When Northern Virginians need a relaxing getaway, many escape to the West Virginia mountains for fresh air and a slower pace. A popular place to lay their heads is The Greenbrier, an elegantly decorated resort that remains classic while ever evolving. Its most recent addition? A Dorothy Draper & Company retail store that opened on the Fourth of July this past summer.
The brand is known for designer Dorothy Draper’s iconic and bright-patterned interiors, furnishings, fabrics and home accessories. Draper herself was a pioneer in the professional interior design world, establishing her firm in 1925 and dominating the field through the ’60s.
Dorothy Draper & Company’s new store at the resort boasts a myriad of elegant and fun home finds. “We’ve taken over two stores at The Greenbrier and knocked them together, and, of course, we put our hallmark stamp on them,” says Brinsley Matthews, the vice president of Dorothy Draper & Company. “We have our marble floors, black and white, and we’ve brought out other colors and our aqua-blue ceilings. Then it’s full of our own merchandise, which is all custom made, from chandeliers to antique, vintage items. There’s also napkins and placemats, all our fabrics, rug selections, lamps, glassware … We have everything from a bar of soap to a chandelier.”
Dorothy Draper and The Greenbrier have long been synonymous, with the resort’s lavish, over-the-top decor being designed by Draper’s eponymous firm for decades. After The Greenbrier served as a surgical and rehabilitation center for soldiers during four years of World War II, Draper redesigned the resort and remained its decorator through the 1960s. Upon her retirement, Carleton Varney filled her shoes, and continues to do so today as the president of Dorothy Draper & Company and The Greenbrier’s designer/curator.
Now, in a newfound chapter for Draper’s legacy at The Greenbrier, resort guests can purchase home decor found at the resort for their own homes, including items exclusively available at The Greenbrier. “It’s a very exciting space to be in,” Matthews says. “Guests come and they’re all stimulated by the color. Everywhere they look, they find something exciting to look at.” // 101 W. Main St., White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Shopkeeper Picks
Here, Dorothy Draper & Company Vice President and tastemaker Brinsley Matthews shares five of his favorite finds available at the brand’s location at The Greenbrier.
Teddybear Teatime
You’ll be sipping on sunshine with any tea varietal poured out of this bear-y adorable and bright pot. // Teddybear Picnic Teapot, $145
Best Foot Forward
“The rhododendron is the state flower of West Virginia, and we have immortalized it in the hotel,” Matthews says. Now, your outfits can don the flower too, or choose from nine other shoe patterns available. // Dorothy Draper Embroidered Rhododendron on Plaid Shoes, $480
All Tied Up
Who says chairs can’t have great legs like humans do? This vintage, handcrafted stool makes them its best asset and is ready to step into any living room, home office or bedroom space. // Laced-Up Boot Vintage Stool, $890
A Dog’s World
Available in three colors, this throw pillow can be used on your own couch or, if your dog really is royalty in your house, you can add it atop a Dorothy Draper crowned pet bed. // Mini Staffordshire Dog Throw Pillow, $48; Custom Designed Crown Dog Bed in Faux Lapis Finish, $430
This story originally appeared in our October print issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
