HOMETHOEWRON
Designer Corey Damen Jenkins stays true to his Detroit roots.
After the 2008 recession hit, Detroit native
Corey Damen Jenkins left his job in the auto industry and was forced to downgrade from a fancy condo to a rental apartment. But there was a silver lining: it led him to fulfil his dream of becoming an interior designer.
With just one internship at 19 at a New York design firm under his belt, Corey went door to door, pitching his talents with brochures bearing his hand-drawn renderings. He vowed that if he didn’t land one “yes” after 800 doors, he’d become a barista. He was nearing that threshold when door number 779 opened and the couple inside handed him a cup of tea and hired him on the spot. After sharing his work on his website, HGTV’s Showhouse Showdown came knocking. Corey won the competition, and he was launched.
This year sees the release of Corey’s first book, Design Remix, and a debut on Architectural Digest’s esteemed AD100 list. Corey’s work is known for a use of colour that reflects his positivity, energy and daring. Proud of his hometown’s Motown heritage, his designs echo the sass of a shimmying sequin gown and the luxury of Smokey Robinson’s satiny lapels.
Q&A
HOUSE & HOME: In 2019, you were the first Michigan designer invited to participate in New York’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House. What did that mean to you? COREY DAMEN JENKINS: It meant a lot. Even though my flagship office is now in New York, I still maintain my creative studio in Detroit. To be given the formal library, which was a high-profile room, was an amazing honour.
H&H: What sets your work apart?
CDJ: The juxtaposition of traditionalism and classicism with judicious layers of vibrant colour and powerful pattern. I also really celebrate the work of ancient civilizations.
Back then, the colours of royalty were emerald green, ruby red, sapphire blue and gold, and I pair them with turquoise and creamy white to make a statement.
H&H: Any role models? You’ve mentioned Mario Buatta, the famous decorator known as the “Prince of Chintz.” CDJ: He was also a friend. I got to know Mario in the latter years of his life. He had decorated a historical home in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., that I was later commissioned to renovate in 2013. He and I had dinner a year later, and I showed him photos of the project on my phone. He said, “What did you do with all of my chintz?” I said, “Let’s say there’s a very well-dressed homeless person out there now.” He wasn’t offended. I consider myself a maximalist, too, but maybe not on the level that he was… no one can do what Mario did.
H&H: Tell us about your new fabric and wall covering collection.
CDJ: When I was looking for a partner for my first collection, Kravet was my only choice because the brand was loyal to me before anybody else — when I was knocking on doors trying to create something from nothing. Some showrooms were very snobby; they wouldn’t give me samples without an account or astronomical opening signing cost. I got turned away constantly; the Kravets and their showrooms were so welcoming and gave me the samples, which I glued on those sample boards. They gave me a shot before the rest of the world.
H&H: What advice would you give other designers of colour just starting out in the business?
CDJ: You can become anything. The power is in your hands to shape and manipulate the energy around you and create a new beginning for yourself. I think the universe has a way of testing us to see just how much we really want something. But you have to hustle — it’s not going to just fall in your lap.