By the time Christmas 2020 rolled around, I knew exactly what gift I wanted most. Not jewelry, not lipstick, not some fancy new device. I picked out a flannel bathrobe in a fetching gray plaid. My husband gently inquired: Did I truly want a size men’s extra-tall?
I did. I wanted a bathrobe large enough to escape into, soft enough that I could wear it to stream a movie Friday night and maybe still be wearing it when I opened my laptop to begin work on Monday morning. Reader, I’m only a little embarrassed to tell you that’s exactly what I got.
All of which is to say the past year has found me spending way more time than I normally do in the confines of my own home. And while my personal style has taken a hit, my house has never looked better. Our family cleaned up, got organized, hung new art, added new furniture, cut down an unhealthy tree and planted a pint-size evergreen that we hope will keep growing stronger long after this difficult year is behind us.
If you’re in the same frame of mind, this issue is for you: It’s all about enjoying and improving your North Fork home.
What makes a home here special doesn’t have much to do with how big or flashy it is, and I love that. Luxury might impress elsewhere, but our team was more interested in highlighting things like historic import (as with the fixer-upper projects detailed on p. 84), an environmentally friendly design (as in architect Wayne Turett’s unique “passive house” on p. 62) or décor that feels personal and authentic, as interior designer Dan Mazzarini’s home on p. 72 certainly does.
Mazzarini has designed projects all over the world, but his approach to his own space is pure North Fork — full of meaning and local flavor. Isn’t this what we all aspire to? A home that feels not only beautiful, but also as warm and comfortable and lived-in as a flannel bathrobe, in whatever style feels right to you.
Sara Austin
Editorial Director
