Man Of Style

Adam Glassman has made a career of having great style. Formerly a contributing editor to House & Garden and style director of Self, he has spent the last twenty years as the creative director of O, The Oprah Magazine, where—in addition to directing cover shoots and all the style pages—he is the driving force behind Oprah’s highly anticipated yearly list, “Oprah’s Favorite Things.”

But when it came time to renovate his weekend home in New York’s picturesque Hudson Valley, Glassman wanted to give design and function equal billing. “I wanted everything to be uncluttered and effortless to maintain,” he says. “But I also wanted the style to make me smile when I walked into any room.”

With the help of his brother Josh, a contractor, Glassman found the perfect balance of style, design, and functionality. In the kitchen, for example, he opted for a plain Shaker cabinet style that let Cambria’s Brittanicca Matte countertops and backsplash shine. “I’d originally planned to hang open shelving on either side of the range hood, but once the backsplash was up, I couldn’t bring myself to do it—the Cambria stone is just so darn beautiful,” he says.

This streamlined, sophisticated approach is emblematic of Glassman’s plan for the house and for making his time there a sort of antidote to the intense demands of his career: in addition to his multi-layered responsibilities at O, Glassman is also a Daytime Emmy–winning special correspondent for EXTRA, where he shares his style insight with millions of viewers. Every space is carefully curated and clutter-free, with plenty of room to display his collection of modern art, a true sanctuary for this man of style. It’s also set up for casual entertaining—Glassman has hosted “every holiday,” from Thanksgiving to Father’s Day—and has recently become more of a full-time home as he has taken to spending some work weeks there as well. Still, this house feels miles away from his New York City apartment in attitude. “It’s a retreat,” says Glassman. “A getaway where I can exhale.”