Sunday, November 6, 2011

Dorothy "Sister" Parish

“It is only my eye that has helped me. I am still hopeless with that thing called a scale ruler. I love color, but that comes very naturally to me. From the beginning, I never followed trends. If I was aware of them, I didn’t care, for I believed as I do now, that rooms should be timeless and very personal. I don’t set out to achieve a particular style. And I certainly don’t have a ‘look’ — just a mishmash of everything that somehow, by instinct, usually turns out to be a warm imaginative, ‘living room’.”- Sister Parish

Today "flea market" style is all the rage, but before the television shows, magazines, and design blogs began really singing the praises of thrift store finds and revamped furniture, there was Sister Parish. As one of the most iconic decorators in American history, Sister Parish can be credited for what is typically considered American country décor.
She encouraged bright colors, painted furniture and promoted the use of found items and family heirlooms. Sister insisted that rooms should center around what people truly enjoyed - not simply what "matched". She is well-known for her use of overstuffed armchairs, patchwork quilts, rag rugs, knitted throws and varied patterns. Her style is beautiful yet homey, stunning yet accessible.


My admiration for this respected designer started after I read this book and the fact that Maine was Sister's favorite place in the world only made me appreciate her more.



I've enjoyed reading about this renegade designer, but now a new book has come out with images of some of Sister's more memorable rooms and even though these rooms were designed decades ago, they still work today.






Architectural Digest featured Sister's Maine cottage in 2006.


“Much of what was there needed freshening,” designer Libby Cameron says of the Summer House, Sister Parish’s Cape Cod-style cottage on an island off Maine, one of two she updated for the late decorator’s daughter Apple Bartlett (Gweneth's not so original after all).









27 comments:

  1. I operate on very simiiar principles. I write about this all the time. If I love something, I bring it home. Somehow it always works. Well, for me that is!!! lol Loved this story and all the inspirational images. Yummy stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did you
    hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I'm looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. thanks a lot

    Here is my page ... best email hosting service uk

    ReplyDelete
  3. Many thanks operated initial time!

    Here is my web page :: xerox phaser 8560mfp ink

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi there everyone, it's my first pay a quick visit at this web page, and article is truly fruitful in support of me, keep up posting these types of posts.

    Feel free to visit my site: http://www.5dsmartstore.com/pet-care/treat-your-kitty-with-the-sureflap-microchip-cat-flap/

    ReplyDelete
  5. hp laserjet 1020 vehicle drivers supports Windows 2000,
    Windows XP, Vista and windows7(Residence & Professional).
    The HP 1020 LaserJet is a great.

    my page :: manojbiotect.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Many thanks match, functioned like a beauty. This has
    been doing my head in for days !!

    Feel free to visit my blog post - xerox phaser 8560 color printer

    ReplyDelete
  7. hp laserjet p1505 printer vehicle drivers download.


    Take a look at my site: whiteflame.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello mates, how is all, and what you wish for to say about this piece of writing,
    in my view its really remarkable in support of me.



    Review my homepage; saffron extract

    ReplyDelete
  9. sir, kindly deliver me the video.

    My weblog xerox phaser 8560 color printer

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form?
    I'm using the same blog platform as yours and I'm
    having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!

    Feel free to surf to my webpage - Pilgrim Jewellery Outlet

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very good info. Lucky me I recently found your blog by accident (stumbleupon).

    I have saved it for later!

    Here is my page :: Private Cloud Computing

    ReplyDelete
  12. height increase methods said on August 31, 2012

    Check out my blog post: sterling silver jewellery

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks so much. Attempted quite awhile and various sights, yours was remarkable.


    Here is my weblog xerox phaser 8560 driver

    ReplyDelete
  14. This worked terrific, pleased I discovered your blog post!
    My ML-1210 is still chugging along with Home windows 8 now.
    Merely one correction though 9.61 seems the size (MEGABYTES),
    not the version. The variation is really 3.01.

    My blog post xerox phaser 8560 ink

    ReplyDelete
  15. It's great that you are getting ideas from this article as well as from our discussion made at this time.

    My blog post - cleansing diet plan

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am really enjoying the theme/design of your website. Do you ever run into any internet browser
    compatibility issues? A handful of my blog readers have complained about my
    site not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome.
    Do you have any solutions to help fix this problem?

    my web page: xerox 8560 black

    ReplyDelete
  17. I do agree with all of the ideas you've introduced on your post. They're very convincing and will certainly work.
    Nonetheless, the posts are too short for novices. May just you please prolong them a bit from next time?
    Thank you for the post.

    My web site ... pilgrim jewellery website ()

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hey there! I've been reading your site for some time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Huffman Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the fantastic job!

    Also visit my blog :: xerox 8560 specs

    ReplyDelete
  19. Pls for your kindness deliver me the video clip hint of making
    pcb with hp printer.

    Here is my webpage ... xerox phaser 8560mfp d ()

    ReplyDelete
  20. best of luck! give it a try.

    my website; xerox phaser 8560 maintenance kit

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter
    group? There's a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Many thanks

    Here is my web site: Acne treatment []

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hmm is anyone else having problems with the images
    on this blog loading? I'm trying to figure out if its a problem on my end or if it's
    the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated.

    Feel free to surf to my homepage; best paint sprayer for home use

    ReplyDelete
  23. This pіеce of writing iѕ actually a nice оnе it аssistѕ new
    nеt vіeωers, who aгe wiѕhing in favor of blοgging.



    Feel free tо visіt my website .
    .. Facebook new Login

    ReplyDelete
  24. Gorgeous! I am unable to wait!

    My web blog ... danon jewellery ltd (http://www.gettingschoolready.org)

    ReplyDelete
  25. The saying aƅs are maɗe in the kitchen has a lot of truth to it.
    I'll first touch a bit on nutrition and dieting since I feel it's the mοst
    important aspect tߋ fat loss. Adults lose approximately 1 ρercent of their muscle mass everу year aftеr age 45.


    my website :: turbulence training pdf

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you for sharing the HP Laserjet P1505 It's a small, fast, and reliable printer, perfect for home or small office use. The setup is simple, and it gives great quality prints. If you're looking for an affordable and easy-to-use printer, this one is a great choice.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Blog Top Sites