It goes without saying, I am honored to be included in Brian McCarthy and (my fellow Parish Hadley alumna) Bunny Williams’ tremendous tome The Parish-Hadley Tree of Life: An Intimate History of the Legendary Design Firm – “A lavish survey, with stories from some of the world’s most successful interior designers, that traces the history of the legendary Parish-Hadley design firm.”
I devoured the book in one sitting. Of course, many of the stories I’ve heard, but it’s always nice to be reminded of them, and read them in their most crystalline form. Hadley was a sublime story teller and many late night parties with the man offered me truly fascinating glimpses into the worlds of design and decoration.
Sister Parish and Albert Hadley had very different approaches to design and decoration, but together they created some of the most iconic interiors of our time. They were the firm of choice for many of the social elite – the chicest of the chic – from the Gettys, to the Astors to the Rockefellers and Paleys – the list goes on. And let’s not forget how many stellar design careers the firm launched – David Easton, Kevin McNamara, David Kleinberg to name a few.
My own tenure at the legendary design firm Parish-Hadley was one of the greatest gifts – it really was the design equivalent of attending Harvard Business School and as you might imagine, it’s a gift that keeps giving!

Detail: Albert Hadley’s New York living room
Included are a few images of Hadley’s living room – which I always found so impossibly chic. He gave me the pair of bergeres that were in his living room – they now flank my sofa. I’ve also topped ivory lacquer pedestals with busts of Antoine-Pierre Barnave by Houdon as a bit of an homage to my mentor.
The book is a must-read for all those interested in design and decoration, and for those who simply want a vicarious stay in some supremely elegant interiors, The Parish-Hadley Tree of Life: An Intimate History of the Legendary Design Firm will not disappoint!