Designer Spotlight

In a Manhattan Home, Maximalist Darren Henault Turns Down the Volume

Front room of a West Village Manhattan townhouse designed by Darren Henault with a Fortuny pendant lamp hanging over a custom sofa and a pair of 1940s Jules Leleu armchairs from Maison Gerard. Buddha artwork by Tibetan artist Gade.
Interior designer Darren Henault portrait
Collaborating with longtime clients, Darren Henault (above) combined two early-1900s townhouses in New York City into a single residence designed for entertaining. Top: In one of the two front rooms, a Fortuny pendant lamp hangs over the custom sofa and a pair of 1940s Jules Leleu armchairs from Maison Gerard. The artwork over the mantel is by Tibetan artist Gade. All photos by William Waldron

Words like spare and restrained aren’t what first come to mind when describing Darren Henault’s richly layered, rooted-in-tradition interiors. The New York City–based designer, who calls himself a “king of pattern on pattern on pattern on pattern”—yes, that was four patterns!—is known for his artful combinations of not only pattern but also color, form and texture. “All of that,” he says, “means comfort and depth to me.”

And so, when a longtime client asked Henault to create a home in Manhattan’s West Village that she wanted to feel “soothing, quiet, consistent, without major flair,” as the designer recalls it, he knew he would have to rein in his most exuberant impulses a shade — or three. 

The project involved combining a pair of side-by-side early-20th-century townhouses, and the client turned to Henault for help. He had previously done another townhouse for her where “every room was like a fantasy and we really let it fly,” he says. Here, “she wanted the spaces to be more meditative, with few distractions.”

The renovation ultimately took several years and involved multiple architects and contractors, as the plans went through a series of iterations. While the landmarked facades of the five-story buildings could not be altered, the interior were gutted, staircases replaced, electrical systems updated and new flooring, walls and architectural details installed throughout.

The biggest structural change involved extending the parlor level of one of the townhouses some 15 feet at the back, creating a larger, light-filled living room with a conservatory-style glass enclosure overlooking the garden.

Earth toned living room of double townhouse project by interior designer Darren Henault in New York City's West Village
The living room’s pendant lamp, also from Maison Gerard, is by Hervé an Der Straeten. It, together with a wall of glass and skylights above, illuminates seating upholstered in Loro Piano cashmeres and a custom carpet, from Doris Leslie Blau, inspired by an Arts and Crafts motif.

The upper floors contain several bedrooms, offering plenty of space for the family and guests, although the home doesn’t serve as a primary residence. “The major focus from a design standpoint was to create living and dining areas where the client would be able to entertain stylishly.

To that end, one of the two street-facing parlors was transformed into a reception foyer in which, Henault notes, “you can hang seventy coats.” Wraparound paneling lacquered in a glossy French blue provides a spirited welcome, while the space is simply but elegantly furnished with pieces like an Edwin Lutyens mercury ball chandelier, a pair of Soane Britain barrel-back armchairs and a custom carpet with an Art Nouveau–inspired pattern.

Blue-hued living room of double townhouse designed by Darren Henault in New York City's West Village
In the other front room, Soane Britain armchairs and a custom carpet based on an Art Nouveau patterns sit under a mercury ball chandelier by Edwin Lutyens.

Henault outfitted the other front room as a cozy den lined with paneling in a faux-bois finish that mimics honeytone oak. A contemporary Buddhist-themed work by Tibetan artist Gade is mounted above the A&R Asta neoclassical fireplace, while astrological etchings from the client’s collection hang in neat pairs around the space. A Fortuny silk light fixture adds delicate panache overhead, suspended above a custom sofa and a pair of curvy, velvet-clad 1940s Jules Leleu armchairs from Maison Gerard

Between the chairs is a vintage cocktail table with a base of interlacing, sinuous strands of gilt-iron. “The table honestly isn’t anything of particular value,” says Henault, noting that the client “will happily put something worth five dollars next to something that costs five hundred thousand if she likes it.”

The space that perhaps best encapsulates the spirit of the home’s decor is the living room, where an austere, black-and-white abstracted landscape by Ron Kingswood commands one wall, in a space otherwise filled with dusty earth tones.

Here, plush seating mingles with sculptural accent pieces like a 1960s industrial-chic Georges Geffroy table with intertwining aluminum legs acquired from Liz O’Brien. Although the room is pared down by Henault’s usual standards, the overall effect is hardly minimalist.

West Village townhouse living room designed by Darren Henault with 1960s Georges Geffroy table from Liz O’Brien
Henault acquired the living room’s round 1960s Georges Geffroy table through Liz O’Brien.

“The client’s idea of a clean aesthetic is not a modernist idea of clean,” he says. “She still wants sumptuousness. She still wants texture.”

Henault upholstered the inviting sofa and lounge chairs — distinguished by gently undulating armrests — in solid Loro Piano cashmeres and covered a 10-foot-long ottoman, which also serves as a coffee table, in a horsehair with a subdued stripe. The cream-color curtains are the same Holland & Sherry satin-weave wool used in different hues for window treatments throughout the home.

Custom furniture in dining room of a West Village townhouse by Darren Henaut
Works by contemporary artists Lita Albuquerque and Jacob Hashimoto adorn the dining room, where the commissioned table combines a resin top by Atta Studios with a base by master metalworker Tom Faulkner, who is also responsible for the Art Nouveau–inspired chairs. The custom rug is once again from Doris Leslie Blau.

“While the room may be relatively monochromatic,” says the designer, “every single thing you touch is a particular texture. It’s very tactile.” 

He did permit himself some pattern play with the room’s accent pillows and bespoke carpet. The latter, he says, is based on an Arts and Crafts design, dramatically enlarged, to give it more of a contemporary feel.

Carlo Bugatti cabinet in dining room of west village townhouse designed by Darren Henault
Holding pride of place in the dining room is an impressive late-19th-century Carlo Bugatti cabinet.

“The construction, design and quality of textiles is all innate to me, and it’s important to me,” notes Henault, whose family owned textile mills in Rhode Island and Massachusetts when he was growing up. “I spent one summer in the weaving department. I spent one summer working in the finishing department, learning about hand. Another summer, I worked in the dye labs, learning about color.”

Breakfast nook with antique and vintage furniture and Katrin Korfmann art in West Village townhouse designed by Darren Henault
Henault bought the breakfast area’s table and chairs at an auction in France. The light fixture above is by Urban Electric, and the artwork behind is by Katrin Korfmann.

A passion for craftsmanship and materials is part of what impelled him to found Tent, a shop offering a range of antique, vintage and contemporary furnishings, including a collection of his own designs. Located in New York’s Hudson Valley, near Millbrook, where he and his family have a home, Tent can also be found on 1stDibs. 

Henault launched the shop not long before wrapping up this project, which incorporates a number of standout vintage pieces, notably the dining room’s Carlo Bugatti cabinet, a tour de force of late-19th-century cabinetmaking. Thoughtfully balancing old and new, the space also features contemporary artworks by Lita Albuquerque and Jacob Hashimoto, as well as a table with a lustrous jade-green top that Henault commissioned from resin specialists Atta Studios.

The table sits on a darkened-steel X-form base by metalworking maestro Tom Faulkner, who also crafted the svelte modern chairs distilled from Art Nouveau forms. Keeping with the theme, the rug was custom made by Doris Leslie Blau using a blown-up Art Nouveau pattern that the client admired. 

multi-colored L-shaped sofa in family room of West Village townhouse designed by Darren Henault
Unframed drawings of animals by Dave Eggers enliven a family room wall behind an L-shape B&B Italia sofa. Underfoot is a Chinese Art Deco rug from the 1920s.

Downstairs, on the garden level, Henault cultivated a looser, more kid-friendly vibe. The family room, which he calls “the crash spot,” is anchored by an L-shape B&B Italia sofa in vivid mix-and-match solid and striped upholsteries, complemented by an assortment of throw pillows, some with lively floral embroideries. Playful Dave Eggers drawings of animals accompanied by witty text are casually tacked to the wall behind. 

“I love the fact that the art is unframed and sort of randomly hung,” says Henault. “We made the space feel more relaxed, including with the nineteen-twenties Art Deco Chinese rug, given that it’s off-kilter, not a uniform pattern.”

Kitchen stone marble stainless steel and stained wood in West Village townhouse Darren Henault designer
Stone with low-contrast graining and golden toned stained wood lend a natural feeling to this kitchen.

On the same level, there are two kitchens, one for more casual family use, the other tailored for an in-house chef. Henault outfitted the breakfast area with a vintage wooden table and chairs acquired at auction in Paris, the latter featuring quirky metal tubing details and riveted leather upholstery. An industrial-inspired Urban Electric pendant hangs above, while a large artwork by Katrin Korfmann enlivens a nearby wall.

When it came to the bedrooms, the client wanted to keep things fairly simple. Henault inserted a few flourishes, however. The beds are custom upholstered in cozy monochrome fabrics, while the nightstands are Henault’s own designs from his Tent collection. The same bespoke settee turns up at the foot of several beds, albeit covered in different colorways of a zingy Carleton V Chinoiserie linen.

Here again, the curtains are a Holland & Sherry wool —”good texture, a tiny bit of sheen and super quiet,” says Henault — with each bedroom featuring a different-color trim or, in the case of the primary, an exquisite custom-embroidered garland detail.

Texture and sound-dampening are paramount, as they are throughout the home. “It’s almost more sensory than it is visual,” Henault says of the entire home. “Walking around, the spaces feel really multidimensional. It’s all very enveloping.”

Darren Henault’s Quick Picks

Japanese Edo-period screen, late 19th century, offered by Erin Lane Estate
Shop Now
Japanese Edo-period screen, late 19th century, offered by Erin Lane Estate

“I’m currently thinking of purchasing this for myself. We are in a new apartment, and I want to hide the television. As it’s a rental, I don’t want to do anything too construction-heavy. I thought I could open this screen in the center and have it move left and right to expose the television for viewing but have it hidden when not in use.”

French Set of Eight Dining Chairs, 18th century, offered by Marymount Plantation
Shop Now
French Set of Eight Dining Chairs, 18th century, offered by Marymount Plantation

“The shape of the seats on these dining chairs makes them immediately recognizable as French. Thanks to the small-scale box cushions and the simple splat, they’re extremely elegant and appealing.”

French Pair of Tables, 1905–10, offered by Newel
Shop Now
French Pair of Tables, 1905–10, offered by Newel

“The repetition of the cabriole legs allows these tables to be at once traditional and extremely modern. Gorgeous.”

Adolf Loos for William Birch Knieschwimmer Lounge Armchair, 1880, offered by Royal House Antiques
Shop Now
Adolf Loos for William Birch Knieschwimmer Lounge Armchair, 1880, offered by Royal House Antiques

“As with my own upholstery collection, I’m obsessive about form and scale. For a nineteenth-century chair to be this bold is truly out of the ordinary, which makes it exceptional.”

Tent by Darren Henault Georgian Sofa, new
Shop Now
Tent by Darren Henault Georgian Sofa, new

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out something from my own collection. I designed these outdoor pieces in teak — rather than with a metal frame and cushions — so they would exude a feeling of warmth, like a proper piece of indoor furniture. They are also engineered to withstand the elements, even as they’re the most elegant outdoor furniture on the market.”

Loading next story…

No more stories to load. Check out The Study

No more stories to load. Check out The Study