Fans of the Real Housewives of New York City will remember the time not so long ago that Bethenny Frankel and Ramona Singer squabbled about an investment property of Frankel’s that was situated on Montauk Highway in the Hamptons. Since then, Frankel has left the show, but she hasn’t slowed down when it comes to buying and renovating properties all throughout the East Coast. “I was always broke and ripped out inspiration[al] pics, simply as a fantasy,” she tells Architectural Digest of her early interest in real estate and decor. “I didn’t think that having my own home would ever be a reality. [But] when I renovated my first home in Tribeca, I was mesmerized by the ability to customize every detail.”
Frankel admits to being drawn to properties that already have a solid foundation to build upon, whether it is good quality flooring or tile or existing cabinetry. “I never waste, as a person or as a home renovator,” she says. “So many people love to just spend other people’s money and rip things out. I am very frugal in that sense. If a house has potential and needs creativity and a partial gut, that’s my specialty.” Here, we take a closer look at the homes that Frankel has bought, sold, and renovated over the years, upgrading them with her trademark functional, clean style.
2011
Frankel’s first property garnered a lot of media attention for some not-so-great reasons. She purchased the 3,725-square-foot Tribeca loft for $4.995 million through a trust when she was still married to businessman Jason Hoppy, and sank an additional half a million into renovating and furnishing the chic four-bedroom, three-bathroom home. The corner unit featured 12-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, and a 180-bottle wine fridge, as well as a main suite with a walk-in closet and massive en suite bathroom with a double vanity, soaking tub, and separate steam shower. When the pair got divorced, the loft became a “point of contention” in their long legal battle, according to the Wall Street Journal, but ultimately, Frankel came out on top: She listed the dwelling for $6.95 million in 2016, and it sold in one day at full asking price.
2014
In 2014, Frankel put down $4.2 million for a sweet two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom condo on Mercer Street, hoping for a fresh start. The most eye-catching part of the airy 2,392-square-foot loft was undoubtedly the 25-foot-wide sunken great room, which boasted tall, arched windows and 14-foot ceilings, as well as a wood-burning fireplace. The kitchen had a white marble center island and stainless steel appliances; both bedrooms had unique floor-to-ceiling walls of glass overlooking an atrium. Frankel put the home on the market for $5.25 million in 2017, but to no avail. It finally sold for $3.65 million in 2020 after several price cuts.
2015
The year following her SoHo purchase, Frankel put down $2.675 million for a calm retreat in the Hamptons, a place she still maintains and lives in to this day. The Real Housewives star once told People that she considered the Bridgehampton pad “the first real home I have ever had my whole entire life.” The significantly renovated five-bedroom house features quaint shingles on the outside as well as a front door and gate, both painted an eye-catching red. A pool and gardens surround both the main house and a one-bedroom guest cottage, and are ideal for entertaining. “I love outdoor moments because they create such incredible seasonal memories,” she tells AD.
2017
Frankel impulsively snapped up a $4.2 million artist’s loft in SoHo in 2017. At the time, she told AD, she purchased it mainly because of its convenient location: It was right next to her office. “I wasn’t even looking to move, but this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” she said. “All of a sudden I was in it.” Then, it was a matter of getting to work with what the two-bedroom place already had to offer: She refinished the existing wood floors with a pale gray and painted the original radiators, columns, pipes, and window frames a bold black for contrast. The biggest change, however, was adding two fireplaces where there were none before—one in the main suite and one in the family room. She still owns this place.