Luxury is no longer about what you can buy, but what you can imagine.
On the legendary Gold Coast of Long Island, where the echoes of the Gilded Age still reverberate through the manicured hedgerows of Long Island, stands the Upham Harris Estate.
Originally commissioned by Wall Street titan Henry Upham Harris in the early 20th century, the 18,000 square foot estate on 32 acres was once a symbol of prestige. But after sitting unoccupied for many years, the property was at risk of being purchased and parceled out into nine separate lots.
Enter Andrea D’Alessio, President of The Inspirata Group. In a feat of architectural salvage and visionary reconstruction, D’Alessio authored a second act for the property.
TRD sat with D’Alessio to learn how a single-room renovation evolved into a nine-year, multi-property odyssey that resulted in a perfectly executed bespoke residence.
Concierge approach
The scale of the project is staggering. The core 18,000-square-foot, Cotswold-style manor was meticulously restored, while a 10,000-square-foot new addition along with the remodel of the 3,000 square-foot gate house was seamlessly integrated into 31,000 square foot Mansion.
D’Alessio’s approach isn’t about being just a “general contractor” it’s about being a “personal concierge.” To meet the client’s needs, The Inspirata Group managed everything from a 10,000 square foot shed with playhouse–a perfect replica of the main house–to a high-rise penthouse at the Baccarat Residences in Manhattan.
“We are on 24/7,” D’Alessio says. “Ultra-high-net-worth clients expect immediate accessibility, and we take pride in meeting that standard. Our availability is dictated by our clients and the demands of each project—not by our personal schedules—and at this level, that commitment is both understood and respected. Our work ethic is relentless because these projects aren’t just buildings; they’re sanctuaries.”
Jewelry of the home
If the structure is the suit, the stonework is the “jewelry,” a term D’Alessio uses to describe the intricate details that elevate a house to a masterpiece. To execute the custom details at the Upham Harris estate, he turned to Joseph A. Schmadel, President of SUN Precast Company.
Schmadel, whose work graces the hallowed halls of Yale, Princeton and West Point, worked off napkin sketches to bring D’Alessio’s visions to life.
The project earned three national Cast Stone Institute Excellence Awards, notably for the 20-foot chimney stacks (which required three and a half months just to fabricate the molds) and a seahorse fountain where the concrete was cast to “spit” water with anatomical precision. Every element was carefully considered, from painstakingly replicated 1929 balustrades to custom gutters disguised as fish sculptures that stream water from their mouths during a rainstorm.
The estate’s most poignant feature is a 12,000-pound family sculpture relief bolted through the home’s structure.
“It’s a 10-inch relief in concrete, which is a hard, unforgiving material,” says Schmadel. “But we captured the soft details: the cheeks of the baby, the fathers and mothers features, and their cherubs .”
Notably, the sculpture included a deliberate void in the father’s arms.
“We reserved space for a future child in the portrait,” D’Alessio says. “Here, even absence was carefully designed.”
Old world artistry in a modern world
The interior of the Upham Harris Estate is a global tapestry. D’Alessio manages owner-operated warehouses in Italy to ensure complete oversight of furniture and cabinetry, an “immediate resource” model that outpaces third party traditional showrooms.
This access enabled the creation of 10 unique bedrooms and a “Princess Room” that wasn’t just inspired by a carriage but truly became one. The team effectively translated a fairytale dream into functional architecture.
Paolo Ballabio, President of A due B Carving, spent five years hand-carving the estate’s soul using solid woods sourced from Africa and throughout Europe. The collaboration required Ballabio to navigate D’Alessio’s “explosive” pace, translating quick sketches into Classical architecture while enjoying modern living.
“Andrea is a dreamer, and I am grounded in the wood,” Ballabio says. “We find the way together.”
This partnership resulted in rooms that range from Venetian Palazzo styles to neoclassical halls that quietly transform into high-tech nightclubs at the touch of a button.
Hidden in plain sight
“The Inspirata Group’s work at the estate is rich with Easter eggs, each holding personal meaning. A royal message is subtly woven into the grand foyer, where lapis peacock feathers guide the way to a Roman bathhouse.
Even the husband’s private terrace tells a story: fifteen different granites are meticulously arranged to create a striking portrait of a woman in a gown gazing at the moon, enjoying his private cigar terrace.
The estate is no longer a relic of the past. It is a living, breathing venue for high-profile political events and galas, restored to its rightful place as the crown jewel of the Gold Coast in Long Island. For D’Alessio, the nine-year journey of restoring the extravagant estate was also a personal mission to build a legacy that no other contractor could create.
“I don’t give clients what they ask for; I give them what they want,” says D’Alessio. One wealthy billionaire client once said to me, Andrea, how do you know what I want when I can have anything in this world?’ While some might see that as arrogance, I see it as both a challenge and an excitement, because his success and wealth make the unimaginable possible—and that’s where I step in and execute. That question speaks to the heart of what we do: anticipating vision, interpreting desire, and translating it into something most wouldn’t have the capability—or the courage—to achieve.”
To learn more about The Inspirata Group, visit their website.