To decorate her beach house, “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker brought in an old friend, who has been exclusively involved in filmmaking, and made him a successful decorator.
Photo by William Waldron Producer Anita Sarsidi
Beach houses
Four years ago, when Eric Hughes began decorating Sarah Jessica Parker’s country house in Bridgehampton, near New York, he was very clear about what the result would be. An interior that is not afraid of sand brought in beach sandals, streams of salt water flowing from wet swimsuits, in a word, everything that accompanies the active rest of the crowd of restless townspeople, intoxicated by the proximity of nature.
Hughes spent his childhood in California on the Pacific Ocean, so he knew very well what a weekend at the beach was. The only thing he didn’t have the slightest idea about was the profession of an interior designer. Until now, Hughes’s career has been inextricably linked with Hollywood (most recently he left the post of vice president of production at Universal Pictures, where under his leadership several successful films were released, including the horror film Bride of Chucky).
The request of his longtime friend Sarah Jessica to help her with the design of the country house initially threw Hughes into some confusion. Of course, he was flattered that she trusted his taste, and moreover, recent help in the actress was greeted by the movie crowd with a bang. But all the same, at first he was a little afraid to take on the whole house.
Sarah jessica parker house
“Here it wouldn’t have been enough to choose paint for the walls and upholstery of the sofa. Although, I think, Sarah Jessica could be calm with me – I would never have made anything sugary chic out of her house, in the manner of newfangled Hollywood villas. “
The House on the Coast is one of the few places where the actress and her husband – actor Matthew Broderick – can retire and spend time with their three-year-old son James, forgetting about the crazy filming schedules and Broadway rehearsals. Here you can play table tennis, swim, walk, receive guests and numerous relatives (except for her husband and son, Sarah Jessica Parker has seven brothers and sisters). “Matthew and I didn’t want the environment to be boring, but at the same time, it shouldn’t be overly pretentious or flashy. The main criteria for us are an abundance of light, colors and comfort, comfort, comfort! ” – the actress recalls. The search for such a house (without unnecessary quirks, but reflecting the local flavor) lasted more than one year. The actress endlessly rejected all offers of real estate agents. Now the star couple have taken root in these parts so much that they have already acquired another cottage nearby (this time it was found very quickly, that’s what the neighbors mean).
When decorating the house, Hughes drew inspiration from the work of one of his favorite designers, Billy Baldwin. His ideas, embodied in the interiors of the houses of such famous people in the theater circles of New York as Cole Porter and Kitty and Gilbert Miller, seemed to Hughes to be the best fit for the life of the two actors. A corner of Sarah Jessica’s cottage is decorated with a classic sofa upholstered in Baldwin’s much-loved brown denim. For the other sofa, by the living room window, Hughes chose the now Baldwin’s trademark splatter print. In the master bedroom, he placed a canvas-covered Karl Springer console. He spied on the design of a dining table at the home of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner in nearby East Hampton.
However, Hughes was not afraid of mixing high and low styles. He actively used things from IKEA, as well as from flea markets and local sales.
But best of all, Hughes managed to introduce into the interior the little things dear to the owners. “I thought all the time that this was a house built by Carrie (Parker’s character in Sex and the City),” he recalls. To somehow indicate this important detail of the biography of the actress, Hughes invited the designer of the series and asked him to provide something from Carrie’s apartment to decorate the retractable panel that hides the built-in TV in the hostess’s bedroom.
“It was a complete surprise for me,” says Sarah Jessica. – At first I was afraid that people would think that I suffer from narcissism. But now that the filming of the series is complete, I am very glad that Hughes gave me the opportunity to remember those times. This is so nice”.
The most favorite place in the house Sarah Jessica calls the dining room: “It is completely white, but when the room is full of guests, they themselves become works of art and decorate it even more,” exclaims the actress. Here she hosts her friends Kate Winslet, Sam Mendes, Marcy Klein and her husband Scott Murphy, as well as Mark Sheiman and Scott Whitman. Now they are all Hughes’ clients too. “Sarah Jessica gave a boost to my design career, and I didn’t even notice it,” laughs Hughes. – She saw in me abilities that I had not noticed in myself before. This is a great gift. ”