We're honored to highlight Sister Parish Design on the blog this week. For those of you who aren't familiar with the line, its history, and the faces behind the brand, we hope you will enjoy the q&a below. 

Sister Parish

Sister Parish Design is a heritage brand that was founded in 2000. It began with the goal of reviving the prints and wallpapers that the historical interior decorator Mrs. Henry Parish, most commonly known as Sister Parish, loved.

Sister Parish was a great American decorator and the first to be brought in to work on interiors at the Kennedy White House. Later, she worked with interior designer Albert Hadley and together they formed the influential design firm, Parish-Hadley. Their work continues to inspire designers and design aficionados today.

Eliza Harris (a great-granddaughter of Sister Parish) and her mother, Susan Crater (a granddaughter of Sister Parish) are the women behind the heritage company.  We asked Eliza a few questions on our q&a below.

Eliza Harris (left) with her mother Susan Crater (middle) and her grandmother,

Apple Parish Bartlett (right).   Photo Credit: Jonathan Becker

Where did you grow up?  

Bedford, New York.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with anyone past or present, who would that be and why?

My great-grandmother, Sister Parish. I would want to know more about who and what inspired her. 

Where is your favorite place in the world that you’ve visited? Or Where do you feel most inspired?

I visited Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya last year, which was life-changing.  I feel the most inspired in nature. I don’t need to travel far to feel inspired...just a long walk around my house in Connecticut (where I’ve been quarantined) can be highly inspirational. 

What is your favorite book? 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

What is your favorite color combination? 

Turquoise and Green.

Bucket list place to visit? 

The Seychelles.

Favorite paint color?  

Ben Moore Van Buren Brown HC-70. 

If you were going to have to quarantine again and you had 48 hours to get somewhere, where would you go?

 Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

What’s the one thing you wish you had known prior to starting out on your journey of being a textile designer? 

 That an emotional connection to a pattern is real! 

Please see some of the gorgeous patterns of Sister Parish on the James Showroom website here. 

Thank you, Eliza!