Photo courtesy of Near & Far Aid.
Last week I traveled to Connecticut for a truly special home tour. Spending a glorious sunny day in the "country" was so inviting, how could this NYC girl turn that down?
First stop was a breakfast at the Fairfield Hunt Club, home to the preppy Ralph Lauren and Lilly Pulitzer crowd. The women were tailored beautifully and so hospitable. The breakfast, sponsored by Connecticut Cottages & Gardens magazine was a kickoff celebration for the Near & Far Aid 2010 Designer House Tour. This organization joins members of the Fairfield community together to improve the lives of families affected by poverty. It is amazing to see a non-profit organization that is surviving solely by individual donations and run by all-volunteer staffing. I was told this is quite unique among non-profit circles. The president Patsy Devine gave a lovely speech about her volunteers and the community. What a way to start the day... a little eggs, coffee and tears...
Photo courtesy of Near & Far Aid.
The breakfast was beautiful and the highlight was a presentation by Eric Cohler, mix master extraordinaire and a personal friend. He talked about how art and life imitates design and architecture. It was an art history and interior design lesson all in one. Eric has designed a collection of fabrics, furniture and carpet for Lee Jofa, which he mentioned several times during his talk.
Photo courtesy of Near & Far Aid.
When the clock struck 11 am, we were released with a map of Fairfield County and a mission to visit the five homes on the tour. Stops #1-3 were along the Long Island Sound. With varied architecture and design, each house had a unique quality that made it special, all of them gave my creative side a nudge and my jealous side an even bigger one! Take a look at the view from the master bedroom of one of the houses.
I ran into Eric again at House #4 which was the home of an antique dealer's mom. The house was for sale and it was a wonderful example of how to live with antiques. The Westport, CT antique shop Circa Antiques will be the home of most of these amazing finds in a few short weeks.
Photo courtesy of Near & Far Aid.
Most of the homes had art, antiques, clever molding and room designs but the most memorable was the home called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It is a modern Victorian overlooking Campo Beach in Westport. The home was designed by Debra Failla with a beachy, nautical sensibility...right down to the oversized aquarium built into the cylindrical staircase going to the family room. It was the owner's son's 10th birthday and the house was adorned with extra seaside favors including a submarine birthday cake on the kitchen counter. It was truly out of this world or should I say the sea! I even managed to snap a photo of a brand new Kravet chaise in one of the main guest rooms:
This day was truly joyous and a great start to a sunny weekend for this NYC girl! Be sure to check out Near & Far Aid, a wonderful organization, and many thanks to everyone for a wonderful event!
-BG