Whether creating a country home, a city apartment, a townhouse, a yacht or a boardroom, Darren Henault specializes in creating a palpable feeling of comfort and intimacy, as well as a sense of permanence. His extraordinary talent for creating luxurious livable spaces has won him awards, accolades and the attention of the most important design publications in the world.
“To me, living beautifully is about editing and figuring out what positive changes to make that will affect how you feel about your home, and ultimately, about yourself,” Darren says.
We are delighted to welcome Darren to The Glam Pad today for a Style Profile Q&A and a tour of one of his most rewarding design projects: the major renovation of his 1800 farmhouse in Millbrook, New York. The addition includes a bright, airy family room with floor-to-ceiling windows, bedrooms and a bathroom for his twin girls, along with a new entryway.
Photography is by William Waldron, styling is by Martin Bourne. Welcome, Darren!
Q: Please tell us about your background and how your career in interior design began?
A: My family was in the textile industry and had mills in both Woonsocket, RI and Lowell, MA. By osmosis I learned about weaving, dying and finishing. Most importantly I learned about color working one summer in the dye labs. However I had no interest in that business or working with my family. Flash forward 20 years and I’m working in advertising in New York. On a trip to Europe with a friends family, the dad (an architect) told me that I had an eye and should be an interior designer. I thought he was nuts. When I returned to New York the head of the interior design department at FIT called me (at the insistence of my friend’s dad) and talked me into taking a studio class. I was hooked.
Q: How would you describe your aesthetic, and how has it evolved over the years?
A: Proust had the ability with a single phrase to make you not just see something but make you feel like you were actually having an experience. It may sound esoteric but I’ve always hoped that people feel something when they’re in a room that I’ve done. I like texture and pattern and layers. I like to consider every surface in the room from the floor to the ceiling. I want to create rooms that beg to be lived in, not just ogled. As I’ve gotten older I’ve hopefully learned a thing or two. I’ve bent from being strictly traditional to enjoying a clean modern influence here and there.
Q: Please tell us about the most interesting or unique project you have worked on.
A: There isn’t a single project. But there are several clients who I’ve done my best work for. Those are the people who push me outside of my box, challenge me to create something new and different, allow me to work with craftsmen who teach me. And they trust me.
Q: We understand you were named among Vanity Fair’s 2013 International Best-Dressed List. How does fashion influence your work as a designer? For example, does a client’s attire reflect the interiors you create for them?
A: My own fashion is incredibly simple. My jackets and shirts are all custom and detailed, my shoes are good, my pants are irrelevant (meaning jeans are fine). Yes, I’m known for the occasional flair but I keep it pretty clean and mean. Honestly, I don’t want to think about what I’m wearing on a daily basis. We’re making so many decisions during the course of the day I like to remove that from my to do list. Surprisingly what a client is wearing rarely has anything to do with how they want to live. It’s odd. I’ve had rock stars who wanted immaculate and tailored homes and I’ve had buttoned down three piece suited wall street execs who wanted to live like a bohemian.
Q: Please tell us about Tent, your new New York City location.
A: It’s an extension of the store in Amenia with one difference. In Amenia I have to be very careful with price point. Not that the New York location is off the charts but I’m able to work with artisans and create lighting, casegoods, accessories that may not be affordable upstate or desirable in a second home. It’s more artisan heavy which I really enjoy.
Q: What designers (past or present) have most influenced your work?
A: The list of people that I’d have to give credit to is vast. If I’ve seen, loved or learned one thing from a designer they’ve influenced my work. Jacques Garcia, Jacques Grange, Nicky Haslam, Frances Elkins, Madeline Castaing, John Pawson, Alexa Hampton, David Kleinberg, Miles Redd, Jamie Drake…..dozens of young people coming up. We all learn from each other.
Q: Over the course of your career, what are the biggest changes you have witnessed within the interior design industry, and what changes do you foresee over the next five years?
A: I honestly don’t think much has changed. Besides talent a designers greatest asset is the craftspeople he works with. Yes everything is accessible via the internet for mass market. But the one on one between the designer and the workroom is where the magic is created. That will never change. In regards to the future, I’m VERY VERY curious to see what AI does. I’m trying to figure out that one myself right now.
Q: How do you create a home that defies trends and will withstand the test of time?
A: My answer to that is how do you create a home that is trendy. If it’s trendy it’s not a home. It’s someone else’s idea of how people should live. OK I’ll say it, “RH is good looking”. But at those prices do you want to live like a million other people? Make it personal, make it yours.
Q: Where do you find inspiration, and how do you like to spend your downtime?
A: That’s easy. One word. Travel, travel, travel, travel, travel
Thank you, Darren, for joining us today, and for inviting us into your family’s exquisite country home!
To learn more, please visit Darren Henault and follow @darrenhenault on Instagram for ongoing inspiration.
At Dixon Rye, Bradley has crafted a shop that Architectural Digest lauds as one of America’s Most Beautiful Home Stores. His bi-annual sourcing adventures whisk him around the globe, uncovering antiques and rare treasures from places like France, Italy, and Africa. These incredible finds not only enhance his own projects but also grace designers’ creations nationwide.
