| Issue #31, October 27, 2006 |
Eat Your Piece
Autumn is a great time to be in the Hamptons. The summer crowds at Sagg Main Beach and East Hampton Village have gone and a privileged and erudite minority remain in the Hamptons (whether living full time or “weekending” – winter’s version of “summering”), aware of the lesser-known and usually unspoken fact that fall is one of the most – if not the most – beautiful times on the East End of Long Island. The auburn and yellow leaves blowing in the wind on a cool, overcast day in Southampton is just as picturesque as the summer sun in Sagaponack. Your house should reflect this autumnal beauty.
Sorry, it’s time to ignore what we told you all summer – beach chic is over. Throw out your bright flowers, bring in the pool equipment, and put away your distinctly summery decorations. It’s fall and has been for weeks. A decorating technique unique to fall is edible interior design. And, of course, the classic edible autumnal accessory is the pumpkin. Pumpkins are both decorative and delicious, and a large pumpkin either outside or inside your house is both seasonal and fun. The orange, October aura surrounding the pumpkin conjures up Halloween memories and feelings of home. Pick the pumpkin yourself – Long Island boasts many beautiful fields ripe for the pumpkin picking in fall. Taking advantage of these timeless and fun fields will not only provide you with a nice day, but a more personal pumpkin as well. Plus, when you pick it yourself, your pumpkin can work as a conversation piece, and conversation is key as cooler temperatures.
When October ends, don’t nix the orange vegetable, just add to it. This season is the last hoorah for many Hamptons farmstands, and while pumpkins may be the centerpieces of the fall harvest, a harem of other vegetables fawning over the pumpkin will not only celebrate the incredible, edible pumpkin, but will make the room they’re in seem seasonal and full. A purple eggplant, yellow or off-orange squash (you don’t want to upset the pumpkin by having an equally orange vegetable next to it), and green or purple vineyard grapes are all awesome additions to your centerpiece.
Then there is pie – fall’s desert of choice and an excellent après pumpkin-picking snack. To create a decorative pie theme, your work must be tri-fold. There are paintings of pies or a simple fruit and vegetable still life can be a suitable replacement. Warhol made a banana chic, why can’t a pie be? And, lastly, there are actual pies, which can be an aromatic decoration far superior to potpourri. Place your pie where people can see it – on a large desert plate on the kitchen table, perhaps. Pumpkin pie is a delicious and slightly sophisticated crowd-pleaser best consumed in fall. It will look, smell, and taste great.
Remember Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous philosophy of “bringing the outside in?” Keep your blinds and wide Anderson windows open; though your garden will change with the season, it is still an important part of your décor. The fall color scheme and your edible, plant and vegetable decorations can all add to the look of your home this season. Green is gone, for the most part, but orange and red are not to be ignored.
The versatility and edibility of fall’s most classic and colorful decorations are something the season certainly has over summer (sand sandwiches are neither decorative nor tasty, and pie is both). Forget beach barbeques, from Halloween candy to Thanksgiving feasts, autumn is clearly the season of eating; allow your home to reflect this. Take advantage of the fall harvest on Long Island. In the end, if edible interior design does not quite suite your style, you can always eat it.
–Michael Vilensky
 |
