Decorator Carleton Varney has Watched Many Trends Come, Depart and Ret

Decorator Carleton Varney has Watched Many Trends Come, Depart and Return

Carleton Varney

06 May , 2022

By Carleton Varney- Special to the Palm Beach Daily News

Fads and trends come and go, whether in hair and nail salons, interior design studios, furniture stores or apparel stores. What’s here today may not be here tomorrow. And sometimes that’s a good thing.

If you observe female news anchors and reporters on cable television, for instance, you will see they have lately been growing their hair longer and longer, sometimes with ponytails braided like Heidi’s of storybook fame. Don’t look for hairstyles that might have been worn by the likes of Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly. Nor are you likely to find a hairstyle like that of ''Rosemary’s Baby'' star Mia Farrow on any channel.

I recall when the Nehru suit was the “it” style of the moment, with its boxy tunic jacket and Mandarin-style collar. I even wore one back in the 1970s when I spoke at a forum sponsored by the Chicago Furniture Market. I even think I wore love beads with it. Can you imagine?

They say that today’s fashion is tomorrow’s obsolescence, which isn't always true. The little black dress was once a new trend – and its popularity continues unabated. The same goes for bright Lilly Pulitzer prints that we see daily on the streets of Palm Beach. And when you browse the web today, you’ll even find updated versions of the Nehru suit, albeit slimmed down and with more refined detailing.

What’s hot at any moment even extends to toys. I recall, as many parents and grandparents might, a Christmas in the mid-1990s when I would have done just about anything to find a Cabbage Patch doll for my son, Sebastian. Happily, I got my hands on one, which I think may still be tucked away in the attic.

On the decorating scene, we seem to be in a time of transition. On the one hand, there’s a continuing preference among many for minimalist rooms, where floors are exposed, windows are basically undressed and walls are painted white or another nondescript color.

Yet at the same time, I see folks in New England who are decorating with butter churns and architectural details salvaged from country barns. Perhaps with so much turmoil in the world today, those folks are after a nostalgic, homey look. They’re yearning for comfortable, cozy rooms that Grandma — or even Great Grandma — might have enjoyed. You probably won’t see many farmhouse antiques in Palm Beach homes, but you might if you visit the Hamptons, Nantucket, Maine or New Hampshire.

In Palm Beach homes, the look of Hollywood-style regency remains popular — maybe only a touch of it, but you’ll see it here more than elsewhere. Palm Beach seems to call out for a bit of glamour, even in rooms tempered with more beachy style. Simple white drapery panels, for instance, might shimmer with a touch of gold trim. Or a clean-lined dining table with a modern sensibility might be topped with an over-the-top crystal chandelier.

As I have always said, fashion trends come and go. But here is my decorating advice: Only embrace trends you and your family really love. Surround yourself with the things that make you happy — that is the best trend to follow.

Oh, and as for all those tattoos we’ve seen over the past 15 years? My dermatologist tells me she is making big bucks removing them.

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Posted On May 16, 2022 by Erik Wagner

A “minimalist room”. I don’t understand it.
There is a wonderful, comforting feeling to sit in a room alone and be surrounded by objects of art and beauty and exquisite craftsmanship, each with a story of it’s own. Each evoking feelings and memories, and thoughts of the moments in time that it has passed through. Whether it be a centuries old piece of vertu, or something made by a family member decades ago, I think of the hands it has passed through and the stories it could tell. Minimalist—I think it equates to sensory deprivation. but perhaps there’s a place for that also.
Posted On May 10, 2022 by Lynn Taylor

Thank you Carlton for supporting ALL of our design preferences and especially yours for color in our lives!
Posted On May 10, 2022 by Pamela Taylor

Great article and great advice!!!

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Decorator Carleton Varney has Watched Many Trends Come, Depart and Return

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