Albert Hadley

An American born interior designer, Albert Hadley had known at a very early age, after taking a keen interest in his mothers household decorating work that he would too be involved within the design industry. Albert inspires us today mainly with his choice of wallpaper patterns, even designs created decades ago are still as beautiful today and work wonderfully in the modern home, the ‘firework’ design of one of his wallpaper patterns is still a decorative piece we draw inspiration from today.

Hadley has notably done work for a range of famous people, to pick one of our favourites and one of his most humble projects, he help decorate both the White House and the private home of John F. Kennedy, reason being such a humble project of his is that he stated he merely ‘drafted up a curtain design’ for both projects – after some additional research we are lead to believe his great talent was used for much more than this.

Albert Hadley Wallpaper

As we’ve just mentioned, our favourite Albert Hadley Wallpaper is the ‘Firework’ collection he created with Harry Hinson in 2001 which was a collection of wallpapers using encompassing light-hearted hand printed textiles to allow you to create a unique look in a bathroom or living area.

However, this collection is ‘discontinued’ only allowing customers to order who are in need of a bulk quantity due to the current cost to the make the wallpaper. In terms of the other wallpapers Hadley had created, there are none. This was a one-off collection he collaborated with and its a shame actually, that this is the only line he had taken part in because it’s absolutely stunning and we can only imagine the type of wonderful wallpaper he could create for us today if he were still here.

If you’re inspired by the design and would love to feature the textile as upholstery on your favorite armchair or to create a wonderful set of drapes, then Donghia will be able to give you all the ‘Fireworks’ material you need to achieve this.

Albert Hadley Drawings

Sketches as he prefers to call them, Albert Hadley Drawings were created for personal use, allowing him to get all of the ‘bad ideas’ out of the way first, so he could see clearly and allow his mind to be free once a sketch was created, giving him a way to imagine all good possibilities of an interior space. These drawings would mostly never be seen by a client as they were just part of his creative thinking process.

Taking a quote from his book; Drawings and the Design Process:

“Some people make lists, I sketch”

Albert Hadley Apartment

Albert Hadley Apartment on Fifth Avenue is a treasure trove how interior design, practising what he preaches in his very own home, everywhere you look Hadley has effortlessly applied his skills and his talent into every corner of the home. Featuring a lifetimes worth of art and furnishings, there are such things as Art Deco German pyramidal bookcase, and even a painting that was once owned by award-winning Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland.

Filled to the brim with playful touches, the ceiling in his living room is completely covered with silver hologram paper which is complemented by the faintest touch of glitter which can catch the eye if you look carefully on the surrounding walls. Colours of pink, blue and yellow can also be seen throughout the apartment, lending an alternative spark to a defined area. Despite the apartment design, the way Hadley has decorated the space, it gives off a large spacious feel due to the masterful sense of proportion and scale Albert Hadley possess.

Albert Hadley Quotes

Albert Hadley Quotes are as inspiring as his work, there are words that every designer should live by; here are some of our favourites:

“Flair is a primitive kind of style. It is innate and cannot be taught. It can be polished and refined. When a person has flair, a grounding in the principle of design, and self-discipline, that person has the potential of being an outstanding designer.”

“Decoration is really about creating a quality of life, and a beauty in that life that nourishes the soul, that makes life beautiful.”

“Beige is atmosphere. It’s bisque, it’s ivory, it’s cream, it’s stone, it’s toast, it’s cappuccino. It’s well, it’s magic.”

“So many young decorators are trying to reinvent the wheel, and the results are sometimes very dubious. They’re striving to do things that have never been done before. Quite often it is done without authority, without knowledge, and without a background in taste. They need to be educated about the past, and they need a richer vocabulary.”

“I deeply believe that a beautiful decor can have a beneficial influence on our lives.”

For more great Albery Hadley Quotes, check out Azquotes.

Albert Hadley Book

Unlike designers of his time, like David Nightingale Hicks, Albery Hadley Book collection is small, in fact, you can count it on a single finger. This was probably because he was a humble man and preferred to let his work and projects do the bulk of his talking but thankfully he did create one outstanding book that is full of his thoughts and some of the great work he had produced over the many years of his long and successful career.

Albert Hadley: Drawings and the Design Process

Speaking personally of his project process, Albert Hadley: Drawings and the Design Process gives readers an insight into a successful interior designer that has done nothing but create wonderful interior design and decor for everyday chums and high flying clientele. Even if you don’t read one piece of text in the book and direct all of your time towards the sketches and photos, you will still gain a great deal of knowledge because of how valuable the imagery is.