William Haines

"Design is an option, not a profession"




Photographer Julius Shulman captured the essence of this 1950 A. Quincy Jones house formerly owned by Lisa Mattice.


Lobby at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California. 2006

William Haines was born in Virginia in 1900 and in 1914, opened a nightclub in Hopewell, Virginia. Destined for entertainment and high style, he arrives in Hollywood in 1922 after winning a talent contest. Celebrities such as Joan Crawford were so impressed with his taste in design, they hired him to update their own dark, heavy residences with a lighter fresher and more sophisticated look.In 1935, Haines moved his office to Sunset Plaza, located on Sunset Boulevard. Haines liked unusual artifacts. He used Chinoiserie with great flair and it became one of his design signatures.When Haines moved his office to 446 Canon Drive in Beverly Hills in 1949, there was a definite transition and stylistic shift for Haines from Neo-Classicism into modernism. This style is now known as Hollywood Regency.


"I can Only tell you this - I would rather have taste than either love or money"



William Haines Designs