I mentioned in my overview of design styles that huge shouts need to go out to 2 big names in Hollywood Regency, Dorothy Draper and William Haines. An interior design blogger, Kerry Ann Dame, elaborates on the two’s influence on Hollywood Regency perfectly, so definitely give it a read. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

To sum it up, Dorothy was the first real “Interior Designer”starting in  the 20’s. Billy was a Hollywood actor on those cool old timey sets in the 20’s, who later focused on interior design as a profession in the 30’s. They both were super influential on interior design with their dramatic and flamboyant styles.

The term”Regency” was used for this style because there was a nod to Neoclassic design. The historical term “regency” started in 1811 when Britain’s George IV acted as King Regent when his father, King George III suffered from mental illness late in his reign. George the IV lived extravagantly and had quite an influence on fashion. During that time, there was a a great rediscovery of classic Greek and Roman architecture, often through archaeological digs, such as unearthing Pompeii. Hollywood Regency starting in the 20’s had a reemergence of lust for the Classic design.

 

– Period Photos of Hollywood Regency – 

– How to Identify Hollywood Regency Interior Design – 

It’s generally an eclectic mix of gorgeous vintage pieces painstakingly collected over years of glamorous travel. Pieces aren’t very large so that the people sitting in them stand out. It’s often more classically tailored pieces, with a touch of flair, like these stunning chairs.

Hollywood Regency is punctuated by reflective surfaces – metals, mirrors, and later in the years, Lucite.

Screens were everywhere.

– Modern Interpretations of Hollywood Regency Interior Design –

You can’t see it well in the old Hollywood set photos above, but color was tantamount. Wallpapers with big, leaf designs were used widely, but the old black and white photos don’t show them off.

– My Moodboard for a Hollywood Regency Living Room – 

I used the same pair of gorgeous high-back chairs as I did in my traditional moodboard for my Design Styles Explained: Traditional post. It’s kind of like reality, where you have pieces that you love but you want to experiment with a different style.

Do you love Hollywood Regency? This was a very fun post to research and design.