Guest Post: Joanna from Arcadian Lighting

Hey everyone, we've got a guest with us today! Joanna with Arcadian Lighting is going to give us a little rundown on one of our favorite interior designers, Dorothy Draper. Take it away Joanna...

Hi, I’m Joanna, a blogger with Arcadian Lighting, a premier online source for all things lighting, including beautiful light fixtures. I’m so happy to share my interior design inspiration with you today. Thanks to Bon Bon Atelier for graciously letting me share about an inspirational design talent.

 Known as “America’s most fabulous decorator”, Dorothy Draper revolutionized the interior design field. She introduced bold colors which hadn’t been seen before into home décor; she took a country depressed by years at war and breathed new life into each space she touched. Not only did she influence residential space design; she left her signature style on big city hotels, apartment buildings, department stores, offices, and even, airplane interiors. She also had her own lines of lighting fixtures and furnishings.

 Thom Filicia of Style Network's Dress My Nest, says of the designing pioneer, "Dorothy Draper took what we knew as sort of classical and really injected it with an incredible amount of fantasy — she exaggerated it and made it feel new and clean. I think she had a very modern take on tradition..." Here you’ll find love Ms. Draper’s original designs and other spaces with Draper-esque qualities. These rooms are full of abundant color, delightful and unexpected elements, and of course, a chic and sophisticated style. Today, Ms. Draper’s legacy lives on through her design firm, Dorothy Draper Company, Inc. To read more about her life and times, visit DorothyDraper.com.

This space is reminiscent of Ms. Draper’s touch.

A Dorothy Draper original. (The wide-striped walls are remarkable.)

Another Draper designed room, this one is full of sassy style and sophisticated elegance.

A Draper-inspired office designed in Hollywood Regency styling.

Chinoiserie was one element Ms. Draper liked to use in her designs, for instance the stately cabinet shown here. This space is decorated by the fabulous Tobi Fairley. I love the little wall lamps and of course the chandelier.

An over-the-top bedroom boasts Draper-esque qualities with a massive canopy bed and glam benches in pink and silver.

This dining room is yet another example of chinoiserie in Ms. Draper’s work.

Lots of color and exuberant style make this space feel like it could have been designed by Draper herself. The amazing pendant light is very much the focal point of this lovely office.

What do you love about Ms. Draper’s signature style? Make sure you visit Arcadian Lighting for amazing deals on light fixtures.