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And the Oscar Goes To…

by habituallychic

02 . 24 . 08

Actually the Architectural Digest Oscar Greenroom this year goes to Dorothy Draper and Company, Inc., or more specifically Carleton Varney who now runs DD. Above is the rendering, courtesy of my new friend Kelly Reynolds who was lucky enough to work on the project and gave me the inside scoop.

The room was inspired by the Arrowhead Springs Resort in Southern California that DD designed back in 1939. The bar for the greenroom was replicated from the hotel, pictured above, and the famous Draper door seen on the front of the book In the Pink: Dorothy Draper by Carleton Varney which is also from the original installation.

Carleton Varney said, “I wanted to recall the ‘Golden Age’ of Hollywood, where the mix of white satin, fringes, mirrors, leather tufting and crystal were the components of the design.” Staying true to Dorothy Draper fashion, Mr. Varney has employed her trademark use of black and white on floors, seen below at Greenbrier, and doors against glazed aubergine walls to create stunning contrast.

Alas, poor Kelly did not get to go to Los Angeles to actually install the Greenroom but she can still take pride in helping create a beautiful room in which Dorothy Draper would certainly feel at home! You can see more of the finished Greenroom in a future issue of Architectural Digest.

12 Comments
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  1. An Aesthete's Lament February 24, 2008 | 12:57 pm

    Did you know that the Arrowhead Springs resort still exists? Its furnishings almost entirely intact? And that Mr Varney is overseeing the renovation of the property for new owners? Oh, what bliss that will be.

  2. Habitually Chic February 24, 2008 | 2:01 pm

    An Aesthete’s Lament, It looks like a beautiful resort and I’m sure it will be even more beautiful after Mr. Varney updates it!

  3. Easy and Elegant Life February 24, 2008 | 7:21 pm

    That bar! I wish I could step into that photo.

    When Mrs. E. and I stayed at The Greenbriar (thank you wonderful friends!) it was a bit faded. But still felt glamourous and like stepping back in time. Our group was among the few who dressed for dinner and dancing, tough.

  4. Me, Myself & I February 24, 2008 | 10:51 pm

    Oh how I wish I could see this room in person. It sounds like a fabulous backdrop for one heck of a party.

  5. Alice Olive February 25, 2008 | 5:33 pm

    This is beautiful. I can definitely see the Hollywood glamour influence. And I love the black and white detailing.

    The award is well deserved!

    PS: The rendering is beautiful too – I’d like to frame that!

  6. ashley February 25, 2008 | 5:36 pm

    Hey HC,

    I know this is off topic, but I did it I planned my trip to Paris for April so excited!! Now I need suggestions on where to go, eat and everything else. Hope you can go there too!!!

  7. Habitually Chic February 25, 2008 | 8:04 pm

    Easy and Elegant, How fun that you got to stay at the Greenbrier! I grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania and was always sad that I didn’t make a trip down there. Maybe someday.

  8. Habitually Chic February 25, 2008 | 8:06 pm

    Me, Myself and I, Looks great doesn’t it?! I was hoping to see it on the preshow on E but no such luck. I guess I will have to wait to see it in the magazine.

  9. Habitually Chic February 25, 2008 | 8:07 pm

    Alice, I’m afraid for the future of hand drawn renderings due to the rise in usage of AutoCAD. We used to give our clients watercolors of their homes to frame which were always so beautiful.

  10. Habitually Chic February 25, 2008 | 8:08 pm

    Hi Ashley, send me your email address and I’ll give you some suggestions. A friend asked me to go to a wedding in the Caribbean that weekend so I’m still up in the air at this point.

  11. maison21 February 26, 2008 | 2:27 am

    i’ve lived in southern california my whole life, and been a dorothy draper fan or at least half that period, so how come i’ve never heard of this arrowhead springs resort? i went to the website, and it seems to indicate that resort is closed with some future “masterplan” happening? seriously, if it was open, i’d be driving out there asap! aesthete, since you seem to know what’s up- can you shed any light on the situation?

    and chic- isn’t it sad that autocad renderings are the norm? i love hand done interior watercolors and illustrations- like fashion illustrations, they are so expressive and represent the mood of a room, if not the actual finished product.

    i always try to give clients a sketch of a custom piece or sometimes even a partial elevation of a room- it’s only fitting since when they employ an interior decorator, it’s like having a gown created by a couturier, as opposed to buying ready-to-wear from the mall. (no time or skill to render a whole room, though- people that can do things like the watercolor for the AD green room amaze me).

  12. An Aesthete's Lament February 27, 2008 | 4:54 am

    As of last year, the Campus Crusade for Christ, which bought the Arrowhead Springs resort in 1962, still owns the property. The website http://www.arrowheadspringsresort.com/ states that the CCC is trying to sell the property and there are plans to redevelop it, but who knows when? It further states that the original Draper furnishings remain on the premises. I had read somewhere that Mr Varney was on board with overseeing the renovation, but it seems as if the redevelopment has stalled.