My 18 Favorite Items For an Easy Guest Room Upgrade (or any room, really!)

Inspired by a Personal Friendship Story

Hi there,

Before we start, I want to share a fun event happening in NYC on 11/20.

Stylist and Entrepreneur Jessie Freschl is hosting her Non-profit Repurpose’s inaugural fundraiser, The reGALA. A community of visionaries and culture
shapers is gathering to support The RENEW Program, which provides job training, mentorship, and sustainability education for NYC youth. It’s going to be an amazing dance party for a good cause, so get your tickets HERE or sponsor the event HERE.

Also, today 11/6 at 6pm we are hosting the first of our MINT Salon Series - click HERE for more info and HERE to get tickets! Address will be provided upon RSVP. A huge thank you to our sponsors Barnes International Realty, and our Partners Hampton Gifts & Events, Channing Daughters Winery and PLAIN-T.

OK onwards with our regular programming!

A dreamy bedroom in my mood board

I got divorced from my first marriage a long time ago, and though the process wasn’t complicated, it was all-consuming. To cope (and to make matters worse), I threw myself at work, so Thanksgiving was the last thing on my mind. But as the date approached, I suddenly realized that I would be alone for the first time in twelve years.

Though I’ve never had a problem being alone, the thought of spending my favorite holiday by myself made me deeply sad. I’m not one to ask for help—or invite myself to other people’s homes—so I quietly accepted that I’d be on my own that year.

Then my phone rang.
It was my dear friend Ernesto, calling from California. He and his husband Richard insisted I fly out to Los Angeles and spend Thanksgiving with them and their friends.

That year a difficult year, but it became one of my most memorable Thanksgivings. Their love and generosity reached me at a moment when I needed it most. And as luck would have it, they’re both exceptional hosts and chefs, so I was not only emotionally nourished, but also fed very well and welcomed in a beautifully appointed guest room. What a treat. 😊

This year, Ernesto and Richard are coming to Sag Harbor to spend Thanksgiving with us, and I hope this holiday feel just as memorable for them as theirs once was for me. Inspired by their gorgeous guest room in Los Angeles, I put together my favorite (fun and easy) 18 items to spruce up a guest room (they are good for any room, honestly). Scroll down to shop for them, and feel free to share your favorites too by replying to this email or commenting on this post.

As we enter this season of gratitude, I wanted to share this story to honor my dear friendsI hope you can find people like Ernesto and Richard in your life, and to be that person to a friend that may need you now.

PS: Fast forward to my second marriage and kids, our friendship grew even stronger and Ernesto is now my son’s godfather. ❤️