The Studio at the Ledges
The Ledges is one of the most quintessential Newport of Newport homes. It has been in the Cushing family for generations and you can practically hear the walls tell stories of a bygone era. Connected to the house is the former artist studio for famed painter Howard Gardiner Cushing and Newport’s cognoscenti have since found it to be the perfect spot for a late-night afterparty. It is one of the most interesting rooms I have ever photographed. Of note, the whole house was the inspiration for Newport’s newest and most fabulous hotel, The Gardiner.
Mimi McMakin’s Living Room
One of my favorite homes in Palm Beach is that of designer Mimi McMakin.
Known colloquially, and appropriately, as ‘The Old Church,’ the house was originally a place of worship, but through Mimi’s lens, it has become a whimsical wonderland of stuffed animals, old signs, fabulous knick-knacks, and other heirlooms. Much like Mimi herself, the house is charming, warm, and welcoming, with just a touch of naughtiness.
Kathy Rayner’s Pool House Pavilion
Jennifer Ash Rudick and I did a book called Palm Beach Living in 2022, and of all the spaces I had the pleasure to photograph, the one that really stood out to me was
Kathy Rayner’s Turkish-inspired pool house pavilion by architect Peter Marino. Intricately carved wooden doorways opened to an enchanting Persian-style garden. It was an exotic oasis where no detail was overlooked.
Caroline Rafferty’s Library Space at Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach
I had never been to a decorator show house before the inaugural Kips Bay Palm Beach in 2017. I remember being blown away by the unfettered imagination of all the talented designers. I love seeing what designers will do when they don’t have a client to reign them in. My favorite that year was from Caroline Rafferty. Her library space was the exact type of room I would want in my Florida home. It was fresh and hip, with just a touch of nostalgia for the kind of rooms I grew up seeing as a child. I am a maximalist at heart and the hand-painted walls together with the mix of colors and patterns are perfectly executed.
The Kitchen at Beaulieu
In 2015, I did a story for the The New York Times’ T Magazine with Ruthie Sommers
about kitchens in Newport. Many of the grand, Gilded Age homes still have kitchens that haven’t been updated since the 1950’s. In an era that is supremely concerned with showing off the new and expensive, it is refreshing to see these modestly appointed spaces that have lasted the test of time and were built more for function than Instagram. Ironically, the novelty of the matching blue cabinetry and appliances makes the kitchen at Beaulieu the perfect fodder for the aforementioned app.
