Darren Henault's own Turkey Farm wins accolades

Darren Henault, one of the terrific talented designers in the DDB's Designer Referral program, was just awarded the prestigious Palladio Award for its exterior spaces and First place in Landscape Design in Connection Cottages & Gardens' Innovation in Design Award for his Millbrook, NY home, Turkey Farm.



The Palladio Award is awarded by Traditional Building (otherwise known as Period Homes) magazine, in recognition of designers who work enhances the beauty of the built environment through the creative interpretation or adaptation of design principles of 2,500 years of Western architectural traditions.



Henault bought the 200-year-old upstate property in 2006 and started a thorough restoration and renovation project with landscape designer Janice Parker. In the process they discovered a family cemetery on the grounds that dates from 1800. The property also features a cutting garden, fruit trees and beehives that yield Turkey Farm's honey.

In case you missed our introduction to Henault, here's another look.

Summer shopping with Darren Henault

Last week we introduced you to Darren Henault, whose extraordinary talent for creating luxurious, livable spaces has won him awards, accolades, and the attention of the most important design publications in the world. His clients include celebrities, business leaders, and the social elite. For Henault, “living beautifully is about editing and figuring out what positive changes to make that will affect how you feel about your home and, ultimately, yourself.” Epitomized in this home in Millbrook:


And this New York living room, seen in New York Spaces:

We spent an afternoon with him on the hunt around the DDB looking for his favorite finds for summer. Here's what he loves, and why.


-"This Diana églomise chest of drawers from Jean de Merry is a great find. A gorgeous Old World technique on a clean and very usable piece of furniture:

-"The Windsor étagère from Frederick P. Victoria & Son is gorgeous. As it's custom, you can lacquer it, distress it, whatever you like. Again something old made new:

-"The textured linens and silks from Nancy Corzine are beautiful. They're formal but crisp and light enough to live with in the summer."
-"New bedding from Leron! Change the room from Winter to Spring just by having the folks there whip up something light and airy:


-"Have I mentioned my new rug collection at Holland & Sherry? How about using my designs and making them in cotton or linen? They're happy to oblige."

Meet the designer: Darren Henault

We asked NYC designer Darren Henault to reveal some of his must-see showrooms at the DDB. Henault, one of the multitude of talented professionals available through the DDB's Designer Referral Program, is known for his luxurious and yet liveable environments, as seen in the bedroom of this NYC townhouse:


-Christopher Hyland. He's got the most gorgeous jacquards and lampas' I have ever seen. If you want super high quality, Old World weaving techniques, this is where to find it. Being a textile fan, it's love love love.
-Chesneys. We're currently installing a beautiful marble mantel into a home upstate New York. Chesney’s has got everything and if they don't, they will make it. They have done a very good job of offering very traditional profiles in a modern way by varying the stone selections.
-David Sutherland. They have got beautiful seating based on Louis XVI furniture. I'm tired of all of the distressed finishes that are ubiquitous and poorly done. They're doing furniture in a waxed, unfinished quality that is more beautiful.
-Farrow & Ball. Finally I can get their gorgeous colors in wallpapers as well.
-Fortuny.  Even before I visited the printing facility in Venice I was hooked.  Now I'm addicted.
-Gracie. We're using their papers in clean monochromatic tones, taking the tried and true and making it fresh and crisp.  The ever-lovely Jennifer Gracie is so nice to work with besides.
-Holland & Sherry. The ability they have to turn anything we come up with into the most exquisitely executed embroidery is unbelievable. I'm, of course, loving their new ever expanding rug collection which includes my own designs, including China Gate [pictured below].

-Jerry Pair & Associates. More and more clients who like traditional are asking for cleaner lines.  The Madeline Stuart collection is perfect and fits to a T.
-John Rosselli. If you are looking for a masterful mix of furniture, Bunny Williams and John Rosselli have done all the work for you.
-Pindler & Pindler. Wonderfully cheerful fabrics. If you're on a budget, you're going to find all of the same basic solids and textures here as everywhere else but for half the price.

Check back soon when we'll share what caught Henault's attention for summer on an afternoon of shopping at the DDB.

Save the Date: East Coast/West Coast Design—Is it Apples & Oranges?

As we learned at last week’s DDB seminar, each coast has a slightly different design culture. If you didn’t have the chance to attend the seminar in New York, save the date for the L.A. redux on May 19.

Christopher Grubb, President of Arch-Interiors Design Group and Darren Henault, President of Darren Henault Interiors will discuss whether rooms in California used differently than rooms in New York; how outdoor spaces are addressed; what client’s demands are in terms of quality and service; and what is most important for clients to invest in?

The two designers will share their experiences in designing in New York and Los Angeles, including differences in each coast’s design consideration based on lifestyle, materials and finishes used, and budgets of their projects.

Having each run successful businesses for many years, the designers will also discuss how they charge for their services and how the economy has affected their client’s budgets and design needs.  And with a changing economy, how they have responded through business procedures, marketing, and other sources of revenue.

The event takes place May 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the PDC's Blue Conference Center in Suite B259. For speaker information and reservations please visit http://www.pacificdesigncenter.com/.