Carleton Varney

Carleton Varney, President of Dorothy Draper & Co., Inc., is an American decorator, designer, lecturer, and author.

Born in 1937 as Carleton Bates Varney in Lynn, Massachusetts, he spent his childhood in Nahant, Massachusetts.[1] Varney and former wife Suzanne are parents of three boys- Nicholas, designer of fine jewelry, Seamus, and Sebastian, president of Carleton V Ltd. He has one grandson, Bowie.[2] Varney now resides in Palm Beach, Florida.[3]

He earned his bachelor's degree in Spanish and Fine Arts from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1958 and a master's degree in Fine Arts Education in 1969 from New York University. In 1987 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Charleston in West Virginia [4] Also known as Mr. Color, his work is based on his use of bright, vivid, multicolors and patterns. His design philosophy "stresses the use of bright colors and the rejection of all that is impractical, uncomfortable and drab.”[5]

Career

Varney began his career by teaching Spanish, French, and history at New York's New Rochelle Academy,[6] joined Dorothy Draper & Co. in 1960, and bought the firm in 1964.[7] Dorothy Draper Co., Inc. has offices located in New York, Palm Beach, White Sulphur Springs, and London.[8] Varney's design work includes private homes of celebrities and world leaders, hotels around the world, castles in Ireland, yachts, ships, private, and public buildings.[9] His work includes two historic hotels- The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia and The Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan. Society Expeditions’ World Discoverer ships had public and private spaces decorated and refurbished by Varney.[10][11]

His public work includes the West Virginia Governor's Mansion, the Vice President's Washington residence, and the U.S. Ambassador's Tokyo, Japan residence.[12] His celebrity client list includes Joan Crawford,[13] Judy Garland,[14] Ethel Merman,[15] Van Johnson,[16] Fay Wray,[17] and many other Hollywood icons. Varney's product design includes textiles, wallcoverings, furniture,dinnerware, stained glass windows, and scarves. He is also founder of Carleton V Ltd, Carleton Varney By the Yard, and Dorothy Draper Fabric & Wallcoverings.[18]

Authorship

Some of Varney’s work is featured in the authorship of 30 plus books and syndicated columns on decorating and design.[7] His writing career began in high school and continues into his professional career. His first book in 1962, You and Your Apartment was followed in 1969 by The Family Decorates A Home, thus the name for his newspaper column. He modeled his mentor's column, "Ask Dorothy Draper" with his syndicated newspaper column, "Your Family Decorator." Varney continues to write a weekly column for the Palm Beach Daily News also known as “The Shiny Sheet.” In addition to his books on decorating, he has authored two novels, two biographies on the life and style of Dorothy Draper, titled The Draper Touch and In the Pink, and pictorial books of his work such as Houses in his Heart, Mr. Color, and Decorating in the Grand Manor.[12] His latest works include Decorating on the Waterfront,[19] Rooms to Remember,[20] and Romance & Rhododendrons. He lectures on decorating and design and holds classes on the Dorothy Draper style throughout the country.[21][22]

Charitable Consultations

In 2008 he designed Architectural Digest’s Green Room for the 80th Academy Awards ceremony.[23] Along with Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, he has co-chaired the Rita Hayworth Luncheon to benefit Alzheimer’s Association.[24] In 2016 he was the design consultant for An Evening with Joe Namath, benefiting the Joe Namath Neurological Research Center at Jupiter Medical Center.[25]

White House Work

In 1982, Carleton Varney served as curator for the restoration and decoration of the USS Sequoia, the presidential yacht.[26] In 2011 he reviewed and was interviewed regarding Monticello's Dining Room restoration.[27] His client list of White House first ladies for state dinner favors, china designs, scarves and First Lady Suites for The Grand Hotel includes Lady Bird Johnson, Nancy Reagan, Jacqueline Kennedy, Rosalynn Carter, Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush.[28][29] Under the Carter Administration, he styled White House state luncheons and dinners and served as the color consultant for the Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta.[30] In 2018 he was nominated as member of the National Council on the Arts[31] and he is currently on the National Council of the White House Historical Association.[32]

Design Collections

Throughout his career Varney has partnered with many different vendors to create design collections and product lines. Such collaborations include: Kindel Furniture,[33] Dr. Livingstone, I Presume,[34] Fine Paints of Europe,[35] Frontgate,[36] and HSN.[37]

Awards and Accolades

In 1990, Varney was inducted into "Interior Design" Magazine's Hall of Fame [12] and in 1990 selected to be in “AD 100 An Exclusive Guide To The World’s Finest Interior Designers”.[8] In 1991 he was listed in “Interior Designers of The United States of America”[38] and in 2005 was named by "Architectural Digest" as one of 30 Deans of American Design.[39] In 2008 Judith Gura included him as one of New York’s inventors of tradition.[40] In 2015, he was awarded the 2015 Design Icon Award at the Las Vegas Market.[41]

References
  1. Gura, Judith. New York Interior Design 1935-1985 Vol.1 Inventors of Tradition, Acanthus Press Visual Library, September 2008.
  2. "Remembering Carleton V Ltd. co-founder Suzanne Varney". businessofhome.com. 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  3. Lau, Venessa. (October 2008) Family Gathering: With New Creative Projects On Deck, Carleton and Nicholas Varney Share the Spotlight. W Magazine
  4. ”Varney Receives Honorary Doctorate”, Chattanooga News Free Press, 24 January 1988.
  5. Interior Designers of The United States of America, The Images Publishing Group. Melbourne, Australia, 1991
  6. Suqi, Rima (2012-01-25). "Attention, Class: Show-and-Tell Time With Carleton Varney". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  7. Sheridan, Patricia. (27 September 2011) A Colorful Weekend With Carleton Varney. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  8. Architectural Digest The AD 100 An Exclusive Guide To The World’s Finest Interior Designers, 15 August 1990, Vol. 47, No. 9. pp. 392-394.
  9. May 31; 2014 (2014-05-31). "Carleton Varney: 1990 Hall of Fame Inductee". Interior Design. Retrieved 2020-07-10.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. Slater, Shirley and Harry Basch. (20 October 1985) Afloat: Ships and Suites. Los Angeles Times.
  11. "Cruise News". Orange Coast Magazine. April 1985.
  12. Carleton Varney: 1990 Hall of Fame Inductee. (31 May 2014) Interior Design
  13. Nodell, Andrew (2017-04-19). "Inside Joan Crawford's Life After 'Feud'". WWD. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  14. "Bye-bye, brown furniture. Say hello to chintz". ExpressNews.com. 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  15. Andrea. "ethel-merman-nyc-apartment-carleton-varney-growing-wild". The Glam Pad. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  16. "A Colorful weekend with Carleton Varney". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  17. Home, Style at. "Inside design: Carleton Varney". Style at Home. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  18. Renzi, Jen (2011-08-20). "Decorator Carleton Varney on Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Dining Room | My Favorite Room". WSJ. Retrieved 2015-12-03.
  19. Keller, Hadley. "A Legendary Designer Reveals Which American Presidents Had the Best Taste". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  20. June 27, annette | on; 2019. "Carleton Varney Shares 'Rooms to Remember' In Newest Grand Hotel Book | Mackinac Town Crier". www.mackinacislandnews.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. Early, Rosalee. "Carleton Varney's Palette is Full of Color, Full of Projects", Gazette Mail, Charleston, WV, pp. 1F5F, 4 December 2011.
  22. Andrea (2019-03-15). "A Weekend at The Greenbrier with Carleton Varney". The Glam Pad. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  23. Sanchez, Kelly Vencill. ”A Winning Design for Oscar, Architectural Digest’s Green Room at the Academy Awards”, “Architectural Digest”, Vol. 56 No. 6. pp. 9092, June 2008.
  24. "Alzheimer's Association | Palm Beach Rita Hayworth Luncheon". www.alz.org. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  25. "Jupiter Medical Center Foundation" (PDF).
  26. Ferretti, Fred. (28, May 1982) The Sequoia Returns to Service in Style. New York Times.
  27. Renzi, Jen “The Full Monticello”, “The Wall Street Journal”, 20 August 2011.
  28. Petkanas, Christopher. (30 April 2009) Suite Inspiration on Mackinac Island. Travel and Leisure. ]
  29. Keller, Hadley (2019-05-31). "Beige Decor Is Anti-American". House Beautiful. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  30. Nickell, Patti. (5 March 2011) Designer Carleton Varney brings ideas, reminisces to antiques and garden show. Lexington Hearld Leader.
  31. "President Donald J. Trump Announces His Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  32. "The National Council". WHHA (en-US). Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  33. "Furniture". Kindel Furniture. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  34. "Carleton Varney talks Dorothy Draper, Coco Chanel at Kindel". Furniture Today. 2017-04-24. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  35. "Dorothy Draper / Carleton Varney Colors Swatches - Fine Paints of Europe". www.finepaintsofeurope.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  36. "Carleton Varney Tabletop Collection". frontgate. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  37. HSN (17 April 2017). "At Home with Carleton Varney". HSNtv.
  38. Interior Designers of The United States of America, The Images Publishing Group. Melbourne, Australia, 1991, p. 39.
  39. "30 Deans of American Design", ‘’Architectural Digest’’, January 2005 pp. 8995.
  40. Gura, Judith. New York Interior Design 19351985 Vol.1 Inventors of Tradition, Acanthus Press Visual Library, September 2008.
  41. Carleton Varney is Las Vegas Market's 2015 Design Icon. (11 December 2014) Home Accents Today.
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