American decorator, designer, lecturer, and author Carleton Varney passed away at the age of 85 on July 14, 2022. Governor Jim Justice confirmed the passing of Carleton Varney.
Varney earned his bachelor’s degree in Spanish. In 1958, he earned a Fine Arts from Oberlin College in Ohio and a master’s degree in Fine Arts Education from New York University in 1969.
In 1987 Varney was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Charleston. Also known as Mr. Color, Carleton’s work is based on his use of vivid, bright, multicolors and patterns.
Varney’s design philosophy “stresses the use of bright colors and the rejection of all that is impractical, uncomfortable, and drab.”
Varney’s public work includes the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion, the U.S. Ambassador’s Tokyo, Japan residence, and the Vice President’s Washington residence.
His celebrity client list includes Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Ethel Merman, Fay Wray, Van Johnson, and many other Hollywood icons.
His product design includes furniture, dinnerware, textiles, wallcoverings, stained glass windows, and scarves. Varney is the founder of Carleton V Ltd, Carleton Varney By the Yard, and Dorothy Draper Fabric & Wallcoverings.
Varney’s writing career began in high school and continued into his professional career. His first book, You and Your Apartment was followed in 1969 by The Family Decorates A Home.
Carleton spent his childhood in Nahant, Massachusetts. Varney and his former wife Suzanne are parents of three boys- Seamus, Nicholas, designer of fine jewelry, and Sebastian, president of Carleton V Ltd. Varney had one grandson, Bowie.
Carleton Varney Passed Away Aged 85
World famous interior designer Carleton Varney passed away aged 85. His cause of death has not been revealed at this time and his family has not released a statement surrounding his death cause.
1982, Carleton served as curator for the restoration and also the decoration of the USS Sequoia, the presidential yacht. Varney reviewed and was interviewed regarding Monticello’s Dining Room restoration in 2011.
In 1990, Carleton was inducted into “Interior Design” Magazine’s Hall of Fame and selected to be in “AD 100 An Exclusive Guide To The World’s Finest Interior Designers” in 1990.
Varney’s client list of White House 1st ladies for state dinner favors, scarves, china designs, and First Lady Suites for The Grand Hotel includes Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Rosalynn Carter, and Laura Bush
Varney was listed in “Interior Designers of The United States of America” in 1991 and was named by “Architectural Digest” as one of 30 Deans of American Design in 2005.
Judith Gura included Varney as one of New York’s inventors of tradition in 2008. In 2015, Varney was awarded the 2015 Design Icon Award at the Las Vegas Market.
After the devastating news of Carleton Varney’s death was announced, many fans and friends shared their condolences and paid touching tributes to the legendary designer.
“America has lost one of its greatest decorators. Our dear friend and business partner Carleton Varney passed away yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. You will be missed,” Councill’s Twitter account wrote.
“Another great in the pantheon of interior design has died: #CarletonVarney Genius w color, pattern, and exacting details w a penchant for dramatic spaces. Think iconic Greenbrier/WVa — his genius refreshed but kept nod to Dorothy Draper’s original mark,” a Twitter user wrote.
Elizabeth King wrote: “The great iconic design and decor legend Carleton Varney died yesterday. After collecting his books for years, I was privileged to speak with him in February and even got some great advice on the color black as a tie-in color. He was a genius.”
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