With Memorial Day Weekend upon us, what better way to kick off the summer season than with a tour of Edith Wharton‘s former Newport, Rhode Island summer home, which happens to be for sale?! Designed by architect John Sturgis in the late 1800s for Boston banker Samuel Gray Ward, “Lands End” was purchased by Wharton and her then-husband in 1893. With the assistance of Ogden Codman Jr.,Wharton then revamped the home, ridding it of much of its “sumptuary excesses” typical of the Gilded Age. Wharton and Codman would then go on to cowrite The Decoration of Houses, The Decoration of Houses which is known to this day as one of the most important decorating books ever written, commonly referred to as the Bible of interior decoration.
The 10,910-square-foot home is nestled among 5.6 acres overlooking Newport’s famed Cliff Walk and the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the main home, there is an eight-car garage that a later owner, Grand Dame Marion “Oatsie” Charles, converted into a smaller home known as the Whim. (This home is not included in the listing, but the current owners are open to parting with it, according to Architectural Digest.) Additional property features include intimate perennial garden spaces, a saltwater gunite pool located off the billiard room, and galley wet bar room ideally located for outdoor entertainment. Expansive patios allow the outdoor spaces to take in the incomparable views. This iconic and rare property is an incredible gathering place for family and friends, the perfect balance of location, history, provenance, and architectural design to be enjoyed by its new steward for years to come.
Wouldn’t this make the perfect summer home?! Please click here to see the listing, and here to see Land’s End as featured by Town & Country in 2017. For additional fabulous real estate for sale across the country, please click here. And if you are looking for the best sales this holiday weekend, I have included a shopping list below…. Enjoy!
- Ann Taylor
- 40% off with code SUMMERTIME
- Anthropologie
- Up to 40% off sale items + up to 30% off furniture, bedding, and decor
- Banana Republic
- 40% off everything, no code needed
- Bergdorf Goodman
- Up to 50% off
- Bloomingdales
- Up to 70% off
- Crate & Barrel
- 15% off + 40% off outdoor furniture and 40% off outdoor rugs and entertaining
- FURBISH
- 20% off your order with code save20summer
- GAP
- Up to 50% off everything, including limited-time deals on shorts and swimwear
- Horchow
- 25% off sitewide
- J.Crew
- 40% sitewide with code WEEKEND
- J.Crew Factory
- 40-60% Off
- Kate Spade
- Extra 30% off sale with code pounce
- Lacoste
- 30% off entire store + free shipping with code SUMMER30
- Lands’ End
- 50% off all swimwear, water shoes and more; 40% off all other full-price styles with code: STRIPES pin: 6423 DETAILS
- Lilly Pulitzer
- free travel stemless glass with $100 spend
- L.L. Bean
- 20% off your order with code SUMMER
- Lulu & Georgia
- An additional 15% off orders of $300 and more; 20% off orders of $600 and more; 25% off orders of $900 and more with code: GOOD, BETTER, BEST
- Macy’s
- EXTRA 20%, 15% OR 10% OFF with code MEMDAY
- Mark & Graham
- 20% off your order + 30% off all sale with code SUMMER
- Moda Operandi
- Up to 50% off
- Neiman Marcus
- Up to 40% off new sale items and designer brands for men and women
- Net-a-Porter
- Up to 50% off apparel, accessories, beauty, and more
- Nordstrom
- Up to 60% off spring styles
- Nordstrom Rack
- Up to 70% off
- One Kings Lane
- 20% off sitewide
- Pottery Barn
- Buy More Save More + 60% off best-selling furniture and 50% off outdoor furniture
- Ralph Lauren
- Extra 30% off sale styles with code MEMDAY
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Save up to 50% on women’s ready-to-wear, and save up to 40% on men’s and accessories
- Saks Off Fifth
- Save an extra 20% off new men’s and women’s apparel
- Serena & Lily
- An additional 20% off all site-wide and in store purchases with code SUMMERPREP
- Shopbop
- Up to 40% off 5,000+ just added styles (including designer boutique)
- Talbots
- ALL markdowns: 50% off 2+, 40% off one | FREE shipping on $150+ orders | 40% off swimsuits
- Target
- Up to 30% off home and patio, extra 15% off furniture and rugs with code HOME
- Tuckernuck
- Up to 70% off new markdowns
- Williams Sonoma
- 20% off + free shipping with code SPRING
- World Market
- 15% off + free shipping with code MEMORIAL15

Wow! Wow! Wow! And the view!
That house really and truly is perfection. Is there a book with all these pictures I can buy?
Heaven!
OMG property taxes are $74k ! The heirs live in FL. Read about this in today’s WSJ. Part of the flight out of high SALT states due to Fed Income tax deduction limits
Breathtaking !! A lot of renowed decorators collaborated with Mrs Charles in her Washington D.C. house , Sister Parish among them, one can still feel the influence of the legendary decorator in this house, the understated elegance.
This home is absolutely stunning.