But the house wasnt for just anyone, as its current owners would only sell to the right buyer.
At that time, I had all but given up on the idea of leaving the city.
The idea of a second home felt burdensome, another layer of responsibility I wasnt sure I wanted.
NO PLACE LIKE…Photographer Gregory Crewdson captures Jacobs in his home’s great room (outside is a glimpse of his husband, Charly Defrancesco).Vogue, December 2024, Special Issue, Guest Edited by Marc Jacobs.
But Wrights name stirred something in me.
And with curiosity outweighing hesitation, I agreed to see it.
Dont let the sellers agent see too much excitement, he advised.
I nodded, promising to keep a lid on my emotionssomething Im rarely capable of doing.
That promise crumbled the moment I pulled into the driveway.
It was this sprawling single-floor layout with massive eaves hanging far over its stone walls.
I then noticed the decades-old Japanese maple treesas if perfectly managed and manicured by nature.
They were so different than anything I remembered from growing up in the city.
The air was different, still but alive.
The stone walls seemed to breathe, blending into the copper, mahogany, and glass.
The house felt like it had lungs, inhaling and exhaling you through its history.
Then, I entered the great room.
Floor-to-ceiling windows opened to the south and east, bathing the space in natural light.
Outside, the Long Island Sound stretched like a paintingserene, unwavering, majestic.
I felt fully present and completely at ease.
But with that clarity came the understanding that this house would demand so much of me.
It was a place that deserved and required care, attention, and patience.
The air was different, still but alive.
The stone walls seemed to breathe, blending into the copper, mahogany, and glass.
With that came the responsibility of restoring it.
The first step was to understand the extent of the decay the house had endured.
We began to understand the enormous challenges ahead, and that the restoration would be slow and extremely painstaking.
By that fall, the renovations were set to begin in earnest.
It was exhilarating and terrifyinga bit like being handed a newborn baby and told, Here.
Take care of it.
And while the excitement was palpable, so were my fears.
Its a Sunday and Im alone in the housea delightful rarity.
Ill wait for the sun to set before I surrender to an hour or two of Netflix….
In this story: The Great Room, 2024.
Screen: 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Lamp: Succession Alberto Giacometti/Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY 2024.
Director of Photography: Richard Sands.
Produced by Juliane Hiam, Alexa Green, and Ellyn Vander Wyden.
