It’s not every day one is allowed a glimpse of perfection, but that was exactly my experience when invited into author/designer/die-hard Southerner Frances Schultz’s bee-themed bungalow in East Hampton, New York. Schultz lovingly restored and decorated a quaint cottage located on a shady side street, just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of glamorous downtown East Hampton. I had driven past the little gem since my prep school days visiting friends just down the road, and had always longed to see beyond the garden gate. After an inspiring afternoon of touring, photographing, and chatting with the charming mistress of the house, may I just say, Bee Cottage was worth the wait.
By the way, I also highly recommend diving into Schultz’s recent book, The Bee Cottage Story (Skyhorse, 2015). Her insightful and humorous chronicles of the house’s restoration—and her life that happened along the way—has had the design world all abuzz.
A watercolor of Bee Cottage painted by Frances Schultz, a prolific and gifted artist
By Margot Shaw