BEHIND THE SILVER SCREEN
“Hollywood” and “glamour” are two words that are synonymous, thanks to the legendary film stars of the big screen, and the impact of the Art-Deco style of old Hollywood design! Our fascination with the faces and fashions of this era never seem to fade! At times like this, when we’re all making difficult adjustments to our way of life, it’s nice to dive into some of the lighter and more playful times of recent history. Ryan Murphy’s new show on Netflix, Hollywood has me inspired to take some design cues from the deco set designs, and take a closer look at some of this town’s most legendary closets and dressing spaces! Check out AD’s profile on the new series here. What better way to research the style of the silver screen stars, than through a glamorous and whimsical new Ryan Murphy original?!
Coincidentally enough, we are putting together designs for a dressing room in a historic Paul Williams home, and taking design direction from the birthfather of LA’s luxury residential architecture himself. Williams was one of the most prolific architects of his era, and became the leading designer for stars’ homes at a time when Hollywood was really making a name! Eventually he even led the transformation of the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, which has a suite named in his honor. His homes are easy and elegant, livable but luxurious, and incorporate a decadent attention to detail, which we are hoping to match with our new dressing room design!
Upon digging a little deeper for design inspiration, we became curious about the homes of Hollywood legends past, and more specifically wanted to get a glimpse of their personal dressing spaces! Dressing tables and vanities clearly take center stage for these starlets. Mirrored accents, patterned accessories, and curvy romantic forms are also all must-haves to go glam! Hopefully you enjoy this look behind the velvet ropes, and I can’t wait to share more as this exciting project moves along!
Jayne Mansfield
Lovingly dubbed the Pink Palace, Jayne Mansfield’s whimsical home (and walk-in closet) were far ahead of the times!
Liz Taylor
LEFT: LIZ TAYLOR’S ORIGINAL UNIVERSAL DRESSING TRAILER DESIGNED DURING THE FILMING OF ‘CLEOPATRA’ | RIGHT: HER PERSONAL VANITY IN HER BEL-AIR HOME OF LATER YEARS
Marilyn Monroe
left: marilyn’s personal dressing table and closet in her la home | right: her 20th century fox dressing room with a mirrored vanity and floral patterned curtains
Ginger Rogers
LEFT: AN EARLY PHOTO OF GINGER AND HER TASSELED VANITY, WITH DRAPED SILK DETAILS AND A ROUND MIRROR | RIGHT: HER PERSONAL DRESSING ROOM COMPLETE WITH A MIRRORED 4-POSTER DAYBED AND PATTERNED WALLS
Marlene Dietrich
MARLENE DIETRICH IN HER DRESSING ROOM - 1930s (Legend has it, she kept a large refrigerator in her dressing room for storing the many flowers that were thrown at her following a live appearance)
Audrey Hepburn
AUDREY HEPBURN’S DRESSING ROOM FEATURES A SIMPLE WHITE VANITY, UPHOLSTERED STOOL AND DAYBED, AND A CLEVER 3-WAY MIRROR WITH STORAGE BEHIND!
Joan Fontaine
JOAN’S SHOE COLLECTION (AND CLEVER WALL STORAGE SYSTEM IN HER NARROW CLOSET) WOULD NO DOUBT RIVAL THAT OF MANY MODERN HOMES!
Sophia Loren
WE WOULD LIKE TO IMAGINE SOPHIA’S PERSONAL CLOSET TO LOOK A LITTLE SOMETHING LIKE THE ONE IN HER FAMOUS FILM ‘ARABESQUE’, WITH ITS BLUE PANELED CABINETRY AND FRAMELESS 3-WAY MIRROR!
Norma Shearer
PERHAPS THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE, NORMA SHEARER’S 1925 SILENT FILM ‘A SLAVE OF FASHION’ FEATURES SOME OVER-THE-TOP GLAM, INCLUDING DRAPED FABRIC ACCESSORIES AND A SEMI-CIRCULAR VANITY!
Joan Crawford
JOAN CRAWFORD TAKES HER SHOES VERY SERIOUSLY, STORING THEM ON AN ANGLE, TWO ROWS DEEP! HER PERSONA BOUDOIR FEATURES A STUNNING MIRROR-FRONT VANITY AND A CUSTOM FABRIC WALL TREATMENT FOR THE AREA SURROUNDING THE MIRROR.