The renowned designer and author Tricia Foley has just completed decorating eight rooms for the holidays in the Spanish Revival Centerport, Long Island, mansion of Rosamond and William K. Vanderbilt II. Built in stages from 1910 to 1936, the grand waterfront house is the centerpiece of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(Tricia Foley, right, and assistant Bridget Swift decorate the tree in the Vanderbilt Mansion library. Vanderbilt Museum photos.)
Five local garden clubs – Asharoken, Centerport, Dix Hills, Nathan Hale, and Three Village – decorated an additional eight rooms. The stunning results will take visitors on a trip back in time at the estate of a prominent family whose guests included famous Americans and British royalty.
Elizabeth Wayland-Morgan, Executive Director of the Vanderbilt, said, “The historic mansion has never looked more stunning for the holiday season, thanks to the extraordinary vision of Tricia Foley, her brilliant team, and their collaboration with the garden clubs. The mansion is bright and alive with earthy elegance and the inviting scents of the season – a magical and timeless atmosphere.”
Foley, who has decorated houses at Colonial Williamsburg, is principal of Tricia Foley Design. She specializes in all aspects of home design and restoration and is known for her simple, classic style.
“The challenge in decorating historic houses is, what is period appropriate?” she said during a decorating break at the mansion. “In the early days, people did not use much décor. They might place a sprig of greenery on a mirror or looking glass, as they were called.
(Left: The Vanderbilt Mansion dining room.)
“Here, we want to bridge the gap. The mansion is elegant, with original furnishings, tapestries, sconces, lamps, and crystal. Red and green is expected, but we’re using silver, gold, and cream. Instead of color, we’re using candlelight and crystal – as much sparkle as we can get.”
Foley said she wanted to create a “natural” look, with greenery, garlands, ribbons, and ornaments on the mantelpieces. She also made use of decorative objects the museum had from past years – Tiffany boxes with gold bows, and small brass instruments.
“There are so many beautiful things to work with,” she said. “The Vanderbilts were not here in December, so we have to imagine what it would have been like. If they had been here, they would have used poinsettias, apples, oranges, and greenery.”
She has decorated homes for House Beautiful, Victoria, and Country Home as well as four historic houses in Yaphank, Long Island, for their historical society. Her own house on the East End of Long Island has been photographed for Neiman Marcus, the Pottery Barn, and Land’s End for their Christmas catalogs
Foley’s work includes residential design, magazine editorial, book publishing, and branding, she is now putting this experience to work on historic preservation projects, exhibition design, and nineteenth-century house restoration. She is on the Curatorial Committee of Preservation Long Island, on the Board of Trustees of the Yaphank Historical Society, and Curator of the Mary L. Booth House Museum.
Foley’s clients have included the Gettysburg Foundation, The American Folk Art Museum, Wedgwood, Ralph Lauren Home, Waterworks, Target, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s Home Stores. She is the author of twelve design/lifestyle books, from Having Tea and Williamsburg Style to At Home with Wedgwood: The Art of the Table. Her most recent book, A Summer Place: Entertaining by the Sea, was published in 2023 by Rizzoli.