Carleton Varney was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on January 23, 1937, but grew up in Nahant, Massachusetts- a coastal town near Boston. His mother Julia Catherine Mary Raczkowskos was the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants and his father Carleton Bates Varney was born in Boston. He was a direct descendant of Myles Standish (an early settler who arrived on the Mayflower and became a military advisor for Plymouth Colony) through his paternal grandmother. He attended Lynn English High School in Lynn, Massachusetts where he remained a lifelong supporting alumni and friend. 

Varney graduated from Oberlin College, with studies at the University of Madrid. Upon returning to New York in 1961, he earned a master’s degree in education from New York University. He taught English at a private school for a short time and had dreams of becoming the US Ambassador to Spain.

He joined the firm of Dorothy Draper & Company, Inc. in 1958 as an intern. He often traveled with Draper for site visits to projects such as The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia and The Barclay Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With Dorothy Draper herself as his mentor and their mutual love of exuberant interiors, Varney became Draper’s protégé and the pair collaborated on many projects until her retirement. In the 1960’s Varney purchased the company, and soon after became President of Dorothy Draper & Company in 1966. He married his wife Suzanne Varney (née Lickdyke) in 1968 and together they had three sons- Nicholas, Seamus, and Sebastian.

Draper was the head designer of the Greenbrier until the 1960s when she passed the job to Varney. By 1963 Varney had taken over the duty of maintaining the décor of The Greenbrier. Since then, there have been many changes to the Greenbrier, such as the hidden vault built for emergency use by the United States Congress during the time of the Cold War. Other changes were a Dorothy Draper-themed restaurant, a new casino, and updates to the colors all over the property. Varney oversaw this position as curator for over 60 years.

Beginning in 1966, he hosted a daily talk show, Inside Design, one of the first television shows dedicated to the topic of decorating which ran on the Christian Broadcasting Network. Varney continued to host programs on CBN’s 700 Club. Beginning in the early 2000s Varney hosted Live Vividly on the Home Shopping Network. Varney also hosted programs on air with ValueVision and QVC.

In addition to an accomplished designer and author, Varney was also an artist. In 1972, Varney had an art opening, “Subjects For Now” at the Weintraub Gallery in New York. Throughout his life, Varney continued to create art.

He and his wife, Suzanne went on to found textile house Carleton V Ltd in 1973. He was a prolific designer known for his collections, most notably for the home including Kindel Grand Rapids, Dr. Livingstone, I Presume, Fine Paints of Europe, Frontgate, HSN, and Newbridge Silverware. Additionally, he created collections with Royal Copenhagen China, International China, Ficks Reed, Romweber Furniture, Bassett Mirror, and Clare Burke Potter Potpourri. In addition, there were also two clothing lines, A Perfect Day in Paradise and Cruzan Wear as well as an eyeglass collection, iWear Carleton Varney. He had design offices in New York, Palm Beach, London as well as at The Greenbrier. He had multiple retail spaces over the years, including Carleton Varney Rose Cottage in Ireland, Carleton Varney at The Mill in St. Croix, as well as Dorothy Draper Home at The Greenbrier.

Beginning in 1980, Carleton Varney served as curator for the restoration and decoration of the USS Sequoia, the presidential yacht. 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. Varney also decorated President and Mrs. Carter’s log cabin home in Ellijay, Georgia. During the George H.W. Bush administration, Varney designed the official residence of Vice President & Mrs. Quayle, Number One Observatory Circle. He designed china, scarves, and favors for Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush, Marilyn Quayle as well as West Virginia Governor and Mrs. Justice. Additionally, Carleton Varney also designed the West Virginia Governor’s Residence, the United States Ambassador to Ireland’s Residence (Egan), and the United States Ambassador to Japan’s Residence (Mondale). In 2018 he was nominated as a member of the National Council on the Arts and was appointed to the National Council of the White House Historical Association.

Varney lectured all over the world, educating and inspiring design enthusiasts and designers alike. He was a keynote speaker at universities, museums, art, antique, and design fairs. In addition, Varney created the Dorothy Draper School of Decorating Weekend that was held annually at The Greenbrier and Grand Hotel.

During his decades-long career, he designed and decorated private homes, hotels, commercial venues, cruise ships, and events in locations around the world. He decorated the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan beginning in 1977, where each of the over 396 rooms were designed individually, including seven rooms dedicated to the First Ladies of the United States on which he consulted with several of the first ladies. He was very proud that he had decorated the three iconic hotels in Palm Beach, Florida – The Breakers, The Brazilian Court, and The Colony. Varney continued the work started by Draper at both the Stoneleigh Hotel in Dallas and The Arlington in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In Europe, Varney brought his joyful designs to properties including the Westbury Hotels in Brussels and London, as well as Dromoland Castle, Ashford Castle, Adare Manor, and Newbridge Silver’s Café Carleton, all in Ireland. In New York City, The Plaza and The Waldorf Towers; In the Caribbean and tropics, Peter Island Resort Hotel, Villa Madeleine, and Sheraton Waikiki. On the water, Varney designed Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth II, and in the Antarctic the World Discoverer and the Society Explorer, along with private yachts. Varney also designed for sporting events including The Greenbrier Classic PGA Tournament, the Charlotte Motor Speedway Clubhouse, and uniforms for the Cleveland Browns.

Many notable private clients over his career include royalty, dignitaries, celebrities, athletes, and more. Private clients include Joan Crawford, Ethel Merman, Van Johnson, Sam Snead, Judy Garland, Joe Namath, Patrice Wymore Flynn, Fay Wray, Laurance Rockefeller, Former Vice-President Walter Mondale, James & Charlene Nederlander, Alan Paulson, Pat Robertson, Art Modell, and the Pahlavi Foundation.

His work was published in numerous architecture and design magazines including Architectural Digest and Veranda among others. He had a longtime friendship with Paige Rense, former editor at the venerable publication. In 2005, he was named one of Architectural Digest’s Dean of Design and he decorated the Architectural Digest’s Green Room at the Oscars in 2008.

Throughout his career, Varney continued to celebrate, champion, and educate the world on Dorothy Draper culminating in The Museum of the City of New York’s exhibit The High Style of Dorothy Draper in 2006. After the exhibition finished in New York, he orchestrated its tour to The Women’s Museum in Dallas and Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale.

He authored thirty-seven books on decorating, penned two novels, and wrote the official biography of Dorothy Draper, The Draper Touch.. Varney also wrote a regular syndicated column that appeared in the Palm Beach Daily News. For a number of years served as a design editor at Good Housekeeping. In 2010, he opened the publishing house, Shannongrove Press.

Varney held an honorary doctorate from the University of West Virginia. For a number of years he was the dean of The Carleton Varney School of Art and Design at the University of Charleston in West Virginia.

Varney was a passionate fundraiser for neurological diseases and disorders. Along with Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, he co-chaired the Rita Hayworth Luncheon to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association in Palm Beach for several years. In 2016 he was the design consultant for An Evening with Joe Namath, benefiting the Joe Namath Neurological Research Center at Jupiter Medical Center.

Varney, passed away on July 14, 2022 in a hospital in Palm Beach, Florida after an extended illness. He helped shape the way we see the world through his iconic hospitality designs and brought bright, happy colors into our lives. Varney always stated, “I dream my rooms.”

Today–with offices in New York, Palm Beach, White Sulphur Springs, and Mackinac Island two of his sons Sebastian and Nicholas Varney are at the helm of Dorothy Draper & Company as a new generation carries on the company’s iconic love of elegant, timeless and colorful interiors. Sebastian leads the company on the day-to-day business operations with Nicholas consulting on the creative side. The team consists of exceptional designers and project managers including Rudy Saunders, who worked alongside Varney, and is now the Design Director.