CELEBRATED FOR HIS JOYFUL, UNAPOLOGETIC EMBRACE OF VIBRANT COLOR AND LIVELY PATTERN, DESIGNER COREY DAMEN JENKINS REIMAGINES TRADITIONAL DESIGN WITH MODERN VERVE
BY JEAN NAYAR
Given his congenial approach to interior design, it’s little wonder Detroit-born, New York-based Corey Damen Jenkins is so beloved by his clients. “I approach every project through what I call the Brick Wall Principle,” says Jenkins, “My clients’ dreams for their home are the bricks, and I serve as the mortar, so their vision is dominant, not mine.”
An abiding belief in what he calls “design democracy” brings even more good vibes to his work—whether it’s a beach house in Bridgehampton, a 19th-century sea captain’s cottage in coastal Massachusetts, or a contemporary ranch in the hills of California. “Every project should be a true joint undertaking where everyone gets a vote,” explains Jenkins. “The best way to make a house a genuine home is to bring the owners’ lives forward and weave them meaningfully into the design, and that requires as much humility as it does creative ability.”
His ego may take a back seat while he focuses on client-driven storytelling in his projects, but his talent invariably shines through, as does his distinctive brand of exuberant maximalism, which is shaped by a medley of favored influences. “Couture teaches me proportion and the power of a considered detail, while historic architecture reminds me that endurance is the highest form of beauty, and world travel reinforces my core belief that restraint and exuberance can, and should, beautifully coexist,” he says. “For every acanthus leaf or classical molding, there should be something nearby that doesn’t take itself too seriously—a curved sofa, a Saarinen table, a joyful abstract painting. Mixing periods and styles keeps a space feeling fresh and, more importantly, without an expiration date.”
After launching his own firm in Michigan in 2009 during the Great Recession, he called on almost 800 households before landing his first client. “My start was anything but glamorous,” he says. “While knocking on doors in the dead of a Michigan winter, a couple of people even let their dogs out to chase me off their property.” Just as he was about to give up, however, a doctor and his wife invited him in and asked him to do a total makeover of their home. “After I finished their renovation and put the photos online, I was cast on my first HGTV television show, and my firm took flight.”
Soon thereafter, he set up shop in New York, quickly rose to the top of the design firmament, released his first monograph, Design Remix: A New Spin on Traditional Rooms (Rizzoli), and launched a MasterClass to pass along his hard-earned wisdom to a new generation of designers. “As a man of color in interior design, it has always been important to me to break barriers and make it easier for the next generation to see themselves in this industry. There’s a real difference between inspiration and education—and my goal has always been to offer both.”
Since the release of his second monograph, Design Reimagined: A Fresh and Colorful Take on Timeless Rooms (Rizzoli) last year, the AD 100 and Elle Decor A-List designer has also been busy creating product lines for top manufacturers, including a first-ever collaboration on a Deco-inspired collection of lighting fixtures with luxury European design brand Eichholtz. “The collection reimagines Art Deco geometry, ancient Egyptian forms, mid-century sculpture, and Viennese Secessionism through a modern lens,” says Jenkins, who sees lighting as “the true jewelry of the home.” Scheduled to launch in Eichholtz’s Miami flagship store later this year, the collection is sure to receive a warm welcome in the Deco-rich environs of South Florida. Watch for a series of events related to the launch in December.
