London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Analisse Taft-Gersten's Connecticut Home Was Designed for Throwing Parties

Analisse Taft-Gersten's Connecticut Home Was Designed for Throwing Parties

She turned the modern gem into an adult-size fun house.

The game was this: find a house that didn’t “make us feel like we were 150 years old,” says Analisse Taft-Gersten of her family’s search for a home base with more space outside Manhattan. With two growing teenagers, she and her husband, James Gersten, technically just needed more space-but they were particularly picky buyers: He’s a veteran hospitality exec and she is the founder of the furniture and decor showroom ALT for Living. It took some dozen showings to eventually find the winner, a somewhat neglected modern house in the woods of Greenwich, Connecticut.



“We opened the doors, and I immediately went, ‘Holy sh*t. This could be perfect,’” Taft-Gersten recalls. Emphasis on could be: The couple then spent four months updating the house. Their goal was twofold: Make it work for both their family and friends. On any given weekend, the couple hosts anywhere from two to two dozen guests, either for a simple dinner or an all-out party. “We have different sections in the house for different types of entertaining,” Taft-Gersten explains. Case in point: the living room with a well-stocked bar and multiple seating areas; a total of three roaring fireplaces; and an outdoor hangout space with a fire pit. Bedrooms for the couple’s teenagers were intentionally located on the lower floor-and connected to a room with a ping-pong table-to create their own “apartment.”

            

“We wanted a space where the kids could kind of get away,” says Taft-Gersten. And when they’re all ready for family time, there’s plenty of room for that around the kitchen island (“We cook almost every night”) or on the screened-in porch. Taft-Gersten retreats to a spa-like bathroom, inspired by the feel of some at great hotels she’s stayed in, when she needs time to herself.

For furnishings, the couple mostly used pieces they already owned. “One reason I felt this house was the right fit was because I immediately thought, ‘Oh, this could go there; this could go there,’” Taft-Gersten says. Some furnishings came from ALT for Living, while many are vintage that the couple have bought over the years-now arranged alongside their eclectic art collection. The result is a layered mix that eschews any one era in favor of maximum comfort.

            


“Some people feel like if they have a modern home, they have to decorate in a modern way,” Taft-Gersten says. “I love to mix different styles-I want a house that’s not too precious.”

Living Room


            

Multiple seating arrangements-and a central daybed-make the room perfect for parties. Daybed: vintage Mies van der Rohe. Club chairs: Dunbar in ALT for Living alpaca bouclé. Gold chair: vintage Wittman in ALT for Living fabric. Sofa: vintage in ALT for Living fabric. Rugs: vintage, ALT for Living. Bar cart: 1940’s French.

Den


            

Floor-to-ceiling windows mean the couple-and guests-can appreciate the home's surroundings even when inside.

                        

This sun-drenched corner is a favorite place to perch.

Entry


            

An Alexander Calder tapestry welcomes guests into the home. Paired with two rugs and a raw wood bench, it adds warmth to the travertine-floored space.

Dining Room


                

The mirrors in the dining room were one of a few leftovers from the house's original state. "After we refinished the floor and painted, we weren't 100% sure about the mirrors," says Taft-Gersten. "But we realized if you're sitting at that table and facing the wall, you see everything behind you and out to the outside." So, they stayed.

Master Bedroom


            

Located on the ground level, it feels like its own apartment separate from the kids’ rooms below. Headboard: custom in African blanket upholstery. Nightstand: vintage French (similar from Pascal Boyer). Lamp: Flos.

                

"We have three fireplaces in the house," says Taft-Gersten.

Master Bathroom


                

“It’s so dreamy and zen,” Taft-Gersten says of the Barclay bathtub. Stool and rug: vintage.

Daughter's Room


            

“We just collect what we love” Taft-Gersten says of the home’s art. Here, a framed map of Paris hangs above the Duxiana bed. Sconces: Arteriors. Bedding: ALT for Living. Nightstand: RH.

Kitchen


                

The couple cooks nearly every night and guests always gather in the kitchen, which features an island painted in Benjamin Moore’s Amherst Gray to contrast with the Calacutta gold countertops and cupboards painted their Silver Satin. Pendants: Rejuvenation. Stools: vintage Danish.

Screen Porch


                

Repainting the paneling black gave it a more contemporary feel.

                

“In the summer, we just leave them open,” Taft-Gersten says of the sliding doors they added. Table and chairs: RH. Fan: Schoolhouse Electric. Lamp: Arteriors. Hat rack: DWR. Paint: Iron Ore, Sherwin-Williams.

Fire Pit


                        

"Between the living room and the den and the fire pit, there are just so many places to have people, for all different types of entertaining," Taft-Gersten says. "We wanted to create spaces that let you feel like you can escape."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
×