When I told everyone that I had to go to the Hamptons for an installation, I think everyone assumed I would be sitting by the pool eating bon bons while directing the delivery men as to where to place furniture. This could not be farther from reality although we did get to have a little bit of fun when we arrived on Thursday night. We saw Peter Cook having dinner at Sen in Sag Harbor and then Jay McInerney of “Bright Lights, Big City” fame after we got ice cream on Main Street. But then a huge thunderstorm rolled through town. There is nothing scarier than staying in a sparsely furnished and enormous Hamptons house with no window coverings while lightening looks like it may strike you or the house at any minute. Oh, and did I mention that lights went out at one point?! Good thing we weren’t watching a horror movie!

Well, we made it through the night to greet the delivery men at 8:00am Friday morning with a truck packed to the roof with furniture. We, of course, had muffins, donuts and drinks for the men but you would be surprised at how many people don’t even think to offer them anything. Let me make this clear, if you are having moving men deliver the heaviest furniture ever produced, it would be polite to offer them a glass of water, in addition to a hefty tip. A hurricane could hit the house and the Holly Hunt teak outdoor furniture they had to carry would still be sitting there. I could barely even move any of it a few inches. And then there was the ridiculously heavy Dakota Jackson dining table. Luckily, we had the nicest and funniest crew you could ever wish for who were a delight to work with. And just because I was moving furniture didn’t mean I wasn’t working.

We also had the contractors to deal with in addition to the electricians installing light fixtures and the carpenters installing bathroom accessories. It was a three ring circus with only two ring masters! Next time we are definitely bringing our intern! Things weren’t finished until 5:00pm and then we had to clean up! Everyone thinks interior design is so fabulous and that all we do is pick out fabric and paint colors. Little do they know that you’re also sometimes a shrink, personal assistant and maid. While my colleague vacuumed, I had to go through all the bathrooms and clean up the messes left by the workers. I also made sure all they all had perfectly folded towels and fresh flowers. (The house is so large that it is actually exhausting to walk the length of it!) But in the end, it was all worth it. The house looked so beautiful that it was a shame we had to leave. Although, we have two more installations before it will be finished so we’ll definitely be back!

On the way home, we had very weird weather. It was both sunny and raining which produced a spectacular rainbow. We also happened to see the editor and chief of a big magazine in the parking lot of the Super K wearing a very casual outfit of cargo pants and a t-shirt. A very large departure from her usual all black ensembles. Just goes to show that not everyone or everything in the Hamptons is glamorous all the time. I will admit though that I wouldn’t mind a huge house to get away to every weekend! Maybe I should start working harder to save up for one. Anyone need a decorator?!