A Curated Life By The Sea: Galerie Provenance House Opens Its Doors In Bridgehampton

Tucked just below town in a sun-drenched cottage, the newly opened Galerie Provenance House feels more like stepping into a friend’s beautifully arranged home than a design showroom. But make no mistake, everything you see, from the 1960s Charlotte Perriand bench sourced from Les Arcs to a weathered Swedish root bowl from centuries ago, is for sale.

What inspired you to open the Galerie Provenance House in Bridgehampton, and why did you choose this location?

We have a loyal client base Out East, so it felt like a natural evolution. After two seasons of pop-ups in borrowed spaces, I was craving permanence, a true home for Galerie Provenance. I fell in love with this little street in Bridgehampton last summer while renting just a few doors down. It has this rare combination of charm and accessibility — close to both the town and beach, nestled between beautiful farmlands.

How did your television career influence your approach to curating art and design?

I have always been fascinated by stories. Originally, it was people learning about different subcultures. That same fascination now drives my eye. I’m drawn to objects with history and depth. I can imagine the stories an 18th-century Swedish bowl that has been well-loved for years would share if it could talk. My art degree gave me a foundation, but it was years of listening to people’s stories that taught me how to see.

Can you walk us through the process of curating the space and selecting the pieces displayed at Galerie Provenance House?

The space itself is a charming 1960s cottage — modest in size but bathed in natural light, with high ceilings and timeless features. We didn’t want to overwhelm it. I tried to select pieces that are both comfortable and chic and would work well in the Hamptons; like our French René Gabriel chairs with Belgian linen cushions, Axel Einar Hjorth pine pieces with the perfect patina, and folk art like hand-carved 19th-century Swedish horses, textural ceramics in beiges and oceanic tones.

Your collection includes both mid-century rarities and European antiquities. What draws you to these particular styles, and how do they blend in your vision?

For me, the beauty is in the mix. I’m endlessly inspired by contrast. Combining primitive pieces with midcentury design. I am drawn to wood with beautiful aged surfaces and pieces with old repairs. You can replicate the design, but nothing can recreate the patina that age and wear create. Combining pieces of all ages and origins creates a beautiful tapestry in a home, and the result is a more interesting, soulful interior, in my opinion.

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

Courtesy of Galerie Provenance House

What role does the “intimate and lived-in” feel of the space play in your design philosophy?

When clients walk into the Galerie Provenance House, I want them to feel like they’re stepping into a real, soulful space. The Bridgehampton cottage is a great canvas and allows people to envision how the artifacts will work in their personal spaces. You can sit, touch, and move things around. It becomes easier to envision how these pieces might live in your own space when you’re engaging with them organically.

How do you envision your clients interacting with the pieces in Galerie Provenance House?

I love when clients come in and start rearranging things — pulling a chair from the corner to try at the dining table, mixing ceramics on the coffee table, curling up on our shearling sofa mid-conversation. It’s all encouraged. We’ve created a space where you can feel the personality of the pieces. And everything from the artwork on the walls to the antique side tables is available for purchase. We also represent the estate of American Artist Benjamin Abramowitz, whose fabulous pieces adorn most of the walls.

How has the Hamptons influenced your creative vision since you discovered the area?

I am very inspired by the natural color palette of the Hamptons — the verdant green of the mature trees and fields, sandy beiges, the silvery blues of the ocean and ponds. I feel at peace here, which helps invigorate creativity.

What has been the most rewarding part of opening your first East Coast location in Bridgehampton?

I love meeting new people and helping them shape their spaces. I am not a designer, but I enjoy personally bringing some of our pieces into a home to see how they can work. As my kids get older, I am planning to be bicoastal and divide my time between Los Angeles and Bridgehampton, with buying trips to Europe in between! I am originally from Boston, so being back on the East Coast feels like home to me — I couldn’t be happier.

Galerie Provenance has an impressive clientele, including AD100 designers and celebrities like Jennifer Garner, Amanda Peete, and Sandra Bullock. What do you think attracts these tastemakers to your collection?

I am fortunate to work with wonderful designers and private collectors. I think a similar sensibility and aesthetic is what draws people to our curation. We are a small business, and we work very closely with our clients over time to try to deliver exactly what they want. Working by appointment, it enables us to be thoughtful about our buyers and become familiar with their tastes. We can suggest pieces that haven’t even arrived yet and even source things from time to time.

The concept of “less but better” is central to your brand. How do you ensure each piece tells a lasting story and transforms a space?

I feel the last layer of the home is extremely important, and the accessories, the art, the unexpected sculpture or bowl, make all the difference. Having a perfectly aged vase with olive branches spewing out can transform a corner.

You’ve expanded to both the East Coast and Los Angeles. What has this growth journey been like, and what’s next for the Galerie Provenance brand?

The growth has been organic and rooted in partnership. When Nicole DeRuvo joined as my business partner in 2023, her operational brilliance balanced my creative instincts. That synergy gave us the structure to scale. This is just the beginning of our expansion.

How does collaborating with other female-founded companies align with your vision for Galerie Provenance?

Galerie Provenance was born out of a personal passion that I was fortunate enough to monetize. This business is a second act for me after two and a half decades in television. I am also a parent, and my two teenage children are the greatest joy in my life. Finding a way to be a mother and also professionally fulfilled has been extremely satisfying. I love partnering with other female founders who are building something from the ground up — Jenni Kayne has become a longtime collaborator, and the women behind Parachute and Armadillo have created smart and iconic brands, as well.

What makes the residential, fully shoppable experience at Galerie Provenance House different from traditional retail spaces?

I have great respect for interior designers and their ability to envision how pieces will ultimately look once placed. For me personally, it helps to see items in situ, and I have seen it resonate with our clientele. It becomes easier to understand how it might live in your own home.

What can visitors expect when they book an appointment to visit Galerie Provenance House this summer?

Expect a deeply personal experience. Because we are by appointment only, clients get that custom, one-on-one moment. It enables me to spend more time with people and share stories about the various pieces of furniture and artifacts. It’s like visiting a friend’s home who just happens to have an incredible collection, and it’s all for sale.

Galerie Provenance House in Bridgehampton is open by appointment only throughout summer 2025.

Ty Wenzel

Co-Publisher & Contributor

Ty Wenzel, a recent breast cancer survivor, started her career as a fashion coordinator for Bloomingdale’s followed by fashion editor for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She was also a writer for countless publications, including having published a memoir (St. Martin's Press) and written features for The New York Times. She is an award-winning writer and designer who covers lifestyle, real estate, architecture and interiors for James Lane Post. She previously worked as a writer and marketing director for The Independent. She has won multiple PCLI and NYPA awards for journalism, social media and design, including best website design and best magazine for James Lane Post, which she co-founded in 2020. Wenzel is also a co-founder of the meditation app for kids, DreamyKid, and the Hamptons social media agency, TWM Hamptons Social Media.