The Interview: 'Quin House Cofounder Sandy Edgerley
Table Of Content
And it turns out that the hexagon, I believe, is the strongest shape in nature, so we thought that was very cool. I’m a longtime Neiman Marcus customer. I’ve done Alan Bilzerian for edgier things. They always pushed me to try new things, which I love. And there are so many beautiful stores on Newbury Street. I have fun poking into all of these different places and seeing what they have.
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The philanthropist, Harvard graduate, and longtime Bostonian—who's turned the quiet old world of private clubs on its head—talks real estate, high-end style, and Julian Schnabel. The 'Quin House is a place for varied interesting and interested individuals to meet, it’s a place where chance encounters can lead to meaningful connections – and we design our rooms to encourage those connections. Mingle in a chic and sophisticated atmosphere; furnished with an eye towards crafting welcoming spaces where Boston’s best and brightest minds, bon vivants, leaders and risings stars alike will naturally cross paths with one another – and make lifelong connections. But the Algonquin, the place the Globe claimed was “undoubtedly one of the finest clubhouses in America” in 1888, lost its luster as time passed. It took 98 years until the club allowed women to join, and few rushed to become members at the time. As the cachet of the club diminished, the grand building that houses it, designed by McKim, Mead, and White, the same architects behind the Boston Public Library, had also fallen into decline.
Algonquin Club
I want to make sure we’ve reached our full potential with the ’Quin, and we’re well on our way to doing that. At some point, when we’re really operating on all cylinders, if there’s a demand, could we potentially expand? People from other cities and some of our non-resident members have said, “Please, would you do this in Chicago or wherever? Many ideas that changed the world were sparked with a long conversation – and, perhaps, a little liquid inspiration. We’ve curated an extensive beverage program of handcrafted cocktails, eclectic wines, and local beers to get your creative juices flowing – no matter your favorite poison.
Love Letters
I can put it down.” But I’m not actually sure that’s the case. And I always have my favorite lip balm by RéVive. I think if you can, own, but a lot of it depends on how much you want or need to be in one place versus being flexible. They’re all in their twenties, and they’re all renters because they’re young and starting out in their careers, still figuring out where they’re going to be. You have to take a little bit of a long-term view to buy. Now is a very good time to have friends in high places—or, barring that, to climb a few more rungs on your own social ladder.
After its London location became wildly popular in the 1990s, founder Nick Jones began expanding and now operates more than 27 social clubs worldwide, with seven more locations slated to open over the next two years. It remains the only "socially elite" old-guard Boston club with a purpose-built clubhouse.[6] The Harvard Club, for example, built its Commonwealth Avenue clubhouse in 1912–1913. Formerly known as The Algonquin Club, the storied building at 217 Commonwealth Ave. was purchased two years ago by business power couple Sandy and Paul Edgerley, and given a top-to-bottom makeover by interior designer Ken Fulk, who recently designed Contessa on Newbury Street. The club’s six floors encompass design elements ranging from Art Deco to Midcentury Modernism, and show off an extensive art collection, a fitness and wellness center, eight guest rooms, and plenty of space for wine tastings, exclusive screenings, business meetings, and performances. Menus are created by Jean-Paul Lourdes, an internationally acclaimed chef who has helmed kitchens in France, London, Japan, and New York.
At the ’Quin, a sonic sanctuary where LPs are ice-breakers - The Boston Globe
At the ’Quin, a sonic sanctuary where LPs are ice-breakers.
Posted: Wed, 27 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Once you’ve been recommended to join, you’ll receive an online application form. You’ll then have a Zoom interview with a club ambassador. If you’re mulling the idea of becoming a member of the ‘Quin, don’t take out your checkbook quite yet. There’s already a waiting list of prospective members (the Edgerleys declined to disclose the length of the list), and joining the ‘Quin is a bit more challenging than joining Planet Fitness. Number of burgers sold each month at the club’s restaurants. I had the most incredible experience there.
Boston Globe Today
But with the arrival of a hip new social club, the 'Quin House, that dog won’t hunt. If you pass the test, membership fees are on a tiered system. If you’re under 35, the initiation fee is $1,250 with a yearly membership fee of $2,000. Those who are pay a $2,500 initiation fee and a yearly membership fee of $3,000, and members who are 50 and over pay an initiation fee of $4,000 and a yearly membership fee of $4,000. In order to do that, fees are on a tiered scale.
It’s also where I’ve made so many of my best friends from what we’ve done together. I feel so lucky to be a part of the nonprofit community. With the champagne button, I actually don’t drink alcohol, so I’d be more prone to press for a Diet Coke. I’ve used the Sinatra head many times, though. When we were going through the design process, I really wanted to have these little moments of surprise, where you kind of have to be an insider to know, and it’s unexpected.
Arts
We had a small boat, like a little dinghy, and we were going to name it. And we wanted something kind of family-oriented. Edge.” And then one of our kids said, “Six edges,” because there are six of us.
Well, the ’Quin House and hospitality were it for me. That was kind of the dream that I wanted to try. I don’t know what would be interesting to do next. Maybe there’s a next chapter for me. Ultimately, it comes from our last name.
And how do we support the amazing staff and leaders of these organizations? I mean, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston is changing lives. So is Big Brothers Big Sisters and the mentorship that’s happening at Horizons for Homeless Children. The Boston Foundation, United Way—we’re so lucky to have these incredible organizations with a huge amount of innovation. I think it’s more fashionable than its reputation. I have so many friends who are so stylish.
Some savvy observers will immediately see the nods to London’s recently reimagined Annabel’s, from that very same vertigris-colored treillage to the thousands of faux flowers hot-glued to the ceiling of the ladies’ loo. Regardless, the ‘Quin House is Boston’s latest garden of delight, and a social slam dunk for those lucky enough to get in. Although the ‘Quin is a for-profit enterprise, the Edgerleys are hoping that philanthropy is a cornerstone of the club.
But as we’re starting to realize how our members use it and what we could have done differently, there are going to be some tweaks. For example, we have two rooms that are like function or conference rooms. When we originally designed them, it was pre-pandemic, and we thought members would have meetings here or bring their work teams here for brainstorming sessions. And now, of course, people aren’t really looking for those kinds of spaces anymore. So we’re going to convert it into private event space.
Ken Fulk’s highly sophisticated interiors—often swathed in colorful hand-painted wallpaper and decorated with a mix of centuries-old antiques and custom contemporary pieces—are almost instantly recognizable to anyone with an appreciation for design. “I do strive hard not to have a signature look, but there is an obvious DNA to the things that we create that makes the spaces easily identifiable.” His most recent endeavor that serves as a shining example of his design philosophy? The ’Quin House, a members-only social club that opened this summer in Boston’s famous Back Bay neighborhood. Founders Sandy and Paul Edgerley brought on Fulk as the creative director, handing him the reins for every formative element of the coveted spot on Commonwealth Avenue, from the logo to the paint colors, and of course, the magical, transcendent interiors.
To that end, they started the Quin Impact Fund, which has already donated $500,000 throughout the pandemic to help 10 organizations such as Camp Harbor View, Greater Boston Food Bank, Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation, and the Boston Resiliency Fund. They also are hoping to create volunteer opportunities for members. Up to this point, most members have been recruited or sent invites to join. A nomination by an existing member is the established path to apply for membership.
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