Parish, Sister

▪ 1995

      (DOROTHY MAY KINNICUTT), U.S. interior designer (b. July 15, 1910, Morristown, N.J.—d. Sept. 8, 1994, Dark Harbor, Maine), created ageless atmospheres that appealed to both women and men and dictated style on both sides of the Atlantic with her traditional designs; she was renowned for the quality of her work, and her homey yet sophisticated touch marked the residences of such industrialists and politicians as the Astors, the Rockefellers, the Gettys, and, most prominently, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy (see Onassis, Jacqueline (Onassis, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy )), for whom Parish redecorated the White House. Parish, who became identified by her childhood nickname, Sister, was the daughter of a stockbroker and was raised in baronial splendour. Four years after both her father and her husband, also a stockbroker, were devastated by the stock market crash of 1929, Parish opened a small interior design shop in Far Hills, N.J. She was partial to the understated English country house look, and her combinations of Colefax and Fowler chintzes, overstuffed armchairs, and brocade sofas with such unexpected items as patchwork quilts, four-poster beds, knitted throws, and rag rugs led to her being credited with ushering in what became known as American country style during the 1960s. In 1962 Albert Hadley became her partner, and the firm of Mrs. Henry Parish II Interiors was renamed Parish-Hadley to reflect the change. The patrician designer remained a mainstay of the company into her 80s.

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