The Tower Suite at the Ocean House

If you have not already heard about the Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI then you need to pay attention, as you definitely want to know about this place (trust us).

The Ocean House opened in 1868 and was THE place to spend the summer, especially during the Gilded Age. In 2004 the resort closed in neglect and need of repair. This June the Ocean House opened after a $140 million rebuild and restoration. The 152,660-square-foot property features 49 guestrooms and 23 private residences, farm-to-table cuisine, the 12,000-square-foot OH! Spa and more than 10,000 square feet of event space -- not to mention incredible panoramic views of Long Island, a pristine beach and all the luxuries that any modern resort could claim.


This past Fall Cindy Rinfret was asked to design the Tower Suite of the Ocean House for the resort's Decorator Show House Benefit, "Show Your Cause" which has 100% of proceeds donated to 27 different charities. The Tower Suite is the defining architectural element of the Ocean House and offers the most extraordinary views of Montauk, Block Island, Fisher's Island and Stonington, CT.

The Designer Show House Benefit runs through June 22nd and more information on it and the Ocean House can be found at http://www.oceanhouseri.com/

Here are photos to show you Cindy's journey designing this very special space:This model was our first introduction to the Ocean House (the Tower Suite is the tallest point, right above the sign for the Ocean House). Jeff Riley of Centerbrook Architects did an amazing job of restoring this landmark building with thoughtful touches that add luxury and interest.
The Tower Suite layout is true to its name, with a very vertical orientation, consisting of three floors plus a Widow's Walk.Cindy was immediately inspired by the views of the Tower Suite and chose a scheme of blues and creams, which she carried through all three floors so as to bring continuity to the suite and to better compliment, rather than fight, the impressive architecture of this space.

Before this scheme could come to be the construction had to be completed -- here are some behind the scenes looks at the construction from months in advance to hours before the Show House opening...but everything was finished beautifully (and in time) thanks to hard work from everyone involved in the project.
The Tower Suite living room this past Winter.

Here is the living room again, in April.

And now for the photo we've all been waiting for....the Living Room installed for the opening of the Designer Show House on June 7th:Don't worry, we'll show you more photos of the Tower Suite....here are some more, and if you can get to Watch Hill this month you can see the suite for yourself at the Show House....and if you really love it, the Tower Suite could be yours to own, complete with these interiors designed by Cindy.

The window seat offers a prime spot for a bird's eye view of croquet.

If you prefer surfing to croquet, just sit on the window seat on the other side of the mantel.

The Master Suite on the first level is a calming retreat.


An inviting bath awaits in the master bath....just be warned that the bubbles are glass (a trick of the trade for show houses or photo shoots).


A table set for a seafood feast, complete with a faux ivory lobster, sea shells and oyster platters to create the perfect mood.

This Asmara rug's rope-inspired design literally ties this dining area together.
On the upper level one is greeted by a charming day bed, perfect for enjoying with a cocktail.

A couple cocktails might be necessary to get the courage up to brave the steps to the Widow's Walk, where the most remarkable views await.


The views from the Widow's Walk:




The interior views are also pretty fantastic from this vantage point:

And finally, a look at the exterior of the Ocean House as we waved goodbye (for now)...

A look back at the creation of the Premiere Issue of New England Home's Connecticut

We have an advance copy of the Premiere Issue of New England Home's Connecticut, with a fabulous cover story on a project that Cindy Rinfret did for a Greenwich family. This cover and the gorgeous spread in the magazine made us nostalgic for the photo shoot that made this feature story possible. Come back in time with us to Summer 2009 for the behind the scenes look at how we styled these rooms for this incredible result (which I originally wrote about in June 2009).

For this photo shoot, we brought in the incredible photographer, Michael Partenio and his assistant David, along with stylist extraordinaire, Stacy Kunstel, to photograph this gorgeous home, which Cindy Rinfret had recently completed but which had yet to be finished off with accessories.

Check out these behind the scenes pics to see how we transformed these rooms into sumptuous spaces brimming with interest and color.

Every photo shoot needs lots and lots of flowers. (Think about it, how many photos of beautiful rooms in magazines have you seen that do not have flowers?)

It took five fully packed SUVs to bring over accessories from Rinfret Home & Garden. We took over the kitchen and used it as our staging ground. Whole Foods also turned out to be a great resource for food to brighten up the breakfast room (and also fuel us through the day). We just may have nibbled on some of those muffins that are on the cover of the magazine...

Here is the picture perfect result, as seen in the pages of New England Home's Connecticut.


As you can see from the scouting shot below, the entry needed some serious accessories to focus the space.


Voila -- below is the perfect entry photo, as seen in the pages of New England Home's Connecticut.


The dining room was another space that desperately needed some TLC!



We decorate the table with flowers and place settings. The lights are turned off to avoid any bright spots. What you see with your eye is always different than what the camera sees so we position the "center" arrangement off-center so that it looks better in the shot. Everyone checks out the various shots in Michael's laptop.


After a lot of fussing we get the perfect shot, which looks beautiful in the magazine spread.

Thank you to everyone at New England Home's Connecticut for making this project come to life in the magazine!

Who designed the head table at the New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Dinner?

Cindy Rinfret and her good friend, Priscilla Schaefer of Glorimundi Floral, designed the head table for the New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Dinner at The Mandarin Oriental on February 9th.

The theme of this elegant dinner was Cuba in Flowers, but the table designers were encouraged to do whatever their creative hearts desired to make their tables sing. Cindy and Priscilla were in the good company of other notable designers, including David Easton, Tiffany & Co., and Stephen Elrod for Lee Jofa.

The head table, which Cindy and Priscilla had the honor of decorating, was the talk of the event.

You can see why, with place settings like this!

Yes, those placemats are made from PEACOCK feathers!

For more photos of the tables and all the glamorous people (including Cindy, who was wearing a deep blue shimmery dress, which all us Rinfret ladies are lining up to borrow) check out these links:

http://www.keithlew.com/gallery/11200015_Z435U/1/785971126_E9HEG?c=1#785971126_E9HEG-A-LB

http://manhattan.smugmug.com/2010-Most-Recent-Event/The-New-York-Botanical-Gardens/11206602_xhZh8/3#786060328_YysLq

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/1781723

Local Love

Cindy Rinfret is definitely a Greenwich girl at heart (in case you couldn't tell by the title of her book, Classic Greenwich Style) and this past week has made all of us at Rinfret, Ltd. love Greenwich even more.

Cindy and her Rinfret Home & Garden team went to the Byram Library last week for the 17th Annual Greenwich Green & Clean Beautification Awards. Deborah Higgins, their vivacious treasurer, is a loyal customer at Rinfret Home & Garden and she has always complimented us on our holiday decorations and our festive flowerbed on Greenwich Avenue (we have McArdle's to thank for making that green patch so beautiful). Even so, we were happily surprised to learn that Rinfret Home & Garden had won the Albert E. Betteridge Beautification Award for Sterling Service.
The Betteridge Award is so meaningful to us, as it is in memory of Albert E. Betteridge, who, as his grandson told us, was dedicated to keeping Greenwich clean and beautiful -- to the point of embarrassing his grandchildren by walking down Greenwich Avenue picking up trash in his hands as he went! Greenwich Avenue is one of the most beautiful shopping destinations in this country and the well-tended flower patches and hanging flower baskets help to make it so. Greenwich Green & Clean works to make all of this possible.


Rinfret Home & Garden was awarded with a stunning silver bowl from Betteridge (currently being inscribed with our name). Wish I had thought to take a photo of it at the time because it really is quite chic -- although we do admit to being just a tad bit jealous of the champagne bucket. We also received a gorgeous book called Gates of Greenwich, which showcases all of the remarkable gates, fences, and ancient stone walls that make Greenwich so uniquely beautiful and enchanting. Soon the shop will sell this delightful book, with all proceeds going to Greenwich Green & Clean.

Here's a sneak peek of the book:
If you recognize the stone wall on the left, you are a true Greenwich local!

In addition to the Greenwich Green & Clean Beautification Award, Cindy Rinfret also got some pretty great praise from Greenwich Time last week. Here is a copy of the article, which was on the front page of the Business Section:

Thanks for all the support, Greenwich -- we love you too!

Happy New Year! Happy Sale Shopping!

Here at Rinfret, Ltd. we all have high hopes for 2010 -- lots of exciting projects that we can't wait to share with you as they unfold. More immediately though, we have some retail therapy to send your way. Rinfret Home & Garden is having a massive sale with almost everything discounted 25% percent!

After months of shopping for others it's time to spoil yourself (and without guilt since the prices are as low as they get). Check out the goods:

We LOVE this chic bar with game table. Doesn't this piece just conjure up images of cozy nights at home with friends tucked away from the bitter cold?

There are so many goodies on this bar that I just had to peek in to show you. What could be a more perfect Valentine's Day gift than this red croc barware set? Pair it with The Bubbly Cocktails book and Greek Key tumblers and we'll bet you'll be luckier in love than Cupid himself.

Gorgeous lamps, stunning art, splashes of red and Cindy's absolute favorite hand-painted urns (they are in her own living room) create an elegant yet warm vignette. Have I mentioned yet that all this stuff is on sale?
There is so much to love here. Ultra chic mirrored and gilt tray, stylish throw pillows, and grand pillar holders that look as if they could have been found in a European market.

It's just the beginning of Winter and it looks to be a cold one, so why not liven up the landscape with some popping green urns and a little Hollywood glam, care of Joan Crawford.

As with most good things, this sale won't last forever. So come in and visit us, get your design fix, and find the perfect excuse to treat yourself.