In The Studio With Scott Edward Cole
Written by Alex Ronan | Photographed by Marta Xochilt Perez | Produced and Art Directed by Michelle Adams
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Would you believe us if we told you this was once a chicken coop?
“I studied painting in college, moved to New York, and had a short-lived, but successful career as a visual artist,” Scott Edward Cole explains. “It short-circuited after a few years and I moved to the country to reset.” A multi-disciplinary artist/restaurateur living in the Berkshires, Cole’s path took another turn in 2018 when he and fashion designer Frank Muytjens bought Kenmore Hall. The couple transformed the historic property in Richmond, Massachusetts into an Inn, which you can read all about here. Once the dust settled after the renovation, a little outbuilding on the property garnered Scott’s attention as it seemed like the perfect place to paint. He recently gave us a peek inside his creatively inspiring and charming art studio…
When we bought Kenmore Hall, I spent much more time painting walls than painting pictures. But in the last few years, I’ve been letting myself have fun with painting. I’ve been creating with no agenda and seeing where it takes me.
In the thirties or forties, the building that is now Cole’s studio was transformed from a chicken coop to summer housing for musicians and composers visiting Tanglewood nearby. Rumor has it there was a wet bar in Cole’s studio that was even used by the famed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, recently played by Bradley Cooper in Maestro. “I don't know if that's true or not,” Cole says. “But what I do know is that that building has a really different sort of energy than the other areas of the house.” In transforming the space into an art studio, Kenmore’s new owners have carried on the legacy of creativity.
What did Cole’s vision for the cottage space entail? “I wanted a studio that fired up all of my inspirational points, a place I could paint, but also somewhere comfortable enough to hang out and read.” A bed that hadn’t found a spot in the main house got dusted off and pulled out of the garage. It’s the perfect cozy spot for reading or writing. Framing the bed are old photographs and prints Cole has collected over the years, largely featuring classic sculpture, or various Greek or Roman ruins. The antlers came from a general store he once owned.
The couple call it Moss Cottage, in part because of the moss covered roof, but also as an homage to its former tenants. The violinist Leonard Moss and his wife spent many summers in the cottage. Moss Cottage has a central room and then a small kitchenette and bathroom, so it can also double as accommodations for visiting friends, the way it once did for visiting musicians. Because it was meant for summer housing, the studio isn’t winterized and painting is a three season activity. But there is a woodstove and tending that has become a beloved ritual. “It's tiny, so I have to cut the wood especially small, but it heats up the space pretty quickly,” he says. “I love the smell of it and the crackle of the fire. I can't imagine doing it any other way.”
It’s been nice to have a studio, but for Cole, the broader Berkshires community will always be central to his artistic practice. “That's why I've stayed in this area for thirty years,” he says. “There’s such a wealth of creative endeavors, arts spaces, and the brain trust of people who chose to spend their time up here is quite astonishing.”
As the Inn at Kenmore Hall evolved, Cole’s painting did too. “When we bought Kenmore Hall, I spent much more time painting walls than painting pictures,” Cole says. “But in the last few years, I’ve been letting myself have fun with painting. I’ve been creating with no agenda and seeing where it takes me.”
I wanted a studio that fired up all of my inspirational points, a place I could paint, but also somewhere comfortable enough to hang out and read.
Heading to the Berkshires?
Scott Edward Cole shares some of his favorite arts-related spots.
The Clark
Williamstown, MA
Distance from the Inn at Kenmore Hall: 30 miles
“Not only does the museum have an impressive permanent collection, but each year they mount amazing exhibitions. The sprawling campus could not be more beautiful. We go several times a year to visit ‘old friends,’ and to discover what's new.”
Berkshire Botanical Garden
Stockbridge, MA
Distance from the Inn at Kenmore Hall: 8 miles
“The BBG is an amazing destination throughout the growing season, and the organization has been undergoing a metamorphosis of thoughtful expansion in recent years. At its heart, the Center House, one of the oldest buildings in town, was renovated to create an exhibition space, which curates several shows a year, all with a link to the natural world. I've had several friends who've had shows there, and they are always uplifting and impressive.”
The Mount
Lenox, MA
Distance from the Inn at Kenmore Hall: 9 miles
“The estate was one of the homes writer Edith Wharton commissioned and was highly involved in every aspect of its design. The formal gardens on the property have been reconstructed over the past 25 years or so based on original designs, and the grounds are open to the public every day. Creative spirits are everywhere in the Berkshires, and this is one place where those spirits are quite palpable.”
Familiar Trees
Great Barrington, MA
Distance from the Inn at Kenmore Hall: 15 miles
“It's a bookstore, but an astonishingly well curated one, with an ever changing inventory. The emphasis here is on design, art, photography, but you can also find tomes of poetry, cookbooks and stacks of vintage magazines. Anyone who's ever been to Kenmore knows we have a weakness for books, it's impossible to leave this store empty handed.”
Chesterwood
Stockbridge, MA
Distance from the Inn at Kenmore Hall: 10 miles
“Home and studio of Daniel Chester French, who is most well known for the Lincoln Memorial. French's first experience in the Berkshires was as a student at a summer arts residency that took place here at Kenmore in the 1880s, organized by students and faculty of the Boston Museum School. Frederic Crowninshield presided over the curriculum for students that also included Robert Lewis Reid, Helen Hinds, and Newton Mackintosh. The group referred to themselves as ‘Kenmorians’ and Crowninshield and French were so smitten with the Berkshires, they both built homes here later in their lives.”
