Often called Lexington’s “Dean of Decorators,” D.C. Atkins was at one time the best-known interior decorator in Central Kentucky. While he assisted with the restoration of Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, The Keene Place, and decorated numerous private homes, Atkins lacked any formal design education.
His rise from humble beginnings near the Kentucky River to an important Lexington tastemaker with a 70+ year career remains remarkable.
Born near Mortonsville in 1887, Atkins moved with his family to Lexington after the early death of his father. His mother, Sarah Davis Atkins, supported D.C. and his brother by teaching in the city schools.
Growing up on Second Street, Atkins later recalled vivid memories of Lexington’s past including attending a sermon by famed preacher Peter Vinegar, watching a torchlight parade honoring Grover Cleveland’s inauguration, and marveling at the legendary “big sleet” of 1902.
In his teens, Atkins learned the trade of paper hanging, a skill that would launch his remarkable career. In 1908, he purchased a paper-hanging business in Georgetown, quickly establishing himself as an expert in antique wallpaper restoration and specialized color work.
Rare were trained designers in Central Kentucky. In those days, most homes were decorated bit by bit — a project here, a piece there — rather than designing an entire room or residence. Homemakers sought expertise for one element of a space, seeing a seamstress for draperies or an upholsterer for furniture. Atkins, however, was born with a natural eye. With his guidance, a homemaker could envision each element as part of a cohesive design.
His custom work was particularly prized. Atkins often handprinted papers using block-print techniques inspired by European craftsmen, earning a reputation for his extraordinary eye for color.
Artist Lucie “Toss” Chandler, who worked as a decorator at his firm for fifteen years, later remarked: “[He] was a genius at mixing colors. He taught me everything I know about the use of color — how to make it shimmer and breathe. I use the knowledge he taught me every time I touch a canvas.”
By the early 1940’s, Atkins had opened the eponymous firm and décor shop in Lexington he would operate until shortly before his death. His stock included fine offerings from Zuber & Cie, Paul Dumas, and Defossé & Karth, names found in the finest design houses.
Available, too, were reproduction furniture, upholstery services, and appealing gifts. Vivid advertisements marketed their wares, promising to bring style to the homes of Lexington. Atkins and his growing slate of associate decorators offered design services for projects big and small across Central Kentucky.
Atkins and his wife, the former Ellie Foote, lived at 338 Desha Rd in a stylish duplex still standing today. A 1967 Lexington Herald profile documents painted murals at the home, including a highly-detailed “panaroma of the Amazon” and a New England scene. Writer Bettye Lee Mastin noted his encyclopedic knowledge of woodwork, lace, & beyond.
The Boy from Mortonsville had become the Dean of Decorators indeed.
