Those who love Audrey Hepburn now can stay in her character Holly Golightly’s iconic brownstone from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The townhome’s exterior was featured in the iconic 1961 film. Inside, the experience is even better.
Upscale vacation rental company Inspirato welcomed the property, aptly named Hepburn, into its portfolio earlier this year. The membership-based rental company is now offering stays for its members to experience the home, located just six blocks from Central Park in New York’s Upper East Side, at 169 E. 71st street.
“We’re thrilled to be able to welcome the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s brownstone to Inspirato’s exclusive portfolio of branded luxury vacation homes,” says Inspirato CEO Brent Handler. “It’s an honor to be a part of the home’s greater story and we could not think of a more perfect residence to be the cornerstone of our residential offering in New York City.”
The home has four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms and spans 4,465 square feet. There are several spaces to enjoy, including a furnished outdoor area, a garden patio, and two terraces. There’s also a wine cellar, library, living room with an entry foyer, multiple fireplaces, dining area for eight, a gourmet chef’s kitchen, and a mother-in-law suite with a kitchenette and separate dining and living area.
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The five-story townhome was first built in 1910 and is located in one of the most prestigious locations in the posh neighborhood. Until Inspirato added the home to its portfolio, it was a privately owned single-family residence (and had several lives before that). The previous owners enlisted Holly Logan of HV Logan Design to create the elegant, quintessentially New York interiors.
“First and foremost, we really wanted to respect the historical significance of the building and its surrounding neighborhood,” says designer Holly Logan. “We went out of our way to make sure that everything on the exterior was historically accurate, and we brought in artisans to refurbish many of the lovely details. From the magnificent stonework to the brick, to the restoration of the original front door, all were painstakingly brought back to their former glory. On the interior, we took advantage of the soaring windows, grand ceiling height to create spaces that spoke to the building. As a designer, you truly feel an obligation to get the details right, for the client, and for the property itself. We had our work cut out for us, as the building had been chopped up into a duplex, and we had to completely gut the entire residence from top to bottom in order to achieve a truly gracious single-family residence.”
Logan was indeed inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s timelessness and elegance and incorporated Holly Golightly’s signature sparkle through mirrors, luxurious fabrics, and antique chandeliers.
“I love the idea of a room being a series of discoveries,” Logan says. “First you see the overall scale and proportions of the space, then you are drawn to the palette of materials and then your eye moves to the furnishings and fabrics. It is a layering process and they all must work seamlessly together. We were able to include so many wonderful details, like herringbone oak floors with an ebony inlay, shutters built into the side panels of the glorious windows, a hidden TV behind an antique mirror, and exquisite light fixtures.”
Fine, high-quality materials were very important to include within the home, and Logan wanted luxe materials and design to play against the backdrop of classic paneled walls and a coffered ceiling finished with silver leaf.
“We envisioned the property as a timeless, sophisticated townhouse made for entertaining and enjoying with family and friends,” she says. “I would play the movie in my mind of elegant cocktail soirees with oh-so-chic guests moving throughout the spaces we were creating. We used only the finest materials and artisans because we felt the property deserved the best. We definitely wanted a collaboration between the refined, luxurious materials, and the most modern of conveniences.”
The home has a neutral color palette with many textural elements that make it feel warm and homey. The natural light, grand staircases, and elegant and sophisticated designs make it feel like a true sanctuary in the heart of the city.
The Hepburn is available for Inspirato members to book for their next vacation.