Carleton Varney

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Carleton Varney
Born(1937-01-23)January 23, 1937
Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 14, 2022(2022-07-14) (aged 85)
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)Decorator, designer

Carleton Bates Varney (January 23, 1937 – July 14, 2022) was an American decorator, designer, lecturer, and author.[1]

Known as Mr. Color, his work was based on the 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".[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Varney was born on January 23, 1937, in Lynn, Massachusetts. He spent his childhood in Nahant, Massachusetts.[3][4] 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.[5]

Career[edit]

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 residence in Tokyo, Japan.[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[edit]

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 continued 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 continued 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.[21] He lectured on decorating and design and held classes on the Dorothy Draper style throughout the country.[22][23]

Charitable consultations[edit]

In 2008 he designed Architectural Digest's Green Room for the 80th Academy Awards ceremony.[24] Along with Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, he has co-chaired the Rita Hayworth Luncheon to benefit Alzheimer's Association.[25] In 2016 he was the design consultant for An Evening with Joe Namath, benefiting the Joe Namath Neurological Research Center at Jupiter Medical Center.[26]

White House work[edit]

In 1982, Varney served as curator for the restoration and decoration of the USS Sequoia, the presidential yacht.[27] In 2011 he reviewed and was interviewed regarding Monticello's dining room restoration.[28] 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.[29][30] 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.[31] In 2018 he was nominated as member of the National Council on the Arts[32] and he was on the National Council of the White House Historical Association.[33]

Design collections[edit]

Throughout his career, Varney partnered with many different vendors to create design collections and product lines. Such collaborations include: Kindel Furniture,[34] Dr. Livingstone, I Presume,[35] Fine Paints of Europe,[36] Frontgate,[37] and HSN.[38]

Personal life[edit]

Varney and former wife Suzanne had three sons—Nicholas, designer of fine jewelry,[39] Seamus, and Sebastian, president of Carleton V Ltd.[40] He had one grandson named Bowie.[41]

He resided in Palm Beach, Florida,[42] where he was also a columnist for a local newspaper, the Palm Beach Daily News.[43]

Varney died in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on July 14, 2022, at the age of 85.[4][43][1]

Awards and accolades[edit]

In 1987, Varney was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Charleston in West Virginia.[44] In 1990, he was inducted into Interior Design magazine's hall of fame,[12] and in 1990 he was 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[45] and in 2005 was named by Architectural Digest as one of 30 Deans of American Design.[46] In 2008 Judith Gura included him as one of New York's inventors of tradition.[3] In 2015, he was awarded the 2015 Design Icon Award at the Las Vegas Market.[47]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Silva, Rachel (July 15, 2022). "Remembering the Life and Work of Decorating Legend Carleton Varney". ELLE Decor. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Interior Designers of The United States of America. Melbourne: Images Publishing. 1991.[page needed]
  3. ^ a b Gura, Judith (2008). New York Interior Design 1935–1985. Vol. 1 Inventors of Tradition. Acanthus Press Visual Library.
  4. ^ a b Hofheinz, Darrell (July 15, 2022). "'Mr. Color' Carleton Varney, whose magical style decorated Hollywood, the White House, dies". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  5. ^ Hofheinz, Darrell. "Carleton Varney, decorator and longtime Palm Beach Daily News columnist, dies at 85". Palm Beach Daily News.
  6. ^ Suqi, Rima (January 25, 2012). "Attention, Class: Show-and-Tell Time With Carleton Varney". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Sheridan, Patricia (September 27, 2011). "A Colorful Weekend With Carleton Varney". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  8. ^ a b "The AD 100 An Exclusive Guide To The World's Finest Interior Designers". Architectural Digest. Vol. 47, no. 9. August 15, 1990. pp. 392–394.
  9. ^ "Carleton Varney: 1990 Hall of Fame Inductee". Interior Design. May 31, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  10. ^ Slater, Shirley; Basch, Harry (October 20, 1985). "Afloat: Ships and Suites". Los Angeles Times.[page needed]
  11. ^ "Cruise News". Orange Coast Magazine. April 1985.[page needed]
  12. ^ a b c "Carleton Varney: 1990 Hall of Fame Inductee". Interior Design. May 31, 2014.
  13. ^ Nodell, Andrew (April 19, 2017). "Inside Joan Crawford's Life After 'Feud'". WWD. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  14. ^ "Bye-bye, brown furniture. Say hello to chintz". ExpressNews.com. October 30, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  15. ^ Andrea. "ethel-merman-nyc-apartment-carleton-varney-growing-wild". The Glam Pad. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  16. ^ "A Colorful weekend with Carleton Varney". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  17. ^ "Inside design: Carleton Varney". Style at Home. October 16, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  18. ^ Renzi, Jen (August 20, 2011). "Decorator Carleton Varney on Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Dining Room". My Favorite Room. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  19. ^ Keller, Hadley (March 29, 2017). "A Legendary Designer Reveals Which American Presidents Had the Best Taste". Architectural Digest. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  20. ^ "Carleton Varney Shares 'Rooms to Remember' In Newest Grand Hotel Book". Mackinac Town Crier. June 27, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  21. ^ "Carleton Varney captures The Greenbrier's colorful style in new book". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  22. ^ Early, Rosalee (December 4, 2011). "Carleton Varney's Palette is Full of Color, Full of Projects". Gazette Mail. Charleston, West Virginia. pp. 1F, 5F.
  23. ^ "A Weekend at The Greenbrier with Carleton Varney". The Glam Pad. March 15, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  24. ^ Sanchez, Kelly Vencill (June 2008). "A Winning Design for Oscar, Architectural Digest's Green Room at the Academy Awards". Architectural Digest. Vol. 56, no. 6. pp. 90–92.
  25. ^ "Palm Beach Rita Hayworth Luncheon". Alzheimer's Association. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  26. ^ "Jupiter Medical Center Foundation" (PDF).
  27. ^ Ferretti, Fred (May 28, 1982). "The Sequoia Returns to Service in Style". The New York Times.[page needed]
  28. ^ Renzi, Jen (August 20, 2011). "The Full Monticello". The Wall Street Journal.[page needed]
  29. ^ Petkanas, Christopher (April 30, 2009). "Suite Inspiration on Mackinac Island". Travel and Leisure.
  30. ^ Keller, Hadley (May 31, 2019). "Beige Decor Is Anti-American". House Beautiful. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  31. ^ Nickell, Patti (March 5, 2011). "Designer Carleton Varney brings ideas, reminisces to antiques and garden show". Lexington Herald Leader.
  32. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces His Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2020 – via National Archives.
  33. ^ "The National Council". WHHA. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  34. ^ "Furniture". Kindel Furniture. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  35. ^ "Carleton Varney talks Dorothy Draper, Coco Chanel at Kindel". Furniture Today. April 24, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  36. ^ "Dorothy Draper / Carleton Varney Colors Swatches – Fine Paints of Europe". www.finepaintsofeurope.com. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  37. ^ "Carleton Varney Tabletop Collection". frontgate. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  38. ^ "At Home with Carleton Varney". HSNtv. April 17, 2017.
  39. ^ Donnelly, Shannon. "Out of the (jewelry) box: Nicholas Varney's non-traditional designs wow". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  40. ^ "Carleton V". Nicky Rising. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  41. ^ "Remembering Carleton V Ltd. co-founder Suzanne Varney". Business of Home. April 6, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  42. ^ Lau, Venessa (October 2008). "Family Gathering: With New Creative Projects On Deck, Carleton and Nicholas Varney Share the Spotlight". W Magazine.
  43. ^ a b Post, Izzy (July 15, 2022). "World famous interior designer, Greenbrier decorator dies". WVNS-TV. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  44. ^ "Varney Receives Honorary Doctorate". Chattanooga News Free Press. January 24, 1988.[page needed]
  45. ^ Interior Designers of the United States of America. Melbourne: Images Publishing. 1991. p. 39.
  46. ^ "30 Deans of American Design". Architectural Digest. January 2005. pp. 89–95.
  47. ^ "Carleton Varney is Las Vegas Market's 2015 Design Icon". Home Accents Today. December 11, 2014.
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