Laura Mako
Born
Laura Mae Church

May 29, 1916
Leonardtown, Maryland
DiedMay 5, 2019(2019-05-05) (aged 102)
OccupationInterior decorator
SpouseGene Mako

Laura Mako (May 29, 1916 – May 5, 2019) was an American interior designer and decorator known for decorating the homes of many Hollywood stars.[1]

History

Her family was from Saint Mary's County, Maryland.[2][3] She attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School and graduated from New York School of Interior Design.[4]

She did interior design for Bob Hope, Henry Mancini and Dean Martin.[1][5] She designed the interiors of Betty and Gerald Ford's post-Presidency home in Rancho Mirage, California with a style the New York Times called "Palm Springs via Palm Beach," and Town & Country called "desert modern aesthetic...and, most importantly, happy."[6] Mako designed home interiors and also Hollywood institutions such as the Jessica Nail Clinic, the home of Princess Shams and events such as the wedding of Princess Scheherazade (décor of the reception).[7][8][9]

Personal life

Mako was born Laura Mae Church and married Gene Mako in November 1941.[1] She was considered a protegee of Helen Hayes and was given away by Hayes' husband Charles MacArthur at her wedding.[10] She was a godmother to Lorenzo Lamas.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Laura Mako, Interior Designer for Hollywood Legends, Dies at 102". The Hollywood Reporter. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  2. ^ "Mako, Laura Mae : oral history interview :: SlackWater Archive". St. Mary's College of Maryland Digital Archives. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  3. ^ "Talking His Way Out of Beach House". Los Angeles Times. 1999-01-10. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  4. ^ "Beverly Hills resident and notable interior designer Laura Church Mako mourned". Park Labrea News/ Beverly Press. 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  5. ^ "Dorothy Manners' Hollywood". Journal Gazette. Mattoon Illinois. May 14, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Gerald and Betty Ford's Restoration Politics". The New York Times. 2015-03-27. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  7. ^ "Laura Mako attends wedding of Princes Scheherazade". Irving Daily News. 1976-12-08. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  8. ^ "Jessica Nail Clinic Opens Remodeled Space on Sunset". Yahoo. 2018-08-26. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  9. ^ "Dorothy Manners' Hollywood". Irving Daily News. Irving, Texas. December 8, 1976. p. 7. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Gene Mako and Judge's Daughter to Wed Today". The Evening News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. United Press. November 26, 1941. p. 17.
  11. ^ Lamas, L.; Lenburg, J. (2014). Renegade at Heart: An Autobiography (in Welsh). BenBella Books, Incorporated. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-941631-26-3. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
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