‘RHONY’ Star Dorinda Medley Talks Blue Stone Manor ‘Escape’ and Clorox Partnership [Exclusive]
Fans of Real Housewives of New York City are familiar with Dorinda Medley’s country home, Blue Stone Manor. She has used the abode as a retreat for almost twenty years. In an exclusive interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, the former reality television star spoke of how she treats the home as an “escape” and a brand partnership with Clorox helps her keep it in tip top shape.
Dorinda Medley calls Blue Stone Manor her ‘escape’
Fans of ‘The Real Housewives of New York’ know of your beloved country home. Blue Stone Manor. The home is a character unto itself for both your fans and fans of ‘RHONY.’
DM: The best thing about Blue Stone Manor is that it’s not a museum. I am the host there, and I use all the rooms. It’s not precious. You know a lot of houses that you see on TV are rentals? This home was part of my life before [Real Housewives of New York]. It has been for many years before and hopefully will be part of my life many years after. It’s a unique thing. It was presented to Bravo as part of who I am. And I love the fact that people associate me with it.
People should come to a home and feel like they can be cozy, loved, nurtured, and nourished. Home becomes a place to tell secrets, talk, cook, and rest. And I love places where people can go where they feel they can escape. For me, Bluestone Manor is escaping.
It’s a place for rest, reset, and feeling happy and loved. Everyone in my house ends up in the kitchen. We want people to feel interactive in the house. Because life isn’t precious. So if I say to someone grab a wipe and clean this up in the refrigerator if there’s a spill, that’s it.
The cast of ‘The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip’ stayed at Blue Stone Manor
The cast of the Andy Cohen-produced The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip stayed at Blue Stone Manor in 2022. The home served as a gathering place for former cast members to catch up.
The cast included RHONY alums Dorinda Medley, Jill Zarin, Brandi Glanville, Eva Marcille, Phaedra Parks, Tamra Judge, Taylor Armstrong, and Vicki Gunvalson. The women hashed out old differences and bonded during this experience at Medley’s home.
How have your castmates reacted to staying in your home?
DM: I say this to the girls all the time. There’s no suggestion boxes here. This isn’t a hotel. Once, someone called from her phone to ask if someone could bring her tea. I said that people forget this is a home because it is so well run. It’s organized because I consciously take that seriously.
This leads to your partnership with Clorox. Tell us how that came about.
I’m very excited about this beautiful partnership with Clorox. It’s been so fortuitous for me and Blue Stone Manor. It’s also great for entertaining and hosting and all the things that we have to do for spring to get ready. I love to host people. It is a natural fit for me. And actually, I love to clean.
I said to [house manager] Len Paguergan, ‘There have been a lot of gifts that have appeared at this house. This one is going to make us very happy.’ When you live somewhere like Blue Stone Manor, even though we are spotless for it’s a country house, that when you have people, it is a whole process, not only taking care of it and keeping it clean and white, you know, stuff as you go along.
But when people leave, it’s a whole cleaning reset. You can’t leave a country as messy; otherwise, you know, you end up with bacteria, viruses, and little critters. This is a match made in heaven [with Clorox]. They could have sent diamonds, and it wouldn’t have made Len as happy.
Dorinda Medley finds cleaning ‘therapeutic’
Dorinda Medley admits that she finds cleaning her home “therapeutic.” She is happy when her home is clean and organized, allowing her to enjoy her life without having to worry about daily messes that take time away from her other passions, such as family, friends, and entertaining.
Do you find cleaning therapeutic?
DM: I am a person who has a broom in every house. I sweep every day, and I look forward to cleaning. I find it very therapeutic. Especially with spring coming, there’s something about wiping everything down. It makes me more energetic. It’s a reset.
I was approached about the partnership with Clorox and found it to be a perfect fit. It started off doing some stuff with Blue Stone Manor, doing a couple of social media posts.
I did one about how I wiped out my refrigerator and microwave and my knobs in that one. It’s great to wipe up the floor after pets. And it just was such a positive response. It seemed like such a natural fit that, you know, they decided to continue to work with me, which is always an incredible honor.
Dorinda Medley officially stepped away from The Real Housewives of New York after Season 12. She last partnered with the franchise for Season 2 of RHUGT.
