Romance and Rhododendrons

Carleton Varney grew up on the Eastern Seaboard in Nahant, Massachusetts, and then headed to the Great Lakes to attend Oberlin College. He followed undergrad with studies at the University ofMadrid and throughout Europe. Upon returning to New York in 1962, Varney earned a master's degree in education from New York University and later joined the decorating firm of Dorothy Draper & Company, Inc., where he has been owner and president for over 50 years. He servedas design consultant to the White House during the Carter Administration, holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Charleston in West Virginia, and was bestowed a Presidential appointmentto the National Endowment of the Arts. Varney has published 35 books ondecorating, penned two novels, and written the official biography of Dorothy Draper. He also writes a regular syndicated design column that appears in the Palm Beach Daily News. He is the father of three sons, Nicholas, Seamus, and Sebastian, and has one grandson, Bowie.

“Since taking over Dorothy Draper and Company, Varney has designed and refurbished countless hotels buildings, homes and even a presidential yacht, the USS Sequoia. However, The Greenbrier occupies a special place in his heart.” -- Washington Post