A Carleton Varney Masterpiece, The Grand Hotel Takes You "Somewhere in Time"

Carleton Varney (aka Mr. Color) is the president/owner of Dorothy Draper & Co. Inc., one of the oldest established interior design firms in the United States, named after the founder of the company Dorothy Draper. As Draper’s protégé, his work serves as a continuation of her legacy.

In addition to numerous private residences, Mr. Varney is associated with the restoration and decoration of countless hotels and resorts throughout the world, and today we will take a peek inside The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan! Varney was in charge of redecorating the Grand Hotel in the late 1970’s, and it remains today a timeless testament to Draper/Varney style.    

Image courtesy of The Pink Pagoda

Before we begin our tour, I would like to extend a Texas-sized thank you to the amazingly talented Jennifer @The Pink Pagoda, one of my absolute favorite blogs!  It was her photo documentary of her visit to the Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island that first introduced me to this historic destination, and she was gracious enough to let me “borrow” some of her images!!  Thank you, Jennifer!

For more than 125 years, the Grand Hotel has embraced its rich history, but kept up with the times. Today, guests enjoy modern amenities while the hotel’s original architecture, charm and relaxing ambiance have been tastefully preserved. Contributing greatly to the hotel’s ambience is the relaxed atmosphere of Mackinac Island (pronounced MACK-in-awe), where cars are not allowed and the horse and carriage and bicycle are favoured modes of transportation. It is like stepping back in time.

Image courtesy of the Grand Hotel

Appropriately, the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time – a spell-binding time travel love story starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour – was filmed at the Grand Hotel.  Reeve is a playwright who becomes smitten by a photograph of a beautiful actress (Seymour) at the Grand Hotel, and he travels back in time to the year 1912 to follow his love. This has always been one of my favorite movies, and now I love it even more knowing it was filmed at this magnificent hotel!  I will have to watch it again… with a big box of Kleenex, it is such a tear-jerker.

Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, Somewhere in Time

Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel became one of the nation's favored summer resort destinations during the Victorian era. As a nod back to a period of time when more formal period attire was de rigueur, after 6:30 p.m. gentlemen are required to wear coat and necktie while ladies dress in their finest.  As it should be!

Image courtesy of the Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel's famous 660-foot-long Front Porch is the largest porch in the world. Gracing the porch are 2,500 geraniums – the hotel's trademark flower – in 260 planting boxes with seven tons of potting soil. More than 5,200 geraniums can be seen in all the hotel flower beds combined.

More geraniums inside! Image courtesy of The Pink Pagoda

There are even geraniums on the carpet! Image courtesy of The Pink Pagoda

Here is a close-up, via Flikr

 And next BE.STILL.MY.HEART!!!!!!!!!!

It is my Brazilliance wallpaper in the Cottage Restaurant!!! I have written about my obsession with Brazilliance (here) before, it is just too fabulous!  Image courtesy of the Grand Hotel

Here are more images of my beloved Brazilliance…

Image courtesy of the Grand Hotel

Close up of the curtains, from the Grand Hotel blog

Image courtesy of the Pink Pagoda

The walkway passes many Grand Hotel shops and Art Gallery. Image courtesy of the Grand Hotel

Image courtesy of The Pink Pagoda

Astor’s Salon is a full service Aveda Salon inside the hotel. Facials, hair styling, massages, manicures, pedicures can be enjoyed in the salon or in your Grand Hotel guest room. I wonder if it is named for Brooke Astor, Draper’s former secretary? Hmmm….

How could you resist these pink and white candy stripes?

A mani/pedi in this girly-girl salon would be a must on my agenda!

Images courtesy of the Grand Hotel

Classic Dorothy Draper style includes black and white checker-board tiles, plasterwork (those palm tree lamps are to DIE for!) and a bold mix of colors.  She loved the combination of red and green. Image courtesy of The Pink Pagoda

Beautiful fretwork on the staircase, and a bold red and green trellis carpet. Image courtesy of Pink Pagoda

This pink Venetian glass mirror is so beautiful! Image courtesy of The Pink Pagoda

This Venetian glass chandelier is stunning!  And note the oh-so-Dorothy blue and white striped ceiling. Image courtesy of The Pink Pagoda

Next on the tour are the guest rooms. The Grand Hotel has 385 rooms, featuring 264 different wallpapers and 22 registered colors throughout, which means no two walls or rooms in Grand Hotel are alike. (Remaining images courtesy of the Grand Hotel)

There’s that plaster palm tree lamp again, I want one!!

Additionally, six suites are named for and designed by six former First Ladies of the United States, including the Jacqueline Kennedy Suite (with carpet that includes the gold presidential eagle on a navy blue background and walls painted gold), Lady Bird Johnson Suite (yellow damask-covered walls with blue and gold wildflowers), Betty Ford Suite (green with cream and a dash of red), Rosalynn Carter Suite (with a sample of china designed for the Carter White House and wall coverings in Georgia peach), Nancy Reagan Suite (with signature red walls and Mrs. Reagan's personal touches) and Barbara Bush Suite (designed with pale blue and pearl and with both Maine and Texas influences).

Barbara Bush Suite

Rosalynn Carter Suite

Jacqueline Kennedy Suite

And last but not least on our tour…. The Main Dining room:

View from the Main Dining Room

After looking inside the regal and timeless images of the Grand Hotel, it is easy to see why Carleton Varney was named as one of the 30 “Deans of American Design” by Architectural Digest in 2005. Stay tuned for more posts on Mr. Varney and his work!