Publisher Description

From the Kennedy White House to homes for the Astors, Rockefellers, de la Rentas and Gettys, the American firm Parish Hadley has set a standard for interior design over the last 60 years. Using the homes of famous clients, this book provides a room-by-room exploration of Parish Hadley design.

A lushly illustrated look inside the interior design firm that set the standard for America’s finest homes—serving the Astors, the Kennedys, and more. Starting in the 1960s, one name was synonymous with gorgeous interior design and luxurious, stylish home décor: Parish-Hadley Associates, who were commissioned by some of the most prominent families in the country, from the Kennedys to the Astors, Rockefellers, and Gettys. In this “must-have addition to your design library,” thirty interior designers relate in detail their personal experiences working at the firm, accompanied by images they have chosen of their own work, past and present, illustrating how their careers have been shaped by the industry-changing partnership between Sister Parish and Albert Hadley (Architectural Digest). “You can’t say ‘Parish-Hadley’ without tipping your cap toward the revered interior firm that’s inspired the design community since the ’60s. . . . Here, 30 renowned designers revisit lessons learned from the iconic duo. Take notes!” —USA Today

Heather Clawson's wildly popular blog Habitually Chic collected the finer things in life: high fashion, fine art, interior design and arresting architecture. Now she narrows her vision in this stunning photographic collection that offers an intimate look into the workspaces of the world's foremost cultural generators. Clawson showcases the studious, workshops, offices and creative sanctuaries of cultural icons, including Jenna Lyons and Frank Muytjens of J. Crew, James de Givenchy of TAFFIN and potter Jonathan Adler, along with many more.

This “fast-moving, entertaining biography” of the woman behind the Parish Hadley interior design firm is “like eavesdropping on a lively society lunch” (Publishers Weekly). A New York Times Notable Book Sister—as she was called by family and friends—was born Dorothy May Kinnicutt into a patrician New York family in 1910, and spent her privileged early life at the right schools, yacht clubs, and coming-out parties. Compelled to work during the lean years of the Depression, she combined her innate design ability with her upper-echelon social connections to create an extraordinarily successful interior decorating business. The Parish-Hadley firm’s list of clients reads like an American Who’s Who, including Astors, Paleys, Rockefellers, and Whitneys—and she helped Jacqueline Kennedy transform the White House from a fusty hodge-podge into a historically authentic symbol of American elegance. Cozy, airy, colorful but understated, her style came to be known as “American country,” and its influence continues to this day. Compiled by her daughter and granddaughter from Sister’s own unpublished memoirs, as well as from hundreds of interviews with family members, friends, staff, world-renowned interior designers (Mark Hampton, Mario Buatta, Keith Irvine, Bunny Williams, and her longtime partner Albert Hadley, among many others), and clients including Annette de la Renta, Glenn Bernbaum, and Mrs. Thomas Watson, Sister Parish takes us into the houses—and lives—of some of the most fascinating and famous people of this inimitable woman’s time. Fully updated, the revised edition features a new foreword by Albert Hadley and an appreciation by Bunny Williams, who began her career at Parish-Hadley. “Selections from Mrs. Parish’s own rather wonderful, often moving, reminiscences, intercut with observations from her family, employees, clients and friends.” —The New York Times Book Review “Sister’s delightfully self-deprecating humor illuminates the biography throughout.” —Kirkus Reviews Includes photographs

Comfort is the essential element of a successful interior and the hallmark of the Parish-Hadley style. In Sister Parish Design, Libby Cameron, Sister's last protégé, and Susan B. Crater, Sister's granddaughter, explore this aspect and much more in a series of conversations with the leading decorators of today. Sister Parish is the iconic American decorator of her generation. Her use of flowered chintzes and overstuffed armchairs combined with unexpected items, like patchwork quilts and painted furniture, is credited with popularizing what is known as American Country–style during the 1960s. Her passion for bold color and mixed patterns invoked charm, imagination, and a lived-in look to her rooms. Her philosophy was to be unafraid and to put things together because you liked them--not because they matched. Filled with beautifully-rendered watercolor illustrations, Sister Parish Design is more than just a stunning book—it is an inspirational resource that all decorating aficionados will want to add to their bookshelf.