STORY BY BRENT RIDGE & JOSH KILMER-PURCELL

BEEKMAN 1802

PHOTOGRAPHED BY
DANIEL PUISSANT

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WHETHER WERE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE

OR PERFECT LIVING SPACES
People come into relationships with all sorts of emotional baggage, and they come with plenty of
bags, boxes, box trucks, and storage units full of physical stuff, too. But these things dont have to
weigh you down. With a little ingenuity, a thoughtful eye, some teamwork, and sometimes a little
elbow grease, you can make a home together with all the things that you both treasure. Whether
you are sharing a space with a best friend or a romantic partner, the space should (and easily
can) reflect the tastes of everyone calling it home.
When we met in 1999, we could not have been more different. Josh had been living a double life
in New York City for several years: junior advertising executive by day and nightlife impresario
by night (in other words, a drag queen named Aquadisiac). Brent was a fresh-to-the-city young
doctor from the South still wearing the Bible belt cinched tightly around his waist.
What they say is true: You cant help with whom you fall in love, and opposites really do attract.
We dated for two years before moving in together into a small studio apartment in the citys
West Village.

CITY
COUNTRY
FARM
FOREST
HOME
HERITAGE
FOOD
DECOR

PHOTOGRAPHED BY SARAH PEZDEK SMITH

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OPPOSITES ATTRACT

43

That experience, those rooms, and the

surrounding 60 acres has come to define
the design philosophy at Beekman 1802: the
attraction of opposites.
Very few of us will ever have the luxury
of having a complete house makeover.
We dont move into an empty space and
start completely new. We live in blended
environments that evolve over time. We
inherit, salvage, and purchase items as life
rolls on. Things come and go.
But just because you make do with what
you have, doesnt mean that you cant create
something extraordinary.
Beekman
1802 Style:
The Attraction
of Opposites
(Rodale) is
available
September 2015.

TABLE >> fall 2015

HUNGRY
FOR MORE?

44

TABLE is hosting a book-signing

with the Boys this fall!
Stay tuned to tablemagazine.com
for details.

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In 2008, we lost our jobs amidst the Great

Recession, and we moved to a 200-year-old
farm in upstate New York. As we crossed the
threshold for the first time, we looked at what
greeted us not as a large, empty space but as
a well for inspiration. Taking a little bit of this
and a little bit of that, a little from our past
lives in the city, and some new rural finds, the
house became our home.

.......................

BEEKMAN 1802

Excerpts from the

new book! Left:
Old Meets New

TABLE >> fall 2015

This Page, clockwise

from top: High Meets
Low, Inside Meets Out,
Black Meets White,
East Meets West.

45

TABLE >> fall 2015

PITTSBURGH
DESIGNERS TAKE
A STAB AT
CONTRASTING
PAIRINGS

46

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ODD
COUPLES

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LOCAL

TRADITIONAL MEETS MODERN

"Traditional and antique rugs bring rich texture

and history to rooms, adding timeless style that
can fit into any dcor. We love them paired
with a modern sofa in a color that plays off the
rugs palette." Stacy Weiss
Sofa: B&B Italia, price upon request. Rug: 9
x 12, $6,480. Weisshouse, Weisshouse.com.

FORM MEETS FUNCTION

"Your living space should be as unique as

you are." Ann DavisFloor Lamp: Jonathan
Adler, "Harlequin" price upon request.
Table Lamp: Jonathan Adler, "St. Germain,"
price upon request. Typhoon Lighting,
typhoonlighting.com.

INSIDE MEETS OUT

Pair an indoor table

with outdoor chairs.
Enjoy a beachy summer
look all year by pairing
comfortable beach chairs
with your traditional
table. Jennifer
Stockdale
Table: INGATORP
extendable table, white,
$329. Chair: APPLARO
reclining chair, white
$65/ea. HALLO
cushion sold separately,
$25. IKEA, Ikea.com.

OLD MEETS NEW

Whether youve inherited grandmas

antique chest of drawers or you stumbled
onto a great buffet at a flea market, mixing
old (or old looking) pieces with modern
accents, like a gilded lamp with a square
shade and a square mirror, will make those
old pieces look right at home in the 21st
century. Mini Irwin
Mirror: Modern History, 40 x 40,
$1,526. Lamp: Currey & Co., Clemente,
$555. Chest: Modern History, Danish
Commode, $2,322. The Antiquarian
Shop, antiquarianshop.com.

"An original work of art, in an abstract style, juxtaposes the

order in a traditional chandelier." Theresa Bayer
Chandelier: Alexandra Chandelier byE. F. Chapman for
Visual Comfort & Co., $3,500. Painting: Carol Hu original,
price upon request. Schafer Interiors, schaferinteriors.com.

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CONCEPTUAL MEETS CONCRETE

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