Dorothy May Kinnicutt was an American interior designer. She was born in New Jersey in 1910. Although her nickname might suggest someone from a religious background, whose life is devoted to prayer and penance. Sister Parish actually gets her nickname from her childhood, as she was commonly referred to as "Sister". It was her older brother who gave her this nickname when she was younger, because she was the only girl in a family of five children. The sister married Harry Parish in 1930. Together they had two daughters and a son. And today, her granddaughter still runs an interior design business in her name. He is widely credited with developing the style of interior design known as "American Country Style." Her sister never knew her grandmother because she died shortly after her birth, but she remembers her grandparents' house as being "big, dark and musty and full of carpets." polar bears, moose heads and antlers everywhere.” His parents were wealthy and spent considerable sums on trips to Europe, hoping that exposure to art and architecture would improve their children's education. His style has been described as baroque and freewheeling. Sister Parish is credited with developing the American country style, created in the 1960s. Sister loved the English country house look. She typically used upholstered armchairs, brocade sofas, knitted throws and four-poster beds. Continuity and character as well as color and comfort were the foundation of Sister's decor and style. When redecorating a room, her tradition was to wheel a tea cart around the house, getting rid of anything she deemed unnecessary, often intimidating customers. In 1933, during the Depression, Sister decided to officially enter the interior design business. She was very young when she opened her business and even said, “She had never opened a window or poured a glass of water myself. In 1962, after making a name for herself, she created a strong partnership with Albert Hadley. And then the Parish-Hadley Company was born. Their company motto was that rooms are made for people and we want to make them as attractive and comfortable as possible. She decorated her first country home after she and her family moved to New Jersey. The house was a huge success and all of his neighbors started hiring him to decorate their homes. She lived next door to Senator Joseph Frelinghuysen and he asked her to decorate a new restaurant nearby..