The posts from the last two days got me thinking about a book that I have called Halcyon Days: An American Family Through Three Generations by Peggie Phipps and Richard Gachot (available at amazon.com). It documents three generations of an American family, who had an estate on Long Island, called Westbury House, which is open to the public. It felt like the East Coast version of Virginia Robinson’s.
I started flipping through and was delighted to see that it is just how I remembered it: charming and thoughtful. Henry Phipps had been Andrew Carnegie’s partner and amassed a fortune. Unlike Mrs. Robinson, Phipps was low-key and private, so when a steamer trunk of letters and photos were found in the attic, the family was happy to learn about their family history and the estates’ house and gardens.
Of course, all of this got me thinking about my own space and chronicling the design. I love how honest the information is, from dismay over costs (know that feeling) to preserving beauty. Enjoy!
1 View of the terrace in the summer of 1906. I love that the windmill supplied water during construction.
2 Westbury House, 1910.
3 The Phipps' Palm Beach residence, Casa Bendita, by architect Addison Mizner. So different than the Long Island home but still lovely.
4 I love that the dining room, which was originally in the family's Fifth Avenue townhouse, was installed in a new wing of Westbury in 1927 following the New York space being demolished.
5 Isn't this photo of the lily pool in the Walled Garden dreamy?
6 The terraced staircase leading to the South lawn. So romantic. I really love the clipped shrubs and if you look closely , you can see the giant wisteria vine covering the brick wall.
7 Finally, the east side of the house seen from the lake.
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I was so entrenched in the black and white world of 19th century design that I also needed a dose of color, so I referred back to Decorating With Color: The Best of Martha Stewart Living, 2002 (available at amazon.com and strandbooks.com) and it did not disappoint. I love the color lessons learned throughout the book as well as the tried and true tricks that I have been espousing over the years. (“Look to your favorite everyday objects to find ideas for color that might please you in your home.”)
This book reminds me why I love working at MSLO—it’s all about creative and practical solutions that make your home unique and beautiful.
Kevin Sharkey 
From: Shelly | 3/19/10 at 9:04 am
Kevin could you please tell me the make of the velvet fabric that you picked out for you chair in March 10 blog. It was on the last picture in color Taupe.If there are any other companies that you could suggest that would be great too........ I would appreciate it.......I'm updating some chairs and looking for a soft and elegant velvet fabric.
From: Rowaida Flayhan | 3/19/10 at 9:42 am
What a beautiful home! How lucky for the family to find their ancestors trunk. Such a wonderful story and only illustrates no matter how much money one has, there is always a budget to adhere to. Would love to add Westbury House to my list of places to see on my next visit to your country!
From: Michael | 3/19/10 at 1:31 pm
Gorgeous! Thank you for inspiring us with a bit of history. I love Book Fridays!
From: Ivete | 3/21/10 at 10:30 am
Hi Kevin, I love your blog! I am moving into a very modern studio in Tribeca next month and decorating literally from scratch. Seeing your apartment progress has been very inspirational, but I won't have even a third as much space! Do you have any advice for me on decorating a studio? I don't want it to turn out too modern/spare/cold but I'm afraid of going too far in the other direction and ending up with a very crowded small living space . . .
Thanks for any tips you may have!