Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Summer Sale Ends Soon!

The Rinfret Home & Garden Summer Sale will be ending August 14th, stop by now for your last chance to save 20% store wide (books & candles not included) and up to 50% on select items!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Innovation In Design Awards 2010

The results are in! Connecticut Cottages & Garden Annual Innovation in Design Awards for 2010 are featured in the July/August issue. The areas most talented designers competed for a spot in Landscape, Kitchen, Interior Design, Bath and Architecture. See for yourself why Cindy placed second within her category.


Click to enlarge each image, and/or pick up a copy to see all the winners!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

As Seen in 'Harpers Bazaar'


Don't miss Cindy's work as featured in the August 2010 issue of Harpers Bazaar, a lifestyle piece on Tommy and Dee Hilfiger at their new apartment in Manhattan's historic Plaza Hotel.

Check it out here: A Fashionable Life: The Hilfigers

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

2010 Greenwich Sidewalk Sale


Its that time of the year again! Come join us on the Avenue for Greenwich's annual sidewalk sale July 15th to 17th from 9am to 5pm. Score great summer savings that will keep you smiling all year long.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Summer Sale Heating Up!


Stop by for Rinfret's Annual Summer Sale.

20% off most items in the store.

New Summer hours:
Monday-Friday 10am to 6pm
Saturday 10am to 5pm
Closed Sundays

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

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)...

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

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!