Dorothy Draper Quotes

#1. You can never judge a paint hue by the liquid color in the paint pot. You must apply it to a wall, wait for the paint to dry, then decide.

Dorothy Draper

#2. Too often when we're buying or building a house we do not consider each room. We are carried away by one charming feature and are blind to details that will give us trouble later on.

Dorothy Draper

#3. Don't buy a bedroom suite, but collect your pieces separately - generally cheaper and always the decorator's way of furnishing.

Dorothy Draper

#4. There seems to be within all of us an innate yearning to be lifted momentarily out of our own lives into the realm of charm and make believe.

Dorothy Draper

#5. I always put in one controversial item. It makes people talk.

Dorothy Draper

#6. This can be one of cheerfulness or gloom because color which is so inexpensive, is what does the trick. Not color alone but color plus imaginative lighting and cleverly grouping of the furniture. You say you have an old lobby that nothing much can be done with? Oh yes it can!

Dorothy Draper

#7. The finest thing about a hobby is that you can't do any pretending about it. You either like it or you don't.

Dorothy Draper

#8. You may concentrate on appearances all through the rest of your house, but in the bedroom comfort should be supreme. I think that bedrooms should also be very intimate rooms-they should express your personal preferences in every way ... Of all the rooms in the house your bedroom is yours.

Dorothy Draper

#9. Mirrors have come to mean much more than the original 'looking glass.' They are now a part of the decorative scheme of a modern home. By using them, there are no dark, gloomy corners, no drab caverns for halls. There can be a feeling of freedom, light, air, space.

Dorothy Draper

#10. You don't sell a commodity, you sell joy, gaiety, excitement. You aim at people's hearts, not their minds.

Dorothy Draper

#11. Eating is really one of your indoor sports. You play three times a day, and it's well worth while to make the game as pleasant as possible.

Dorothy Draper

#12. If it looks right, it is right.

Dorothy Draper

#13. Too much of anything is the beginning of a mess.

Dorothy Draper

#14. Good liquor is not cheap. Cheap liquor is not good.

Dorothy Draper

#15. It is just as disastrous to have the wrong accessories in your room, as it is to wear sport shoes with an evening dress.

Dorothy Draper

#16. I always think out a problem as clearly as possible, and then act on it. My theory has always been to get started. The moment I get an idea I act upon it. If only people would act on more of their ideas, I am convinced they would lead more interesting lives.

Dorothy Draper

#17. I started this career because I loved doing houses. I'd done three of my own and I couldn't keep on moving my family all the time, so I decided to decorate other people's homes and buildings.

Dorothy Draper

#18. Never look back, except for an occasional glance, look ahead and plan for the future. Success is not built on past laurels, but rather on a continuous activity. Keep busy searching out new ideas and, experimentally, keep ahead of the times, or at least up with them.

Dorothy Draper

#19. I believe in doing the thing you feel is right. If it looks right, it is right.

Dorothy Draper

#20. You just can't beat slip covers for giving that friendly air hospitals need so desperately.

Dorothy Draper

#21. Salad is never more appetizing than when served in a large wooden bowl.

Dorothy Draper

#22. Birds are so much wiser than we! A robin builds a nest for robins. A seagull builds a nest for seagulls. They don't copy each other - or build themselves nests as described in The Birds' Decorating Magazine.

Dorothy Draper

#23. The more mirror-minded you become, the more your home will reflect shining charm!

Dorothy Draper

#24. I don't believe anything can do as much for a room as a glowing fire in an attractive fireplace. Men and dogs love an open fire - they show good sense. It is the heart of any room and should be kindled on the slightest provocation.

Dorothy Draper

#25. No room can be called perfect unless it has real comfort.

Dorothy Draper

#26. To create an atmosphere dedicated to health..to present charming interiors that will attract maternity patients ... to develop distinctive decoration and furnishings that can be installed at modest expenditure - and will require a minimum of maintenance costs.

Dorothy Draper