the Hollywood Regency style refers to the golden era of American cinema. Becoming a marketing weapon to install the glamorous image of Hollywood stars, it gradually spread in American society, under the impetus, in particular, of the interior decorator Dorothy Draper. It is a style that new generations of decorators/designers no longer hesitate to combine with contemporary elements and that remains attached to the expression of a certain social success...