Evoking more than a little of the dining clubs this set so liked to frequent by night, glamorous Hollywood Regency homes were often found to have statement monochrome floors in them. A major proponent of this was Dorothy Draper, regularly named the first professional interior designer in America and the woman responsible for outstanding deco-inspired projects such as the Carlyle and the Fairmont. Her most famous commission, that of completely revamping the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia after its use in WW2 as a military hospital, proves the epitome of her look.  Dramatic prints, colorful chintzes, glossy finishes and a chequerboard floor all play a part in its famous staircase, a benchmark for the “Modern Baroque” style that Draper invented.

Photo Courtesy of Museum of the City New York, Tony Duquette