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America’s Resort: Our Thoughts on the Greenbrier

Margery and her family have been going to The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia for years and we thought it time to share Margery’s experiences!  The Greenbrier is known for its iconic interiors designed by Dorothy Draper.  Dorothy was the lead designer until the 60’s but her design has only been subtly changed throughout the years, meaning it looks relatively the same.  Keep reading to learn more about this renowned destination and our thoughts on the current design.

Approaching the resort!
About the Greenbrier

The Greenbrier Resort is a National Historic Landmark and resort in a perfectly idyllic setting in the West Virginia mountains.  The resort has been welcoming guests for over 250 years, as it opened in 1778!  The Greenbrier is one of the top-rated resorts in the world and is the chosen destination of Royalty, celebrities, and 28 US Presidents.

In its infancy, the resort housed guests that came to the beautiful Allegheny Mountains to visit White Sulphur Springs to get away from the humid southern summers and “restore their health”.  It wasn’t until the 1830’s that the resort started to gain its notoriety.  The resort played very important roles in both the Civil War and WWII.  If you are interested in learning more about that, we recommend you read this history timeline on the resort’s website.

Dorothy Draper- The Icon

Dorothy Draper started her career by redecorating her own homes and eventually branched out to her high society friends’ home as well.  She made her big break in the 1930’s and started to make her name in the hotel design industry. She actually had a design advice column that ran in 70 newspapers.  Draper was definitely a trend setter, and everyone wanted the Draper look!  If you have a red front door, you may have Dorothy Draper to thank.

Draper was credited with creating a new style known as “Modern Baroque” which is a classical style with a dramatic flair.  She loved to use crazy vibrant colors and a mix of bold patterns.  She also played a lot with scale to elevate the theatrics of her spaces, using oversized accents such as mirrors, lamps and even patterns.  Draper was an anti-minimalist which you can surely tell by her designs!

This hallway is definitely more on the mild side of Draper’s iconic style, but you can really see how she is using pattern, color, and scale to add drama!

We highly recommend reading this Washington post article which talks more about her influence on the industry.

The “Draperization” of the Greenbrier

Arguably, The Greenbrier is Draper’s most famous work.  She was tasked with redesigning the resort in its entirety – not even just interiors, but also small details like staff uniforms, menus, and even matchbooks!  She did this all in under a year and a half – an amazing feat for sure as the resort has over 600 guest rooms alone.

This is the President’s Room. Draper commissioned these busts as a nod to all the presidents and political leaders that have stayed here. What I love is the amazing use of color moving from one area to the next. Just check out the long view down this corridor.
This bright pink ballroom was purposely designed to make the ladies appear rosy-cheeked. Love the ceiling detailing!
More of this bright pink is used in this sitting room for the ladies.
Our Thoughts

Dorothy Draper designed for the Greenbrier until the 1960’s when she passed it on to her successor Carleton Varney who worked under her tutelage and worked to continue her style.  The Greenbrier is still very much a reflection of Draper’s Modern Baroque style – but how many of her unique touches have been lost over the years?

What we love

The grand expansive spaces are SO elegant – who doesn’t love tall ceilings with crazy luxurious chandeliers?  The trim molding and millwork are also spectacular and such a classic element that elevates every space.

This bar area most certainly will wake you up upon entering. Everything from the carpet to the chandelier is vivacious and fun.
Another view of this spectacular bar lounge.

Flooring- the tile flooring looks incredible and such a classic base to any space.  We also love the carpet throughout.  The carpet selections definitely shows off Draper’s maximalist style!

You can’t go wrong with black and white checkerboard tile! It adds such a timeless look to this hallway.  Also love this wallpaper and drapery pattern!  Such a Draper look. While some of the areas may seem dated, one must remember that this hotel is a passage in time. Go there to experience a part of history.
Such a unique design – only at Greenbrier!  Also, take a peek at the stripes in the archway.  What a gorgeous way to accent that stairwell. When I first went to the Greenbrier I was overwhelmed with the crazy design. But imagine how it must have felt when she first designed it.
The casino is a new addition to the Greenbrier within the last 10 years.

Use of pattern – Draper was never afraid to go bold… and we mean BOLD!  The large-scale patterns on the walls, flooring, ceiling, and upholstery are a fundamental part of her style.  We love to see it!

LOVE this stairway! This will never not be stunning to us. This stairway features an abundance of various patterns, yet it works. Some of the areas you must see to believe. Photos cannot bring you the impactful feeling of being in these spaces.
This all-floral guest room shows how Draper liked to play with scale.
Another guest room we love! These cute pink and white stripes are to die for! Also love the entryway floor tile.

Chandeliers- it seemed like every room features the most beautiful chandelier you’ve ever seen – they are THAT stunning.  One of our favorite design elements for sure.

These peachy accents are so beautiful!
Very Art Deco-esque. Note the large floral pattern on the walls. It’s all about scale!
Probably our favorite of all the chandeliers. The green is just so striking!
Now for the things we were not too fond of:

The cohesiveness of some of the rooms just seems a little bit off.  These choices could very well be due to Draper’s eccentric style, but more likely due to the slight updates made throughout the years.  We see how it can be very difficult to try and replicate the original selections.  Some of the selections seemed close… but not close enough if you get what we mean. Some of the colors and styles clashed – a bit cringeworthy.

This area is by far one of our least favorite spots. Independently, these elements are not that bad… but they are fighting together in this space! 4 of the red chairs would at least help it appear more balanced.

Let’s break down the elements of this space above:

  1. Easter Decorations- these are cute and festive.  Created completely of 100% chocolate – works of art! Certainly not the issue for this space.
  2. Ceiling and Columns- we like the detailing and color of the ceiling and columns.  It ties in well with the blue in the light fixtures.  However, does this really go with the elegant stairwell and landscape wallpaper? No.
  3. Blue chairs- although it is the same color as the ceiling and columns these chairs clash!!! The floral interior fabric is not so bad, but we do not like the trellis pattern on the back at all! It fights so hard against the pattern of the columns!  Just remove these all together!
  4. Red Chairs- by itself these are pretty standard, and we can see what they were trying to do in this space.  They help balance the space out by pulling from the red runner on the stairway.  This would honestly work better if there weren’t so many other elements to compensate for.  Right now, the red is actually helping the space look unbalanced!
  5. Carpet- by itself we like the carpet a lot.  It has a gorgeous floral pattern and some beautiful colors to pull from.  It also contrasts nicely with the green border on the stair runner.  But why-oh-why is not a single color used elsewhere in this space?  The red chairs are close enough… but the tiffany blue? no way.
We love this carpet in the green hallway shown earlier in this article, but it does not work with the colors and patterns in this area. This space definitely looks like an afterthought.

This area above just seems like the back hallway no one cares about.  By itself, the bright blue stripes are fun but do not work with the carpet or upholstery at all!  The dark green from the hallway beyond would have been a better fit.  The upholstery and the carpet we could live with.  And what on earth is up with the ceiling?

What do you think of the Greenbrier’s interiors?  Do you find it dated or classic?

Stay Inspired,

The Margery Wedderburn Interiors Team

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