Rachael Ray Designed Her Lake Luzerne Home That Was Just Destroyed in a Fire
Rachael Ray’s Lake Luzerne home has been heavily damaged by fire. Viewers have become familiar with Ray’s expansive Adirondack Mountains retreat in recent months. Instead of filming from a New York City studio, Ray has opted to film her show from her own home. The comfortable décor has helped fans feel connected to the 51-year-old TV personality, and, as it turns out, the Lake Luzerne property has some special meaning to Ray, who grew up in nearby Lake George, NY.
Rachael Ray’s Lake Luzerne home was heavily damaged in a fire
Ray has been spending the majority of her time in Upstate New York recently, but the TV personality will need to find different accommodations now. A fire heavily damaged Ray’s country home on Aug. 10. A spokesman for The Luzerne-Hadley Fire Department stated that the blaze likely broke out on the second floor of the house around 7:30 pm, and had spread extensively by the time crews arrived. Much of the second floor and the roof of the home was destroyed, according to The Post Star.
Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours, calling in water trucks and help from 14 neighboring towns before the fire was fully extinguished. Ray took to Twitter to thank the first responders who worked to save her home. Ray, along with her husband, John Cusimano, were home at the time of the blaze. Ray’s mother, Elsa Scuderi, and the family dog, Bella, were also in the house when the fire broke out. No one was injured.
Rachael Ray drew her home vision on a piece of paper
Ray and her husband have been spending the majority of their time in Upstate New York recently. The home wasn’t just a safe haven while the Coronavirus spread rapidly through New York City. The house was special to Ray because she designed the entire dwelling.
Ray sat down with Saratoga Living to discuss her upstate New York retreat. She told the publication that she had decorated the house long before it was even built. Reportedly, Ray had drawn up the rustic, cabin retreat on a piece of paper. That drawing was used to craft the home. The kitchen, which viewers have seen on Ray’s recent shows, was completely dreamt up by the celebrity cook. The large pantry was, apparently, a source of great pride.
Rachael Ray sold a property shortly before the house fire
Ray and Cusimano’s real estate portfolio doesn’t just contain the upstate home. The couple, who wed in 2005, also owns a Manhattan apartment to make Ray’s commute to the studio easy and about 200 acres of land in the Capitol Region of New York. The also owned a Southampton summer house until recently. According to Observer, Ray and Cusimano found a buyer for their Southampton property in July.
The Long Island home, which sits on less than an acre of land, includes 3,000 square feet of living space, a pool, and an accompanying pool house. The serene property is just 4 miles from Cooper’s Beach and neighbors a golf course. Ray purchased the property in 2008 for $2.1 million. She has been trying to sell it, off and on, since 2017. According to Zillow, it was first listed in August 2017 for $4.9 million.