Who was sister parish?

Dorothy May Kinnicutt was perhaps one of the first interior designers. She was an american interior decorator and friends with people that were high up in society which garnered her a lot of high profile clients. Born in 1910 she very much set the style for early american style, and breaking away from colonialism

Sister parish Interiors 

Dorothy kinnicutt did not like matching patterns, instead she loved contrast. Which is why you will see many examples of contrasting prints, and off centre non symmetrical items. 

Sister parish Wallpaper

Believe it or not, she also has a website. This is a fab interior design website where they  have some of the best wallpaper designs that i have seen in a long while. Check it out here

Sister parish Rooms

Most famously designed by parish is the white house, and some homes in england. Famously people have had whole rooms designed by parish then totally changed them back because they were not preferable at that time of year, or they were quite cutting edge for the times and people were not sure what to make of it. 

You will find a lot of these examples in manhattan and around new york examples, few examples actually exist but there are many pictures left over of this lasting legacy. 

Sister parish fabric

Once again from the newly revived sister parish brand, you can get fabrics from the store. The brand is now maintained by the parish’s granddaughter, so it is keeping it in the family!

Sister parish Design

You will find french and english antiques perhaps even louis XIV and other 18th century georgian esque chairs and paintings including botanical prints and screens, which has come back to popularity in modern times. In addition to this, she enjoyed a lot of wicker and painting items white to boost light and sometimes divert once more front he norm.

Sister parish american style

Some say the sister parish invented american style. Which is impressive don’t you think? Well in those times doing a ‘trade’ was no job for a woman of high society, and she was actually disinherited in favor of Eleanor Roosevelt because a career in trade for a woman was largely unheard of in 1920. This american style comes to prominence in and around the great depression. This being said it could be the frugality and ingenuity that was required to birth this great style.  The white house task was eventually taken over by Stephane boudin

Sister parish White house

There is a fine line between american country and shabby chic. The french influence comes in and mixes the antique with the modern. Thus we get shabby chic. This can be said with the white house. It is a more american country, but in the times that it was done this was groundbreaking. Let’s explore this slightly more. Sister parish wanted to know the history of the house. She wanted to include french and english antiquities to hark back to colonisation, as well as eighteenth century england. As well as this she created something that was one part stage , one part museum and one part family home. – Elaine backmann. 

Sister parish Biography

You may have heard that sister parish was designed for the high flyers of mid century america. Well you are right. Gher clientele included the likes of  President Kennedy, Brooke Astor and Enid Annenberg Haupt, William S. Paley, the chairman of CBS, and members of the Bronfman, Getty, Mellon, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and Whitney clans. Which is a pretty impressive roster !

Sister parish Interior design

The Sister parish Style is very distinctive, and full. There is no sense of shyness or ‘playing it safe’ in these bold designs. It is said that the sister parish really invented the american country style. It is interesting to think that a style so recognisable today could have been founded by one person over 100 years ago, but here we are.