Laura 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] She was considered "one of the best decorators in the field" and worked with clients such as Bob Hope, Henry Mancini and Dean Martin.[1][2] 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."[3]

Laura Mako
Born
Laura Mae Church

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

When Mako was a young woman she was considered a protegee of Helen Hayes and was given away by Hayes' husband Charles MacArthur at her wedding.[4] She was a godmother to Lorenzo Lamas.[5] Mako designed home interiors and also Hollywood institutions such as the Jessica Nail Clinic and events such as the wedding of Princes Scheherazade.[6][7]

Personal life

Mako was born Laura Mae Church and married Gene Mako in November 1941.[1] Her family was from Saint Mary's County, Maryland and she returned part-time to Maryland after spending most of her time in California.[8][9] She attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School and graduated from New York School of Interior Design.[10]

References
  1. "Laura Mako, Interior Designer for Hollywood Legends, Dies at 102". The Hollywood Reporter. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  2. "Dorothy Manners' Hollywood". Journal Gazette. Mattoon Illinois. May 14, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  3. "Gerald and Betty Ford's Restoration Politics". The New York Times. 2015-03-27. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  4. "Gene Mako and Judge's Daughter to Wed Today". The Evening News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. United Press. November 26, 1941. p. 17.
  5. 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.
  6. "Jessica Nail Clinic Opens Remodeled Space on Sunset". Yahoo. 2018-08-26. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  7. "Dorothy Manners' Hollywood". Irving Daily News. Irving, Texas. December 8, 1976. p. 7. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  8. "Mako, Laura Mae : oral history interview :: SlackWater Archive". St. Mary's College of Maryland Digital Archives. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  9. "Talking His Way Out of Beach House". Los Angeles Times. 1999-01-10. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  10. "Beverly Hills resident and notable interior designer Laura Church Mako mourned". Park Labrea News/ Beverly Press. 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
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