Blue Christmas

One of the most famous holiday spreads has to be Aerin Lauder's East Hampton house from the December 2007 issue of House & Garden magazine. I have been seeing a lot of blue backdrops to holiday decorations this year and it had me thinking about Lauder's blue dining room. The table was beautifully set for Christmas breakfast and I especially love the mix of gold and blue which is an elegant alternative to the usual blue and silver. And of course the greenery and pops of red add the finishing touch. I wonder if Aerin has room for one more this year! I would love to wake up in this chic house Christmas morning!

The blue walls are a custom color created by Donald Kaufman and the gilt mirror belonged to Estee Lauder who was the original owner of the house. The chandelier reflected in the mirror is by Waterford.

The Indian marble table from 1840 is set with Estee's English cut crystal, gold flatware and vintage lace napkins.

Aerin always orders her gingerbread houses from William Poll in New York. I can also attest that they make the best dips and hor d'oeuvres for holiday parties! It's an Upper East Side institution!

The hanging lights in the kitchen are from Ann Morris Antiques in New York. There is no website but the address is 239 East 60th Street or call 212-755-3308.

I love the vintage Chinese urns that line the fireplace mantle but you can find similar blue and white pieces at Pearl River Mart in New York. Biscuit gets friendly in front of the fire with Teddy Robertson who sits on sisal carpet from Stark.

The walls in Estee's old bedroom which is now a guest room is Toiles de Nantes by Pierre Frey. I think this fabric is a nice alternative to traditional ikat fabrics since they only come in small widths. A photo of Estee and Joseph Lauder in Bermuda in the 70's sits on the vanity among her perfume and objects. Playing with my grandmother's jewelry was one of my memories from growing up and Aerin has many of Estee's old pieces. Hope she realizes how lucky she is to have had such a pioneering and chic grandmother! Happy Holidays!

Photos by Francois Halard

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