HOWARD ELLIOTT + COREY DAMEN JENKINS - ASPIRE JLD DETROIT SHOWHOUSE
Do you ever struggle with what design style you want to go with for a room? You LOVE a lamp, but it is too modern to go with your traditional styled room? Or the traditional mirror would be a faux pas in a contemporary setting? It's time to throw that way of thinking out the window! This coming September, 40 well-known interior designers & landscapers will be doing just that by transforming the T. Fisher Mansion, one of the largest mansions in the Historic Boston-Edison District of Detroit back into its former glory, with a contemporary flair!
Fisher Mansion - Source: Corey Damen Jenkins via Facebook
One designer known for his meshing of design styles to create glorious settings, is Corey Damen Jenkins, principal and CEO of Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates, LLC. Corey was called by the Living Room of the T. Fisher Mansion of the ASPIRE Junior League of Detroit’s Designers’ Show House. The room spoke to him purely because of its grandeur. The distinctive architecture of the room gives the sense of a "destination".
““I was also grateful to see that its historicity has been well-preserved over the decades. Between the ornate plaster ceiling, elaborate wood wall moldings and the phenomenal fireplace surround and over-mantel, I knew the Living Room would give my vision a powerful “WOW” backdrop to tell a new story.””
Fisher Mansion - Source: Corey Damen Jenkins via Facebook
Although the great bones of the living room served as Corey's muse, his ultimate goal was to pull the Fisher Mansion's premier space into the 21st Century. This is where his path could go two ways: to be more of a purist and let the traditionalism of the room's historic bones guide his design choices; or he could use these features as a point of juxtaposition for something fresh, hip and modern.
Of the two choices, the latter pathway won out. This will ensure the Living Room would continue to be timeless well past 2018.
““Layering bold art, clean-lined furniture and contemporary fabrics against that neoclassical architecture is a surefire way to say ‘We are both timeless and modern. This room is of the now.’””
As per the style of the era the Mansion was built, the paneled walls of the room are stained very dark. To brighten up the room, Corey is using a color story that will feature crisp whites, rich sapphire blues accented with shots of emerald green.
To ensure that the accessories of the room held their own against the space's elegant ambience, Corey looked to Howard Elliott to help him make that happen.
Faux Marble Urns - View Online >
White Glass Footed Bowl - View Online >
“I chose contemporary pieces from Howard Elliott to explain the narrative that it’s 100% okay to mix and match eras and nuances.”
Decorative Mirrored Tray - View Online >
Champagne Gold Aluminum Bowl - View Online >
“Howard Elliott is a must-have resource of fine interior décor for those with discerning eyes and discriminating tastes.”
Medallion Mirror - View Online >
Turtle Statue - View Online >
““Not everything has to be rank-and-file from one design category. In other words, even a Tudor-styled space like this one can be decorated in a way that still honors the finer principles of traditional design—but without being purist.””
Be sure to follow Corey's transformation of this room on Instagram @coreydamenjenkins, Facebook @CoreyDamenJenkinsAssociates and Twitter @coreydjenkins. And be sure to look for the final reveal this September!
You can buy tickets to visit the ASPIRE JLD Detroit Showhouse by clicking the link below. All proceeds from the showhouse support various community programs and grants, including recent initiatives such as EAT (Education, Access and Tools) which equips kitchens to be fully functional so families can cook and eat together at home; and projects in connection with other social service organizations such as Forgotten Harvest, Cass Community Services and the Empowerment Plan. Since the JLD’s Designers’ Show House inception in 1976, the organization has raised over 4.5 million for community programs in Detroit.
Corey Damen Jenkins
Interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins mixes vibrant colors with layered patterns to create architecturally inspired spaces that are, at once, elegant, inventive and timeless. Taking cues from runway fashion, his residences feature luxurious and refined materials including intricate wallcoverings, sculptural lighting and stately furnishings. Jenkins’ goal “is to ensure that my clients’ homes are always classic, chic and without an expiration date,” states the designer. Jenkins’ work can be found throughout the country with client projects in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Texas and his home base of Michigan.
Most recently Jenkins was honored with Traditional Home’s “New Trad” Rising Star of Design Award, as well as an extensive cover feature highlighting a recent commission. His work has also garnered attention from numerous publications including Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal, House Beautiful, Veranda, Domino, and HGTV. His brand has expanded into product design with the 2016 launch of Corey Damen Jenkins Exclusively for Leathercraft, a line of elegant home furnishings. In 2018, Corey will debut a new lighting collection with Hudson Valley Lighting—the first designer collaboration in the brand’s history.
