The Draper Touch: The High Life and High Style of Dorothy Draper

About Carleton Varney

Carleton Varney grew up in Nahant Massachusetts. He graduated from Oberlin College with studies at the University of Madrid and throughout Europe. Upon returning to New York in 1961 he earned a masters degree in education from New York University and later joined the decorating firm of Dorothy Draper & Company Inc. where he was the owner and president for almost 60 years until his death in July 2022. In 1966 he hosted one of the first television shows dedicated to decorating: Inside Design aired every day on CBN. He designed and decorated private homes hotels other commercial venues and events in locations around the world such as Florida Hawaii Ireland and New York. He served as design consultant to the White House for the Carter Administration. In 2018 he was nominated as a member of the National Council on the Arts and he served on the National Council of the White House Historical Association. Varney held an honorary doctorate from the University of Charleston in West Virginia. He published 35 books on decorating and penned two novels. Varney wrote a regular syndicated column that appeared in the Palm Beach Daily News. He was the father of three sons Nicholas Seamus and Sebastian and he had one grandson Bowie.