Photographer Douglas Friedman has shot glamorous interiors for publications such as Architectural Digest, Domino, InStyle and Elle Decor — and, along the way, has become friends with many of the tastemakers he chronicles. In his first-ever book, The Seaside House: Living on the Water (Rizzoli), he gives us a glimpse behind the doors and hedges of some of the most luxe retreats in the world: the beach homes where members of his A-list tribe (Martha Stewart, Kelly Klein) go when they’re looking to unplug. Here, he tells us all about it and shares his own dreams of escaping it all this summer.
The idea to do this book came to me…
Well, it wasn’t my idea, really. I was asked to collaborate on the book by my good friend, and co-author, Nick Voulgaris. We had such a blast putting this one together — it was hardly work spending day after day photographing all these beautiful beach houses.
The backstory to Martha Stewart writing the intro…
I would tell you, but it would cause a scandal.
We chose the houses featured by…
I begged. That’s a joke — it was a long and exhausting process of researching the country and the Caribbean for homes that we were familiar with or that we had heard about. Lots of phone calls and emails to friends and strangers. We wanted to curate a collection of properties that showed a broad range of the ways people have chosen to live on the water.
My first memory of a vacation spent by the sea…
I spent every summer and every Christmas on the ocean with my family. They gave me my love of the sea. My first memory is learning to swim in the Cayman Islands. And by learning to swim, I mean that this fisherman called Ernie Ebanks tossed me off a boat and I had no choice but to swim… to swim back to the boat.
Beach house I dream of visiting…
There is a house in Mustique that I stay at every summer called Point Look Out. It’s the only house I dream about because it so perfect. I dream about it from the moment I leave to moment I get back a year later.
Five words to describe the “ultimate” beach house…
Relaxed. Barefoot. Inside-out. Outside-in. Remote.
My tips to make a beach home rental feel more chic…
Three cases of Whispering Angel and a no-shoe policy.
My favorite beach destinations on the world…
Mustique. Danang, China Beach. The Hamptons. Ko Chang, Thailand. Any Greek Island.
Where I spend my summers…
I bounce around all summer long. This summer I’ll be between Sag Harbor, Marfa, Texas, Mustique and the Coast of Maine.
Songs on my summer playlist…
I usually type “chilled Ibiza” into Spotify and let it play for days.
Summer wardrobe staples…
Usually a wet bathing suit and a crisp, white James Pearse T-shirt.
When entertaining in the summer, my drink of choice to serve…
The house drink is usually tequila and soda and some fresh-squeezed lime juice. That, or a whole coconut with some rum poured in for good measure. I also love a lime squash in the afternoons… no booze and it’s so refreshing.
A perfect houseguest always…
Washes the dishes and stocks the bar.