Day Tripping

On a recent afternoon, my dear friend and photographer Pam Connolly and I made a pilgrimage to the Marcel Breuer House, located on the grounds of the Rockefeller estate in Westchester County, New York.

Pam and I have a long-standing tradition of day tripping. She calls it “scavengering,” which is a made-up word that fits our off-the-beaten track excursions to antiques markets, historic properties; art-inspired jaunts within a shortish drive or train ride. These long summer days are a perfect time to shake the cobwebs and get out and explore, and the Breuer House is just an hour’s drive from the city, two from my home in Princeton.

As we wandered the house’s perfectly preserved rooms we were struck by the intensely saturated color palette, which blends muted tones of dark rich earth, bright blue sky, and marigold accents. Entering the kitchen, I was gobsmacked to see the built-in shelves stacked with my own French Blue dinnerware, designed by Edith Heath. A design affirmation moment which, along with the architectural echoes of my childhood home in Indiana, brought me full circle.

Today’s kitchens have come a long way, as we’ll explore next month.

Photography by Pam Connolly