Renovating Grey Gardens

Located in East Hampton, Grey Gardens used to belong to “Big Edie,” and “Little Edie” Beale: the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The house had been long-neglected before journalist/writer Sally Quinn and her husband, Ben Bradlee, executive editor of the Washington Post, decided to take on the major challenge of renovating it.

In Sally's words: “When I first stepped inside, the cat smell was overpowering. The floor was part dirt. The ceiling was caving in. Raccoons peered at me through the rafters. Some twenty cats scurried as we entered each room. Still I thought it was the prettiest house I had ever seen.”

“We returned to the living room, stepping carefully over the rotting boards. I touched the keys on the grand piano and it collapsed. “Little Edie” didn’t seem to notice. She did a waltz in the middle of the living room, and when she finished, she waved her arms magnanimously and said, “All it needs is a little paint.”

Sally went back. This time with Ben. Even though Ben is allergic to cats and on his first visit his eyes were streaming and he couldn’t breathe, they decided to take on the challenge.

“I arrived in East Hampton to close the sale of the house. I ventured into the attic for the first time, to find everyone’s fantasy—a treasure trove of objects from a bygone era, unused for half a century. There was almost enough of everything to furnish the entire house. It was a true archaeological expedition, unearthing things that painted a perfect picture of the twenties and thirties. Everything I opened took me through the looking glass to discover another world—one of wealth and privilege, of travels and calling cards, of servants and beautiful clothes and, most of all, of a leisure that doesn’t exist in many lives today.”

Architect E. L. Futterman and builder Robert Langman took care of the intensive restoration of the turn-of-the-century house.

In the entrance hall: like much of the furniture throughout, the table and side chair were among the treasures found in the attic. The pencil drawing depicts Grey Gardens years ago. Hemp floor matting.

Other attic finds included the chaise longues, brass lamps and wicker tables and chairs in the living room.

Sally Quinn comments, “All of the colors and chintzes I chose were to complement the garden, since it was the garden I used as the theme for my decorating scheme.”

The Bradlees collect old newspaper posters, one of which, in the living room, is a turn-of-the-century French example.

A part of the large kitchen is given over to a sitting area. The stove—a new one—resembles the antique version it replaced.

Master bedroom. The bed was also found in the attic.


When the secret garden was finally cleared of debris, it revealed, says Sally Quinn, “wonderful zany stucco Italianate walls, with a rotting pergola and a crumbling thatch-roofed cottage. It took cranes to lift bulldozers inside the wall—once we found it—to accomplish the clearing. “The garden, of course, was the whole point of the house, the reason for its name.”
The rebuilt thatch-roofed cottage is a child’s playhouse.


One of the entrances to the secret garden.

Photography by Peter Vitale.

All images and information from here.

Elegant, clean design embodied in this Hampton home

I have a really pretty house tour here for you. It's the home of NYC decorator Timothy Whealon and is chic without being fussy. What do you think?

I like ottomans as tables

I like all the white with the plant prints

A clear piece of furniture, like this table, is a great option for a small room because it doesn't take up so much "visual" space.

The checked floor is actually painted wood!



I really like the wall treatment going on at the staircase, which is Phillip Jeffries raffia, the two stools are nice too...

via Elle Decor

Renovated House in the Hamptons

Built in the early 1980s, this 10 room house was so badly designed that it lacked even a proper front entrance. But it had one attribute that erased all of its defects: It was perfectly placed on one of the choicest spots in East Hampton. On one side was the Atlantic Ocean. On the other was an elegant wooden windmill, built in 1801. The owners appointed architect Andrew Pollock to renovate it and Cullman & Kravis for the interiors. This is how it turned out.



How about having a 19th-century windmill in your front garden?

The dining pergola offers unobstructed water views.


In the living room a large steel-and-ormolu Italian mirror from the 1930s was set just inches above an early-19th-century New England mantel.

Dark gray pietra serena Italian countertop, white cabinets and white subway tiles behind the range.

A new stair landing created space for a reading nook. The elmwood comb-back Windsor chair dates to the 1780s, and the candlestick table is from the late 19th century. Sisal carpet.


The residents collect contemporary photography, and the master suite includes works by Malick Sidibé, Lou Bernstein and Robert Frank. The sitting room’s five-foot-square double chaise provides an inviting place for two people to relax.

Neil Winokur portraits of the owners’ past and present dogs hang above the fireplace in the sitting area adjacent to the kitchen.

The guesthouse entrance is accessed through a manicured garden.

A bridge at the rear of the house leads to a “sunset deck” atop the poolhouse.

Landscape designer Jane E. Lappin surrounded a deck with salt-tolerant plants.

Architecture by Andrew Pollock/Interior Design by Cullman & Kravis

Photography by Durston Saylor

All images and information from here.

A Bedroom with a View in the Hamptons

The Wall Street Journal's real estate section has a slideshow today of luxury homes that are for sale in the Hamptons. This one has a $28-million price tag. Check out the view that money buys you for your bedroom!

You can see the entire slideshow of Hamptons homes here.

If you prefer cozy houses with old-world charm, then you've got to see this 1920s caretaker's cottage in Carmel that I'm featuring today at Hooked on Houses.

Christie Brinkley's Beach House

Christie Brinkley, the ageless Uptown Girl herself, is selling her home on the beach in Bridgehampton for $30 million. I wrote a post about it over at Hooked on Houses today, but I thought you'd like to take a peek:

The house, known as "Tower Hill," was built in 1898. Despite its lofty price tag, I think it looks comfortable--not pretentious at all. Check out her beach-themed fireplace:

You can read more about Tower Hill and see the rest of the photos at Hooked on Houses. To see more famous beach houses, click here.

Billy Joel's Beach House in the Hamptons

Billy Joel & Katie Lee on their wedding day in 2004.

Boy, have I been swamped with work projects lately. I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up both of my blogs this month -- and I'm way behind on my blog reading and e-mail replying. Add to that the fact that my kids are home from school for the summer, and things are just plain crazy around here. I apologize.

I thought I'd try to make it up to you by showing you some photos of the house Billy Joel and his wife Katie Lee share in the Hamptons. Today when I heard the news that they are separating, it reminded me of a post I wrote about this house on my other blog last year when they purchased it. Take a look.


I like how comfortable and unpretentious it looks. I could use a vacation in a place like this right about now. . .



The beach house was reportedly $18.75 million. I'm guessing these views made it worth it.


To see more photos and learn more about both the house and the Joels, go to Hooked on Houses. And cross your fingers for me that I'll somehow manage to meet all of the deadlines that are looming. Thanks! :-)

Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick's Home in the Hamptons

Elle Decor published photos of Sarah Jessica Parker's house in Bridgehampton that she shares with husband Matthew Broderick and son James Wilke a couple years ago. I featured some of them on my other blog last month but thought you might enjoy them, too. Here are a couple that I didn't post before. Take a look!

For more photos and information, click here to see my original post about it at Hooked on Houses. If you're a fan of Matthew Broderick's 1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," then check out my Movie Monday post today! One of the houses from the movie is on the market, and I found the real estate photos.

An Easy, Breezy East Hampton Cottage

Here's where I wish I was hanging out over the Memorial Day weekend. I'm in desperate need of a vacation right now, so this cottage near the beach in East Hampton, New York, really appeals to me.


Linda at Lime in the Coconut got me hooked on designer Tom Scheerer's work, and I spent a lot of time oohing and ahhing over his portfolio yesterday (when I should've been working).

I like how relaxed and unpretentious this home appears. Like it's ready for me to move right in. First thing I'd do? Take a nap in this bed:



You can see the rest of the photos of this cottage on Tom Scheerer's website.

P.S. I hope all of my readers in the States are having a nice three-day weekend. As I was whining--er, explaining--on my Facebook page yesterday, I'm working all weekend to meet a project deadline. But I did manage to take some time off Sunday to go to a baseball game with my family, which was fun, and Monday we'll have lunch at my parents' place. What are you doing with your holiday?