
Analisse Taft, owner of ALT for Living, puts the finishing touches on a floral arrangement from Sag Harbor Florist in the kitchen. Photography by Doug Young
To unveil their brand-new Sag Harbor home, ALT for Living showroom owner Analisse Taft and her husband, restaurateur James Gersten, threw a cocktail party for some of the industry’s top decorators. Treating guests with dinner and poolside cocktails, it’s safe to say that guests were impressed.
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Photography by Doug Young
Taft lays out table settings in the open dining area and living room, which includes a custom
Jonas sofa covered in an
Anne Kirk Textiles linen, a pair of vintage Edward Wormley for Dunbar armchairs, a walnut cocktail table from
Thomas Hayes, and a custom-black-lacquer President’s chair and ottoman from
Palecek.
Photography by Doug Young
Taft lays out table settings in the open dining area and living room, which includes a custom
Jonas sofa covered in an
Anne Kirk Textiles linen, a pair of vintage Edward Wormley for Dunbar armchairs, a walnut cocktail table from
Thomas Hayes, and a custom-black-lacquer President’s chair and ottoman from
Palecek.
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2/18
Photography by Doug Young
The vintage leather and oak side table in the primary bedroom is from
Wyeth; the headboard, covered in an antique African textile, is a custom
ALT for Living piece.
Photography by Doug Young
The vintage leather and oak side table in the primary bedroom is from
Wyeth; the headboard, covered in an antique African textile, is a custom
ALT for Living piece.
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Photography by Doug Young
Photography by Doug Young
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Photography by Doug Young
The print on the wall is by Alexander Calder.
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Photography by Doug Young
Shawn Henderson and
Marie-Christine McNally test out the Ping-Pong table in the garage-cum-game room, while Gachot and Robert Stilin cheer them on.
Photography by Doug Young
Shawn Henderson and
Marie-Christine McNally test out the Ping-Pong table in the garage-cum-game room, while Gachot and Robert Stilin cheer them on.
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Photography by Doug Young
Analisse Taft and James Gersten opened their new Sag Harbor home to design-industry friends.
Photography by Doug Young
Analisse Taft and James Gersten opened their new Sag Harbor home to design-industry friends.
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Photography by Doug Young
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Photography by Doug Young
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Photography by Doug Young
Watermelon margaritas got the party off to a fun start.
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Photography by Doug Young
A beautifully laid-out cheese board.
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Photography by Doug Young
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Photography by Doug Young
An oyster tray with all the trimmings. The Sag Harbor restaurant Baron’s Cove, a favorite of Taft and Gersten’s, provided the food. “I love being around my friends and everything else about entertaining,” Taft says, “from deciding on the menu to putting out the right dishes and glasses.”
Photography by Doug Young
An oyster tray with all the trimmings. The Sag Harbor restaurant Baron’s Cove, a favorite of Taft and Gersten’s, provided the food. “I love being around my friends and everything else about entertaining,” Taft says, “from deciding on the menu to putting out the right dishes and glasses.”
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Photography by Doug Young
Baron’s Cove executive chef Nicholas Vogel and Gersten man the grill, cooking rosemary-and-lemon marinated lambchops.
Photography by Doug Young
Baron’s Cove executive chef Nicholas Vogel and Gersten man the grill, cooking rosemary-and-lemon marinated lambchops.
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Photography by Doug Young
Mini lobster rolls are a Sag Harbor must-have.
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Photography by Doug Young
Grilled asparagus with pea hummus.
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Photography by Doug Young
Swordfish skewers with a chimichurri sauce.
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Photography by Doug Young
Dessert was old-fashioned strawberry icebox cake, made with graham crackers, whipped cream, and sliced strawberries.
Photography by Doug Young
Dessert was old-fashioned strawberry icebox cake, made with graham crackers, whipped cream, and sliced strawberries.
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Photography by Doug Young
“Sag Harbor has become a town of year-rounders,” she muses, “and because people are choosing to have their primary homes here, we need full-time designers and showrooms, in addition to all the retail stores.” So, Analisse Taft, who has ALT for Living showrooms in New York City and Los Angeles, has plans to open a new sister location in Sag Harbor. And what better way to celebrate such a grand accomplishment than with a cocktail party in the Hamptons?
“To me, home is the most important place on the planet. I grew up in a house with minimal furnishings, so I really gravitate toward lots of layering and decorating”

Photography by Doug Young
The Sag Harbor restaurant Baron’s Cove, a favorite of Taft and Gersten’s, provided the food. The menu featured local seafood staples, including oysters, mini lobster rolls, and swordfish skewers. For dessert, guests savored an old-fashioned cake, made with graham crackers, whipped cream, and sliced strawberries.
The print version of this article appears with the headline: Open House.
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