DECOR ATINGin the

GR AND M A NOR

A Design MemoirC A R L E T O N V A R N E Y

f o r e w o r d b y D E S M O N D G U I N N E S S

A R O O S T E R B O O KF O R S H A N N O N G R O V E P R E S S

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DECOR ATING IN THE GR A ND M A NOR

FOREWORDby Desmond Guinness

vw

arleton Varney is a design icon in

America. But he is a design icon in

Ireland as well, for it was Carleton

who created the interior design concepts for

many of our hostelries—Dromoland Castle at

Newmarket-on-Fergus

in County Clare, Ashford

Castle at Cong in County

Mayo, and Adare Manor

in County Limerick. In

1962, The Irish Times

detailed the comings and

goings of the designer as

he reinvented castle life

into a colorful new era of

tourist attractions. One

writer mused that Mr.

Varney would eventually

become the ghost of Dromoland Castle, overseeing

from above the proper arrangements of flowers in

the reception hall.

I first met Carleton Varney when the Hearst soci-

ety photographer and columnist Jerome Zerbe vis-

ited Ireland to do a feature

for the American magazine

Town & Country. We later

ran into each other one

early morning on Madison

Avenue in New York City

in the 1970s, when the

Irish Georgian Society

was promoting the sale

of classic Irish designs to

the American market. We

chatted about the pros-

pects of working together

C

to help bring attention to the works of the Society.

In the many years since that meeting, Carleton has

been very helpful, and he was honored for his efforts

at a dinner a few years ago at the University Club—

an honor he deserved. He has since served on the

board of the organization’s American chapter.

While designing rooms at the American Embassy

residence in Phoenix Park, Dublin—including the

foyer with its elegant, winding staircase—Carleton

would often ring me to see if my wife, Penny,

and I might join him for dinner. The American

Ambassador—at that time, Richard Egan—treated

Carleton as a family member, and very often he

offered the designer special use of the guest quarters

in the house during his stays. Ambassador Egan later

worked with Carleton and sculptor Edwina Sandys,

Winston Churchill’s granddaughter, to create a

memorial in Ireland to honor all those who lost their

lives in the terrorist attacks in the United States on

September 11, 2001. The memorial incorporated in

the design a piece of steel recovered from the ruins of

the World Trade Center.

Carleton is universally known for his vibrant

and magical use of color, much like his mentor and

predecessor, legendary American designer Dorothy

Draper, for whom he apprenticed. He later became

her right hand, and eventually, C.E.O. of the firm

Dorothy Draper & Company, Inc., leading design

projects worldwide.

Carleton Varney is also the owner of Shannon-

grove House in County Limerick, a manor on the

Irish National Historic Register. The 250-year-old

residence was built on land granted to Phineas Bury

in 1669. Architecturally, the house is Queen Anne

in the Dutch Palladian style, and Carleton has pain-

stakingly restored it over the last 31 years. Restoring

and maintaining Shannongrove has been, perhaps,

his greatest contribution to preserving Irish heritage.

He and his family dwell there during holiday times

and when professional time permits. In this volume

of his grandest works, a chapter is dedicated to Shan-

nongrove House.

Decorating in the Grand Manor is a book to be read

again and again—a virtual energizer to the senses.

The Honorable Desmond Guinness at his

home, Leixlip Castle, in Ireland. Desmond

has always been of the manor born and has

impeccable manners that never go unnoticed.

8 9

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–DECOR ATING IN THE GR A ND M A NOR

FOREWORDby Desmond Guinness

vw

arleton Varney is a design icon in

America. But he is a design icon in

Ireland as well, for it was Carleton

who created the interior design concepts for

many of our hostelries—Dromoland Castle at

Newmarket-on-Fergus

in County Clare, Ashford

Castle at Cong in County

Mayo, and Adare Manor

in County Limerick. In

1962, The Irish Times

detailed the comings and

goings of the designer as

he reinvented castle life

into a colorful new era of

tourist attractions. One

writer mused that Mr.

Varney would eventually

become the ghost of Dromoland Castle, overseeing

from above the proper arrangements of flowers in

the reception hall.

I first met Carleton Varney when the Hearst soci-

ety photographer and columnist Jerome Zerbe vis-

ited Ireland to do a feature

for the American magazine

Town & Country. We later

ran into each other one

early morning on Madison

Avenue in New York City

in the 1970s, when the

Irish Georgian Society

was promoting the sale

of classic Irish designs to

the American market. We

chatted about the pros-

pects of working together

C

to help bring attention to the works of the Society.

In the many years since that meeting, Carleton has

been very helpful, and he was honored for his efforts

at a dinner a few years ago at the University Club—

an honor he deserved. He has since served on the

board of the organization’s American chapter.

While designing rooms at the American Embassy

residence in Phoenix Park, Dublin—including the

foyer with its elegant, winding staircase—Carleton

would often ring me to see if my wife, Penny,

and I might join him for dinner. The American

Ambassador—at that time, Richard Egan—treated

Carleton as a family member, and very often he

offered the designer special use of the guest quarters

in the house during his stays. Ambassador Egan later

worked with Carleton and sculptor Edwina Sandys,

Winston Churchill’s granddaughter, to create a

memorial in Ireland to honor all those who lost their

lives in the terrorist attacks in the United States on

September 11, 2001. The memorial incorporated in

the design a piece of steel recovered from the ruins of

the World Trade Center.

Carleton is universally known for his vibrant

and magical use of color, much like his mentor and

predecessor, legendary American designer Dorothy

Draper, for whom he apprenticed. He later became

her right hand, and eventually, C.E.O. of the firm

Dorothy Draper & Company, Inc., leading design

projects worldwide.

Carleton Varney is also the owner of Shannon-

grove House in County Limerick, a manor on the

Irish National Historic Register. The 250-year-old

residence was built on land granted to Phineas Bury

in 1669. Architecturally, the house is Queen Anne

in the Dutch Palladian style, and Carleton has pain-

stakingly restored it over the last 31 years. Restoring

and maintaining Shannongrove has been, perhaps,

his greatest contribution to preserving Irish heritage.

He and his family dwell there during holiday times

and when professional time permits. In this volume

of his grandest works, a chapter is dedicated to Shan-

nongrove House.

Decorating in the Grand Manor is a book to be read

again and again—a virtual energizer to the senses.

The Honorable Desmond Guinness at his

home, Leixlip Castle, in Ireland. Desmond

has always been of the manor born and has

impeccable manners that never go unnoticed.

232 2

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Dorothy Draper

top left

Mrs. Draper was the very first designing

lady to license her designs and products for

china, fabrics, greeting cards, furniture—

even automobiles. She created the interiors

for TWA’s Conair 880 jet liners and was

America’s leading tastemaker. The firm

that she founded is the oldest established

operating interior design firm in America.

bottom left

The two D’s—Dali and Draper, two iconic

talents—lunch together in New York. Dorothy

is wearing a “minnie” hat; she always wore hats.

opposite

Mrs. Draper’s apartment at the Carlyle Hotel in

New York City was one of the most glamorous

rooms I’ve ever been in. She painted the walls

a dark purple known as aubergine. White

area rugs were on the hardwood floors. Floral

patterns were on details such as tablecloths and

window treatments. She placed busts of her

ancestors, one of Oliver Wolcott and the other

of her grandfather Robert Bowne Minturn, by

the double-height windows. What’s not to like?

MY I NS P I RATIO N S. . .

232 2

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Dorothy Draper

top left

Mrs. Draper was the very first designing

lady to license her designs and products for

china, fabrics, greeting cards, furniture—

even automobiles. She created the interiors

for TWA’s Conair 880 jet liners and was

America’s leading tastemaker. The firm

that she founded is the oldest established

operating interior design firm in America.

bottom left

The two D’s—Dali and Draper, two iconic

talents—lunch together in New York. Dorothy

is wearing a “minnie” hat; she always wore hats.

opposite

Mrs. Draper’s apartment at the Carlyle Hotel in

New York City was one of the most glamorous

rooms I’ve ever been in. She painted the walls

a dark purple known as aubergine. White

area rugs were on the hardwood floors. Floral

patterns were on details such as tablecloths and

window treatments. She placed busts of her

ancestors, one of Oliver Wolcott and the other

of her grandfather Robert Bowne Minturn, by

the double-height windows. What’s not to like?

MY INS P IRATIO N S. . .

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MonticelloIt is always springtime at Monticello—even when there is snow on the ground.

I find Thomas Jefferson’s home a place where history and beauty come together.

The golden dining room, recently repainted in Sunshine Gold under the

direction of director Leslie Bowman and curator Susan Stein, brings life into

the house, as Jefferson wanted. I have used this gold color in my own New York

City living room for more than 20 years. I use it frequently on resort projects

as well. The Eisenhower Library in the Greenbrier’s Presidential Suite, where

the General once worked and rested, is painted this special gold color.

Gone with the Windleft

A marble mantel, candelabras, ornately patterned carpets, and velvet-covered French

chairs all in one room. Hollywood sets were superb in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s,

when the film industry was at its most glamorous. Here Scarlett O’Hara reigns.

below

The decorations covering the walls of Gone with the Wind’s Tara are carried into our

work today. The Greenbrier’s entrance lobby echoes the grand plantation of Margaret

Mitchell’s novel, as imagined in the 1939 film directed by David O. Selznick.

2 6 27

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MonticelloIt is always springtime at Monticello—even when there is snow on the ground.

I find Thomas Jefferson’s home a place where history and beauty come together.

The golden dining room, recently repainted in Sunshine Gold under the

direction of director Leslie Bowman and curator Susan Stein, brings life into

the house, as Jefferson wanted. I have used this gold color in my own New York

City living room for more than 20 years. I use it frequently on resort projects

as well. The Eisenhower Library in the Greenbrier’s Presidential Suite, where

the General once worked and rested, is painted this special gold color.

Gone with the Windleft

A marble mantel, candelabras, ornately patterned carpets, and velvet-covered French

chairs all in one room. Hollywood sets were superb in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s,

when the film industry was at its most glamorous. Here Scarlett O’Hara reigns.

below

The decorations covering the walls of Gone with the Wind’s Tara are carried into our

work today. The Greenbrier’s entrance lobby echoes the grand plantation of Margaret

Mitchell’s novel, as imagined in the 1939 film directed by David O. Selznick.

3 2 3 3––

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above

I created this setting for Bill Clinton’s first White House lawn party, thrown for his Georgetown University

classmates. Although the event happened, it did not take place with this décor. In decorating you can’t always win.

above

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter called on me to be the

White House design consultant during President

Carter’s administration. They were wonderful clients,

and I had a grand time, working with the whole staff

to produce not only the décor for the private events

but also for special holidays and state dinners.

Yours truly (far left),

setting up for a White House

State Dinner with Rex Scouten,

Chief Usher, and (left)

with the best Social Secretary

the White House ever had,

my friend Gretchen Poston.

The White House

left

Here I stand by the White House Christmas

tree during the Carter Administration. I

was designing a party for the English Prime

Minister Margaret Thatcher that December.

below

The floral fabric was named Rosalynn for

First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Today, the

tablecloths with flounce skirts are shown in

the Presidential Museum at Atlanta’s Carter

Library. I still own a few myself, and often

use them at my own dinner parties.

3 2 3 3

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above

I created this setting for Bill Clinton’s first White House lawn party, thrown for his Georgetown University

classmates. Although the event happened, it did not take place with this décor. In decorating you can’t always win.

above

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter called on me to be the

White House design consultant during President

Carter’s administration. They were wonderful clients,

and I had a grand time, working with the whole staff

to produce not only the décor for the private events

but also for special holidays and state dinners.

Yours truly (far left),

setting up for a White House

State Dinner with Rex Scouten,

Chief Usher, and (left)

with the best Social Secretary

the White House ever had,

my friend Gretchen Poston.

The White House

left

Here I stand by the White House Christmas

tree during the Carter Administration. I

was designing a party for the English Prime

Minister Margaret Thatcher that December.

below

The floral fabric was named Rosalynn for

First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Today, the

tablecloths with flounce skirts are shown in

the Presidential Museum at Atlanta’s Carter

Library. I still own a few myself, and often

use them at my own dinner parties.

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A SAVANNAH PLANTATION

vw

opposite

The entryway with a winding staircase, glowing peach wall color, a sparkling crystal chandelier, and an

eagle keeping the valance in position says grand in every way. It is in keeping with the rich Southern

vernacular style of the great homes in and around Savannah, where the house is located.

left

The residence has the look of a country estate, and the grounds are complete with a swimming pool and

a heliport. The two-story home has a pink exterior—a color often found on homes in the low country.

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A SAVANNAH PLANTATION

vw

opposite

The entryway with a winding staircase, glowing peach wall color, a sparkling crystal chandelier, and an

eagle keeping the valance in position says grand in every way. It is in keeping with the rich Southern

vernacular style of the great homes in and around Savannah, where the house is located.

left

The residence has the look of a country estate, and the grounds are complete with a swimming pool and

a heliport. The two-story home has a pink exterior—a color often found on homes in the low country.

Mirrors%

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the grandest one

of all? All types of mirrors—from gold-framed beau-

ties and Venetian glass pieces to contemporary steel

designs or ones with lacquer finishes—belong in the

grand manor. No question about it, there is nothing

in the home design market that says grand more than

a mirror hanging in an entrance hall above a marble-

top console table. The bigger the mirror, the grander

the entrance! Many of the great European houses fea-

ture an entry way or a grand staircase with a life-size

gilded mirror, reflecting glittering candlelit lanterns or

chandeliers and, of course, her ladyship as she grace-

fully waltzes down the staircase to greet her guests.

Portraits of past generations in elegant frames

also add a special look-at-me feeling to rooms and

hallways throughout the house. Mirrors reveal the

glamorous and beautiful, and should be hung to opti-

mize an ocean or mountain view. Remember the

dressing tables of Hollywood ladies such as Carole

Lombard and Joan Crawford that were draped in

silk and bedazzled? Those vanity tables were covered

in sheet mirror down to the drawers and doors. Mir-

ror, mirror everywhere.

J

J

JJE L E M E N T S O F

G R A N D S T Y L E

Mirrors%

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the grandest one

of all? All types of mirrors—from gold-framed beau-

ties and Venetian glass pieces to contemporary steel

designs or ones with lacquer finishes—belong in the

grand manor. No question about it, there is nothing

in the home design market that says grand more than

a mirror hanging in an entrance hall above a marble-

top console table. The bigger the mirror, the grander

the entrance! Many of the great European houses fea-

ture an entry way or a grand staircase with a life-size

gilded mirror, reflecting glittering candlelit lanterns or

chandeliers and, of course, her ladyship as she grace-

fully waltzes down the staircase to greet her guests.

Portraits of past generations in elegant frames

also add a special look-at-me feeling to rooms and

hallways throughout the house. Mirrors reveal the

glamorous and beautiful, and should be hung to opti-

mize an ocean or mountain view. Remember the

dressing tables of Hollywood ladies such as Carole

Lombard and Joan Crawford that were draped in

silk and bedazzled? Those vanity tables were covered

in sheet mirror down to the drawers and doors. Mir-

ror, mirror everywhere.

J

J

JJE L E M E N T S O F

G R A N D S T Y L E

Furniture%

Over the years, I have learned that buying furniture and filling a room with chairs, tables,

and lamps is not decorating. When I’m asked what the very first step is when decorating a

home, I always say: Have a plan. A complete plan—not a furniture layout. Think walls,

ceilings, windows, floors, doors, hardware, chandeliers. Look up at the ceilings like you do in

Rome—start with a dream. You need to have furnishings to sit on, dine on, place a lamp on,

but they are not the key to a beautifully designed and decorated room—the background is. A

room should look designed and decorated before the furniture comes through the door.

There are furnishings that represent the ages: Queen Anne, Louis XIV, XV, XVI. There

are furnishings named for cabinetmakers, for example: Sheraton. There is even furniture

named after a 19th-century comic caricature—Biedermeier. There are those who love Miami

Beach Deco. All of these styles and designs of furniture are there for the selecting, and I enjoy

working with all of them.

J

J

J

JE L E M E N T S O F G R A N D S T Y L E

Furniture%

Over the years, I have learned that buying furniture and filling a room with chairs, tables,

and lamps is not decorating. When I’m asked what the very first step is when decorating a

home, I always say: Have a plan. A complete plan—not a furniture layout. Think walls,

ceilings, windows, floors, doors, hardware, chandeliers. Look up at the ceilings like you do in

Rome—start with a dream. You need to have furnishings to sit on, dine on, place a lamp on,

but they are not the key to a beautifully designed and decorated room—the background is. A

room should look designed and decorated before the furniture comes through the door.

There are furnishings that represent the ages: Queen Anne, Louis XIV, XV, XVI. There

are furnishings named for cabinetmakers, for example: Sheraton. There is even furniture

named after a 19th-century comic caricature—Biedermeier. There are those who love Miami

Beach Deco. All of these styles and designs of furniture are there for the selecting, and I enjoy

working with all of them.

J

J

J

JE L E M E N T S O F G R A N D S T Y L E

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DROMOLAND CASTLE

vw

above

The glowing castle can be seen from across Dromoland Lake. I used to stay at the castle each summer

to consult on the maintenance of decorating work, and I would often swim in the small lake.

opposite

The salon lounge outside the dining room is used for cocktail and tea gatherings.

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DROMOLAND CASTLE

vw

above

The glowing castle can be seen from across Dromoland Lake. I used to stay at the castle each summer

to consult on the maintenance of decorating work, and I would often swim in the small lake.

opposite

The salon lounge outside the dining room is used for cocktail and tea gatherings.