It was Rachael to the Rescue – the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF) that is – when Rachael Ray Home transformed the ARF Thrift & Treasure Shop in Sagaponack cottage into a dream domicile, for their 7th Annual Designer Show House cocktail party and sale. “Rachael Ray Home donated everything in the cottage,” Event Co-Chair Gigi Mahon told us. “Their decorating team, renowned designer and General Manager of Rachael Ray Home Michael Murray and his sister, Jennifer, put it together. And they kept bringing and bringing.”
The great reveal was at their Memorial Weekend Saturday party. The rush began during the 5 p.m. Exclusive Preview Hour and continued with the 6 p.m. wave of less serious shoppers and more serious revelers.
The most valuable treasure of all? The loving pets that pressed their noses through the cages, licking the fingers of potential parents, in the ARF trailers adjacent to the showroom.
Gordon H. Hoppe, Alex Papachristidis and Marshall Watson were the evening’s Co-Chairs with Mahon.
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Arfans in need of a forever home were onsite ready to meet potential forever families. (Photo: Lisa Tamburini) |
“Ray herself, like all of our designers in our Rescue Squad, is a devoted animal lover,” Mahon said. “I’m always so impressed that each and every one brings the same perfectionism and caring to our showrooms as they do to their multi-million dollar projects.”
The cast of designers who transformed the other rooms into fantasy tableau’s included Irving & Fine for John Rosselli, Tamara Fraser of Worth Interiors, Cathy Kincaid of Cathy Kincaid Interiors, Inc., Richard Keith Langham, Jeff Lincoln of Jeff Lincoln Interiors, Inc., Kathryn’s Flower Gardens, Ann Pyne of McMillen, Inc., and Iris Zonlight of Blue Ocean Design.
“More is more in our Show House,” laughed Mahon. “Everything is for sale, and every penny goes directly to the animals.”
Partygoers drank Channing Daughters Wine and picked at Fig & PIg hors d’oeuvres. Day & Meyer, Murray & Young Corp, offering unique solutions to moving and storage needs, helped get everything where it was supposed to go. Little bags of Blue Buffalo Earth’s Essentials Farm to Table Inspired Canine Cuisine were the “goodies,” because, let’s face it, most who support ARF have a four legged family member at home, for whom only the finest organic will do.
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A tablewear display from the Tory Burch Collection. (Photo: Lisa Tamburini) |
It was all to benefit the “most vulnerable and defenseless among us,” Mahon reminded us. In the works, at ARF’s East Hampton facility, is what Mahon likes to call an animal “hotel.” “It’s a beautiful facility to house unadopted pets,” she said. “It’s always so touching when people seek out the animal who has been there the longest. And we specialize in happy endings.”
They will open their facility grounds again this year for ARF’s Bow Wow Meow Ball on Saturday, August 19. Because Hamptonites love to party for the paws’ cause.
The ARF Adoption Center is located at 124 Daniels Hole Road in Wainscott. For more information, call 631-537-0400 or visit www.arfhamptons.org.
