Hollywood Regency at Home in the Desert

This glamorous style evades definition. It does so by way of incorporating so many elements of design- but most agree that its origin can be traced to Hollywood style of the 1930s and 1940s; particularly the set designs of the Golden Age of Hollywood.


The popularity of this style is extending itself into the current rage in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage’s for modern glamour- and so the Hollywood Regency style is gaining popularity once again. Elements and objects found within the Hollywood Regency style are sourced globally: Asian, Moroccan accessories are frequently spotted; English and French Regency furniture which give the rooms their scale and sensibility; Greek Revival elements are certainly always spotted in fabric patterns used; and classic art deco and modern influences are used to bring the look up to date.
Historically, designers such as Billy Haines and Billy Baldwin are credited for the emergency of this style, and their contemporary counterparts are Kelly Wearstler and Jonathan Adler, both of which have completed major hotel projects in Palm Springs for The Viceroy Hotel and The Parker Hotel, respectively.

However, Dorothy Draper defines the Hollywood Regency style and is also credited with being the first successful female interior designer. Her firm was based in New York and she also was a contributing writer to Good Housekeeping magazine. Draper is most famous for her hotels including the Carlyle Hotel in New York, the Arrowhead Spa in San Bernardino, the Greenbrier in West

Virginia. The Museum of the City of New York held a retrospective of her work in 2006- a photo of the entry is featured here.