How Reed and Delphine Krakoff turned Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s childhood summer home into a contemporary retreat with period-appropriate details
When designers Reed and Delphine Krakoff purchased a circa-1917 Arts and Crafts residence on a historic 11-acre estate
in East Hampton, New York—it was the childhood summer home of
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—the Manhattan-based couple chose to preserve
its many period details instead of giving it a strictly contemporary
overhaul. “I think we enjoy the process of bringing a house back to what
it was more than the end product itself,” Delphine says. “We were very
disciplined about getting rid of whatever wasn’t house-appropriate and
bringing in things that were.” It’s a delicate balance that requires a
sense of discovery, a discerning eye, and an inexhaustible spirit in the
face of unexpected developments. Here are four things you should
consider when renovating an old home.
Lay the groundwork.
Before even thinking about doing anything aesthetically, have an
inspector check the existing systems and structures. It’s easier to
repair electrical work and plumbing—as the Krakoffs did when they
updated their home’s antiquated pipes—as well as roofing and windows
before you’ve added wallpaper and paint.
Dig deeper. The living
room was clad in an ornate Louis XVI–style boiserie, but the pair
discovered a drawing of the room from the early 20th century and learned
about the grid-pattern millwork that had originally been there. So they
cut a hole into the paneling and found the preserved oak beneath it.
The design element now figures prominently in the space.
Embrace patina. “One of
the best moments was when Martha Stewart walked through the finished
house and asked if we’d done anything,” Reed says. “That was the highest
compliment.” A significant contributor to that effect: the Krakoff’s
decision to use plaster with metal lath for walls in lieu of Sheetrock.
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