Famed Chef Sandra Lee recounts her heartbreak after moving out of the New York home she shared with Governor Cuomo before they split up saying, “How am I going to rebuild my life?”
On Wednesday, the 54-year-old shared nostalgic snaps of the four-bedroom colonial-style home she dubbed ‘Lily Pond’ decorated for past holidays.
“I woke up early this morning and all I could do was look at some pretty pictures of how I decorated Lily Pond for the holidays. Hoping for inspiration, ”she said.
On Wednesday, celebrity chef Sandra Lee, 54, opened up about her heartbreak after she left the Mt. Kisco, the New York house she shared with Governor Cuomo this week, saying, “How am I going to rebuild my life?”
Memories come to an end: Lee shared several snaps of her house on Wednesday decked out in festive Christmas decorations from years past
Lee and Cuomo were together for 14 years before announcing their split in September 2019. Lee then moved to California and bought a beachfront home in Malibu for $ 3.38 million. Lee and Cuomo pictured together in April 2018
Opening: Lee shared a candid post on Wednesday saying she’s struggling to move on after leaving beloved Mt. Kisco home
‘How am I going to rebuild my life – I don’t think it’s possible. It took me a lifetime to build that house. The house I never had growing up, ”she added.
On Monday, Lee was seen hauling the last bits of furniture out of the house and into a moving truck.
She had bought the house in 2008 and put it up for sale in May 2019. In October, the idyllic home sold for $ 1.85 million.
She called the house “the house I never had when I was growing up.”
‘Warm and clean with spectacular views from every room. I can’t even imagine how I’m going to rebuild it or where I can rebuild it or if it’s even rebuildable, ” she wrote.
How do you start over after taking your house apart and putting it away? I think that’s where my feelings have been for the past few years, in storage. This whole thing tore me apart, ”she added.
Her throwback photos showed her setting up a glittering Christmas tree in the living room, adorning the dining room with beautiful reindeer decor, and hanging ornaments and baubles around the house.
‘Everyone says one day at a time …… so today I’m going to try and get ready for Christmas. I’m going to wrap presents and arrange shipments to Fam’Lee in Seattle, even though I don’t feel like Aunt Sandy Claus today, ”she said.
Lee shared this photo on Wednesday showing how she decorated her dining room for the holidays with a Christmas tree and reindeer decorations
Lee shared this photo on Wednesday with one of her old majestic white Christmas trees
Staying Cozy and Warm Inside: Lee introduced herself as she posed with her white cockatoo named Phoenix in the Mt. Kisco home
Earlier this week, Lee was seen hauling the last of the furniture out of the house to a moving truck. She now lives in Malibu, California, where she moved after her divorce from Cuomo.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Lee announced that she was officially leaving the house, describing it as “ one of the saddest days of my life. ”
She said she had fond memories in every room of living with Cuomo, 63, and his three daughters for a while in their 14-year relationship before breaking up in September 2019.
Today will be one of the saddest days of my life. Today is the day I take the last step out of Lily Pond. I love that house and I have a personal connection with every room in that house. I hope the new owners take care of it as much as I do and will love it forever. #thehousethatbuiltme, ‘she wrote on Instagram.
The sprawling 4,000 square foot home features four bedrooms, three dining areas, a finished basement, a home gym, and an oversized kitchen.
Lee purchased the white colonial-style house in 2008. The house went on sale in May 2019 for $ 2 million and sold in October 2020 for $ 1.85 million.
On Monday, Lee was seen picking up the last of the furniture from the house in a moving truck
Bittersweet Goodbye: Lee revealed on Instagram that moving out of the Bittersweet Lane house she bought in 2008 was ‘one of the saddest days of my life’
Today will be one of the saddest days of my life. Today is the day I take the last step out of Lily Pond. I love that house and I have a personal connection with every room in that house. I hope the new owners take care of it as much as I do and will love it forever. #thehousethatbuiltme, ‘she wrote on Instagram
In another Instagram post, she shared an exterior view of the house, saying, ‘I was walking around the outside of my beautiful home – I wanted to drink from every angle and remember the beautiful moments I spent everywhere.’
‘I stopped at the top of the hill where I planted one of six rows of evergreen trees and 200 daffodil bulbs – I just looked at the house, I prayed that the next owners would be nice to it and love it as much as I – I cried and cried, ”she added.
Lee said she took one last walk around the house and said goodbye to each room and ‘thanked everyone for giving them love and shelter, a warm place to grow and a real home to be happy’.
When the house hit the market, rumors started circulating that Cuomo and Lee had split up.
They initially denied rumors and instead pinned down the downsizing on Cuomo’s three daughters leaving the house.
The couple finally announced their breakup last September, saying, ‘In the recent past, we’ve realized that our lives have gone in different directions and our romantic relationship has turned into a deep friendship.’
Lee then moved to California and bought a beachfront home in Malibu for $ 3.38 million.
Family: Lee acted as the stepmother to his three daughters – Michaela, Cara and Mariah – from his previous marriage to Kerry Kennedy
Despite the breakup, Cuomo and Lee still seem close.
In April, she told the New York Times that she and Cuomo still communicate almost every day, adding, ‘He’s still my husband. As far as I know, neither of us went on a date. ‘
She said she is watching Cuomo’s daily coronavirus briefings and has done her best to help even from around the country.
“You know, nobody has a daily routine right now,” she said. ‘I get up and check out the latest news. Of course I watch Andrew live and share my thoughts with him. ‘