12/12/2023 General, General Paintings, General Furniture & Decorative Arts
NEW YORK, NY -- Albert Hadley was one of America’s most celebrated and influential interior designers, both in his own right and as a partner with Sister Parish in the fabled design firm Parish-Hadley. His acclaimed designs masterfully blended traditional and modern elements seamlessly while maintaining a sense of timeless elegance. “Never less, never more,” he would say to describe a successful room.
Born in 1920 in Tennessee, Hadley began his career at a young age working as a junior assistant to A. Herbert Rogers, a prominent Nashville decorator, before serving in the army during World War II. Following the War, he moved to New York to attend Parsons School of Design and joined its faculty upon graduation. In 1956, he went to work for the prestigious design firm McMillen led by Eleanor Brown, a pioneer in the design industry.
In 1962, Hadley left McMillen to join Sister Parish, who was then redecorating the White House for Jacqueline and President John F. Kennedy – Hadley’s first assignment at his new firm was the White House breakfast room. A former debutante whose family were established members of New York society, Sister Parish, another design pioneer, began her decorating business during the lean years of the Depression with her well-heeled friends as her first clients.
Albert Hadley became a full partner with Sister Parish within two years of joining her, and the legendary design firm Parish-Hadley was born. Their clients would include an impressive roster of such glittering names as Brooke Astor, Babe Paley, Oscar and Annette de la Renta, and various members of the Astor, Rockefeller and Getty families.
Influencing American design for more than thirty years, the firm of Parish-Hadley launched the careers of such prominent designers as Bunny Williams, David Easton, Thom Filicia, David Kleinberg, Thomas Jayne, Harold Simmons and Mariette Himes Gomez, among dozens of others.
Auction Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 10am
Exhibition December 16 – 18
Featured in the Doyle at Home auction are two collections that reflect the sophisticated design legacy of Albert Hadley -- Property from the Estate of Renee Meyers from a Manhattan apartment decorated by Albert Hadley (Read More) and property from the East Hampton home of Peter van Hattum and Harold Simmons, formerly of Parish-Hadley (Read More).
Images (l-r): Rendering of Renee Meyers' drawing room by Albert Hadley, Renee Meyers and Albert Hadley, Renee Meyers' drawing room.