In Saratoga Springs, I can’t help but feel like we’re blessed. Horse racing has made our lovely city a globally important destination, and visitors from all over the world flock here each summer to experience our historic racetrack and take part in the equestrian lifestyle. Front-and-center in all of this? The aesthetically powerful horse.
For many of us—including yours truly—we not only live out our passion for horses in our local equestrian-inspired restaurants and bars, but also inside our Saratoga homes, which are filled with equine moments that serve to both beautify and pay homage to our racing city roots. Horses show up as the subjects of fancy, gold-framed oil paintings and rustic bronze statues; on lovely, detailed needlepoint pillows; and in oversized, framed, black-and-white photos from the expert eyes of local horse photographers such as Tracey Buyce. Our master bedrooms feature horse-inspired linens, and horse designs grace the linen hand towels in our powder baths and cashmere blankets and throws on the backs of our sofas. Not to mention the horseshoes we hang above our doors—which some say are for good luck, but I say are just a simple way of leveling-up your decor. Don’t forget those brightly painted jockeys that greet our guests by our front walkways—or the equine decanters we use to pour a little extra scotch into our guests’ glasses. And for those of you looking for a more subtle way to incorporate a horse-themed style into your Saratoga home, consider adorning it with a stirrup-inspired lamp, framed Travers Stakes poster (great if you’re on a budget) or a jockey silks-inspired pillow.
Whether you’re looking to spruce up your Broadway Victorian, Fifth Avenue home, luxe downtown apartment or sprawling horse farm, horse-themed designs are a timeless, easy way to let your Saratoga style shine. I’ll never get tired of equine design—or the fact that it rhymes.
