Lauren Drapala is primarily interested in nineteenth- and twentieth-century American architecture and design, with a particular focus on immersive decorative interiors. Drapala is interested in the role that decoration served in the professionalization of twentieth-century design practice, as well as considering patronage and the crafting of interior space as formative to shifting constructions of identity. Her work focuses on the material culture and physical fabric of space, considering interiors through their relocation, preservation and/or fragmentation. She has worked as an architectural conservator on restoration projects throughout the United States and holds a BA in art history from Smith College and an MS in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her graduate work, Drapala teaches in the History of Art & Design department at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.