A Showhouse Of Treasures

Outdoor furniture was moved to its rightful place, while a collection of lamps, framed pictures, tea sets and more awaited their final positioning last week before the Big Day. The 23rd annual Southampton Fresh Air Home’s Decorators-Designers-Dealers Sale, Auctions and Cocktail Party Gala will be held on Saturday, June 6. And, as in years past, guests will likely line up hours in advance to have their first choice of these treasures.

“It’s just gotten bigger, and bigger, and better every year,” said Tom Naro, Executive Director at the Fresh Air Home, a camp for physically challenged campers age 8 to 18. The Southampton property doubles as the fundraising gala’s location.

The preparation for the spring sale begins the September before, after the camp closes for the season. Typically, gently-used furniture piles in, thanks to local homeowners who are redecorating or relocating. The formal planning begins months later, and the final layout takes place just a few days before the event.

More than 10 rooms at the camp are transformed into mini showrooms, filled with a bountiful display of antiques, designer furniture, fabrics, decorative accessories, bed frames and headboards, armoires and more.

Each room has a theme with home furnishings to match, such as Cottage Farm, Island Treasures, and Shades of Gray. This year, there is a Triple Crown Room, named after the Belmont Stakes, which will fall on the same day. In honor of it, the room will be stocked with equine antiques, paintings, sculptures and rockers.

Ann Grimm, the design and decoration chair, helps coordinate the donations and carefully designs the rooms. It is the challenge of putting together these odds and ends from homes all over the Hamptons, New York City and beyond, and creating a cohesive space. “I feel like it’s a three-dimensional chess game, because you’re moving pieces around,” she said, smiling.

There is only one room Ms. Grimm does not decorate, the camp’s schoolhouse. This space is commanded by design team Gary Crain and James Alan Smith, who have first pick of donations that come in. “They just do the most gorgeous job, it’s beyond,” said Ms. Grimm. “It’s the place that people go to first.”

Staying true to its mission of charity, any furniture and home goods not sold during the fundraiser are donated. In addition to the home furnishings and antiques sale, the gala will also have live, silent and wine auctions. Auction items include vacations at private resorts, exclusive dining experiences with chefs, golf outings on the East End and photo shoots. All proceeds of the fundraiser benefit the camp.

This year offers an added level of excitement for the Fresh Air Home team, as it will also include the official unveiling of the organization’s new administrative complex at the campground on Barkers Island Road. “It’s really important to us that we’re opening the building this year,” said Mr. Naro, noting that the staff had been working in a below-ground space before. “And it’s really Cathy’s building,” he added, referring to Catherine Murray di Montezemolo, who had been involved with the organization for 70 years. When she died in 2009, Ms. di Montezemolo left a bequest to the organization, which helped fund the new building.

The gala and auctions will be held on Saturday from 5 to 8:30 p.m.; general admission to the sale and gala starts at $250. A tag sale and auctions checkout will be held on Sunday, June 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Further information is available by calling 283-5847.