The busy fall season may be winding down, but there is still plenty of inspiration to come upon as the year makes its brisk descent into winter. As the air chills, consider spending the weekend checking out some showhouses, such as Holiday House NYC and Home for the Holidays in Atlanta, both of which open on Nov. 19. Don't want to wait until then? The latest showhouse at the Guggenheim Estate in Long Island opened this past weekend and offers designers a rich array of decorative delights.
The Friends of Sands Point Preserve is hosting its second-annual Design Showhouse in Hempstead House at the Guggenheim Estate this fall. The 2014 theme is “Home of an American Renaissance Family,” a modern-day interpretation of the Guggenheim’s extraordinary lifestyle and achievements.
Hempstead House at the Guggenheim Estate
The Guggenheim Estate, a 1912 Tudor-style mansion on the Sands Point Preserve, embodies the opulence that once characterized Long Island’s legendary Gold Coast era. Its original owners, Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, lived and entertained in the magnificent Hempstead House, which was designed by Hunt & Hunt at the last gasps of the Gilded Age. This stately waterfront residence was a popular gathering spot for the Guggenheim family and the powerful elite of the time, renowned for the society parties, performances and world-class art exhibitions hosted there.
Nursery designed by Bela Casa Decors and Sewing
Interiors designers and firms who have transformed spaces within the home include Bela Casa Decors and Sewing, Bella Home at Tres Belle Living, Beverly Balk Interiors, Calabrese and Sons, California Closets, Liz Cordeiro Designs, CW Design, E.M. Paul Interiors, Gil Rosenthal, GNR Designs, GVK Interiors, Jeannie’s Designs, Le Décor De Maisons De Luxe, Martin Viette Nurseries, Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio, Metropolitan Institute of Design, Samhal Interiors, Sophia Home Accents and Design, Sparaco Design Associates, and Shirin Woods Interiors.
Queen Bee Gold Coast Study by Liz Cordeiro Designs
A few highlights include the "Queen Bee's Gold Coast Study,” a Cordeiro-designed space inspired by Florence Guggenheim who was the “queen bee” of the estate. The vintage reproduction wallcovering used in the here is called "Honeybee" and it was designed by the "mother of interior design," Candace Wheeler, in 1881. In its heyday, the wallcovering was used in the White House, though its organic theme remains relevant to the Guggenheim Estate of today: honey is still an integral part of the estate, as the apiaries have produced hundreds of pounds of Guggenheim Estate Golden Honey.
When masterminded the "Leontine's Lair,” the designers at E.M. Paul Interiors took inspiration from Daniel's brother Benjamin Guggenheim, who lived an extravagant life punctuated by a number extramarital, international affairs. His last lover was Leontine Pauline Aubart (“Ninette”), born in 1887 in Paris. He and Pauline sailed on the Titanic, a voyage she survived and he did not.
Dining room designed by Beverly Balk
The showhouse will be open for tours Wednesdays through Mondays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through November 30. It's closed Tuesdays and Thanksgiving Day.
In addition, special events including an art exhibition, daily performances and presentations, and a fashion show featuring Michael Mui’s Lotus M designs (happening Nov. 6) will accompany the showhouse. Click here for a full schedule of events.
Admission is $30 per person and parking is $10. Admission is good for the entire month and guests are welcome to return for any of the events. The showhouse will raise funds for essential renovations and improvements to the Sands Point Preserve.
