When designers from Hollywood's Golden Age, like William Haines and Dorothy Draper, encouraged West Coast film luminaries to decorate their home with overtones of glitz and glamour, a new design style emerged. The 1930s Hollywood Regency style was a favorite of celebrities ranging from actress Joan Crawford to the future First Lady, Nancy Reagan.
Hollywood Regency design, however, is not a relic of the past. The over-the-top style is not just for the rich and famous; a modern version is surging in popularity, fueled by designers like Kelly Wearstler. Shawn Henderson, design director for the online auction site www.eBay.com, says there's no denying the high Hollywood style is back. "Hollywood Regency has spiked in sales," Henderson says. "Recently a William 'Billy' Haines cabinet sold on eBay for $7,500."
Not everyone can afford original Haines pieces, but elements of Hollywood Regency style are within reach for even the most budget-minded decorator. Here's how to adapt a few Hollywood Regency elements to your home decor.
Going Hollywood Regency is all about the details, says interior decorator and furniture designer Barclay Butera. "The wonderful fabrics, fringe on lampshades, chandeliers with crystals — Hollywood Regency style is about glamour, but so much is found in the wonderful details," he says.
Designer Kristan Cunningham, star of HGTV's Design on a Dime, says for those working on a budget, jazzing up thrift pieces is also about having an eye for detail. "If your grandma gave you an over-the-top brass chandelier, replace the flame-tip bulbs with mod opaque globe bulbs," she says. "It creates the juxtaposition of 'super clean with super fussy' that is so relevant in Hollywood Regency."
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