said she and her husband bought their East Hamptons home in the 90s. However, when Garten got the opportunity to have her cooking show, "Barefoot Contessa," on Food Network, she confessed that the filming crew took up every inch of her house except her bedroom.
Ina Garten house in East Hampton. | Source: youtube.com/ Katie Couric
So the couple only had their bedroom to escape work which did not work for Garten. She said she needed to find a space to work and create recipes, or Jeffery would have divorced her.
But luckily for the couple, they had already planned ahead. Garten told Oprah Daily that they purchased their East Hampton home with a right to first refusal clause, which meant they got first dibs if their neighbor decided to sell their property.
Garten confessed that she had been eyeing the open field next to her property for a while, and every year for ten years, she wrote a letter to the owner asking if they were ready to sell.
Eventually, the Food Network star purchased the open field and built a 2000-square-foot barn, stated Oprah Daily. Architect Frank Greenwald reportedly designed it.
The work space was turned into a cook's dream. It has a fully equipped pantry with plates, cutlery, props, and room for her successful cookbooks,
The barn has big windows that make the room feel light and airy, not to forget the beautiful limestone counter space perfectly contrasts with white cabinets.
The room also has vintage furniture to match the rustic barn, as Garten specifies, "there's also an 18th-century Swedish trestle table" which the food enthusiasts used as an office during the pandemic.
Garten could not be more excited to have her working space equipped with its own refrigerator, stove, pots, and pans that all mimic her kitchen.
The barn turned to everything Garten wanted and more. The culinary pro said, "Every day, I walk in here and think, I can't believe I work here."
Ina Garten's work space kitchen | Source: Youtube.com/ Katie Couric
To finish off the barn Jeffery surprised his wife with a painting from one of Garten's favorite artists, April Gornik. "The Barefoot Contessa" star told Oprah Daily how it all came about.
Garten decided to take her husband to Gornik's gallery because he was unfamiliar with her work. As the couple browsed the gallery, Garten said she fell in love with the artist's work on the Namib Desert.
Suddenly, Garten heard Jeffery say, "I just bought that for the barn because it really belongs there." The culinary star said she was shocked because she did not even think they could afford it.
Fifteen years later, the painting still hangs in the barn and is one of Garten's most priced possessions. She is grateful that her husband made that purchase for her.
Garten's home has one of the most beautiful gardens. The food expert gave her Instagram followers a look inside, and fans could not stop praising the garden.
She started the tour from what Garten called her "shade garden" as she walked on a graveled path framed with ferns and crepe myrtle trees which give it a bit of structure, explained Garten. The trail led to another walkway with stone slabs and a vine-covered arch that took you to a massive herb garden.
Garten showed her followers the tomatoes she was growing, and the range of herbs, sage chives, thyme, tarragon, and the list continued. In all the greenery surrounding the garden, Garten also has white roses and a lot of lavender, giving it a bit of color.
Before moving to New York and becoming Food Network's sensation, Garten reportedly used to live in Washington D.C and worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget.
But when she was not on duty, Food Network reported that Garten used to throw the best parties. She would plan out the menus weeks in advance, and her guests would have fun and enjoy good food. Jeffery said people still talked about her parties to this day.
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