The English Cottage Charms of Podge Bune

I have been just about to bust to post my darlin’ English friend-designer-artist Podge Bune’s house in East Hampton. It is in the June issue of House Beautiful, and it’s one of my favorite houses ever. It should be noted that somewhere in there is the color of Podge’s riotous […]

June 23, 2012 Blog, Decoration & Design

I have been just about to bust to post my darlin’ English friend-designer-artist Podge Bune’s house in East Hampton. It is in the June issue of House Beautiful, and it’s one of my favorite houses ever.

It should be noted that somewhere in there is the color of Podge’s riotous red hair, which explains a lot.

As a contributing editor for the magazine it is my privilege to “scout” for projects to publish, and every now and then I find one. Podge’s wonderful, slightly eccentric, higgledy-piggledy and utterly artful blend of furnishings, fabrics, prints, paintings, and mementos surrounded by gardens, hammocks and water–is just plain heavenly.

Podge Bune Living Room. Pictures are hung salon-style, nearly floor to ceiling, but with well-ordered method to their madness. The river rock hearth and fireplace surround is a Podge DIY special. She's very handy, that Podgy.

To me the best kind of decorating is the kind that doesn’t look it. The kind that looks as if one just chose the things one loved, accumulated them over time, added bits by necessity along the way, and didn’t always worry if they matched. From that comes a crazy, glorious mix that is exactly the people who live there. If anybody is crazy-glorious, it’s Podge.

Podge Living Room Vignette — Q: Who would put a pair of Chippendale mirrors at a beach house? A: Podge

This kind of decorating is also accessible and real. So full of heart and soul you can’t help but be drawn to the people who live here lest they be as guilelessly charming as their house.

Podge Bune Dining Room — Knocking out a ceiling and painting everything white made this otherwise non-descript ranch house pretty snazzy. The dining room is open to the living room and kitchen, and a repository for Podge's vast store of scrapbooks.

Podge Table Vignette — A sofa table separates the main living room from another seating and dining area.

It should also be noted that the House Beautiful-watermarked photos are by Francesco Lagnese, and the others are by Podge and me. My photography skills need work, but I thought you’d enjoy seeing what the magazine doesn’t show.

For instance no self-respecting shelter mag today would show a Herend figurine (or not since about 1985 anyway), but I love how Podge is undaunted by the contemporary dictates of cool and displays hers in a beautifully patinated corner cabinet.

Podge corner cabinet with Herend — What to do with the things you don't know what to do with.

And what have you done with your little figurines and such? You know who you are… Rather than scatter them willy-nilly, group them together as Podge has done to give them credence as a collection.