Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I receive a commission on all qualifying purchases.
This week’s finds are an assortment of trending design stories and items I have recently purchased – from Amazon, of all places. I hope you see something that interests you. One of my favorite home tours this week is a feature in the current issue of Veranda magazine on the restoration of Grey Gardens, the storied mansion featured in the controversial 1970s documentary staring Jacqueline Onassis’s aunt and first cousin, both named Edith Bouvier Beale. Fashion designer Liz Lange purchased Grey Gardens in 2017 and has embarked on a complete makeover of its interiors, with the help of interior designer Mark D. Sikes. The gardens have been redesigned as well, and they are absolutely stunning – links below.
The restoration of Grey Gardens by Liz Lange and Mark D. Sikes
A chic metal drinks table from Amazon:
If you’re an anglophile and admirer of Genevieve Harris (aka Mrs. Trufflepig) and her Instagram account, then chances are you’ll enjoy the following article: A Home with History – the Reality of Mrs. Trufflepig’s Romantic Restoration.
Clear quartz specimens are great for topping stacks of books or adding sparkle to a tabletop vignette. These specimens come in a variety of sizes, too.
A New Canaan Stone House by McGrath II – a wonderful new project by the esteemed mother-daughter design duo.
A timeless staple in the world of interiors, blue and white porcelain is a great way to add a touch of color to a room, without overwhelming any given color scheme. My favorite pieces are those that look old and storied. Antique Chinese porcelain can be rare and therefore quite expensive, but the next best thing are carefully sourced pieces that have that antique like finish without the price tag. Amazon,of all places, has been very good to me and my clients on that regard. These two are current favorites:
Blue and white cachepot / vase – comes in a variety of patterns, all of them with an antiqued look. (The Amazon pictures don’t do these pieces justice, I’m afraid.)
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Fellow New Englanders, stay warm!
Eva, Just wanted to thank you for bringing such interesting and lovely ideas into my day.
So glad I found you!
Janice
Author
Aww! Thank you, Janice! Welcome to Cafe Design! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy our stories!
xo, Eva
Somewhere I have tear sheets of Gray Gardens after Sally Quinn and her husband purchased it. I though it was perfect.
I know people want to put their own stamp on their properties but in my opinion it doesn’t have the charm it had before. Mark Sikes is a very talented but I feel the house is overdone.
Author
Thank you so much for checking out the story and for leaving a comment, Deanne! As Diana mentioned below, Grey Gardens are certainly not grey anymore! I feel that designers always walk a fine line between their aesthetic and the taste, style and personality of their clients. In the new iteration, the gardens are my favorite, along with the study, the mudroom and the flower room.
xo, Eva
Wowowow! Thanks for sharing the article on Grey Gardens, Eva. Ironically, now it is anything BUT grey. I love that fact that it has been restored and not torn down, which has been the fate of so many historical homes. I have to agree that it is a bit too much for my tastes, but I cannot argue with the talent of the architects and designers. The gardens are stunning, what a riot of colors and textures.
Viewing the original photos shows just how built up East Hampton has become. Nowhere can you have the unobstructed vistas shown in those photos. I can just imagine the cost of purchasing, renovating and furnishing this magnificent specimen–has to be in the tens of millions. According to the records, it was sold to Liz Lange for $15.5 million and I’m sure the cost of the renovation could exceed that.
Again, thanks for sharing!
Author
I couldn’t agree with you more, Diana! There’s nothing grey about the Grey Gardens anymore, and the gardens steal the show!
While the house may be a departure from what we’ve come to know as Grey Gardens, I have found some of its rooms delightful. The study, the mudroom and the flower room speak to a cozier, more casual cottage aesthetic, which I love.
xo, Eva
The gardens are glorious but, in my humble opinion, the interiors are much overdone. The color palette, with its overly saturated monochromatic tones, seems a bit “dizzying.”
Author
Thank you so much for checking out the story and for leaving a comment, Janie! I appreciate it!
xo, Eva