Kennedy's sense of entitlement was so great they expected everything for free, says designer who wor
The Kennedys' sense of entitlement was so great they expected everything for free, says designer who worked on $4 million eco-home
- Mary Richardson Kennedy hired Robin Wilson to help rebuild the family's mold-infested 1920s house in Bedford, New York
- The family secured more than $1.3 million in high-end appliances for free
- Contractors were promised credit in a television show that never aired
- House currently on the market for $4 million after Mary Richardson Kennedy hung herself in the barn in May
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An interior designer who worked on a home renovation project for Mary Richardson Kennedy, has revealed how the late wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. instructed her to demand that contractors provide their services for free or at massively discounted rates.
Designer Robin Wilson was hired by Mary Richardson Kennedy when she was rebuilding the family's mold-infested 1920s house in Bedford, New York State, into a green showpiece home.
Wilson has told The New York Post, that part of her job with the Kennedys was to secure products and services for ‘free or as free as possible’ during the renovation project, which lasted from 2008 to 2010.
Builder Jim Blansfield, Robert Kennedy Jr., and Mary Richardson Kennedy showed off the finished home in 2010 just months before RFK Jr. filed for divorce
Kennedy spread: The lounge features eco-friendly floors and windows
The Kennedys used their influence to secure massive discounts from the builder and other contractors
Designer Robin Wilson says she was instructed to demand that contractors provide their services for free or at massively discounted rates
During the remodeling of the seven-bedroom mansion, the Kennedys amassed more than $1.3 million in free products including high-end appliances, dual flush toilets, solid brass and zinc faucets, hardwood flooring, and hypoallergenic rugs. In addition, the family used their influence to secure massive discounts from the builder and other contractors.
Builder Jim Blansfield, who led the two-year construction project, said he charged 'very, very much less than what I would normally charge. I felt the project had great merit.'
However his work on the house did not lead to an increase in business.
Many contractors were promised free publicity and credit in a television show for NBC, which never aired.
The kitchen was designed free-of-charge, and the craftsman who did the bookcases and fireplace mantels charged half his usual rate.
Energy-efficient windows were provided by a local distributor for a Minnesota company, Marvin Windows and Doors, at a discount of more than $100,000.
But Richardson called Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat and an ally of her husband, and asked him to force the company to donate the windows.
‘Mary reached out to many people and corporations, including Al Franken,’ Wilson told The New York Post. A spokesman for Franken denied the claim.
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ShareOther contractors have claimed at Robin Wilson is reputed to have told the contractors that they wouldn't receive any credit for their work if they didn't donate the windows for free.
Despite the hard sell, the window distributor refused to budge and the Kennedys paid $230,000 for the windows, which had a retail price of $350,000.
Family history: The house is filled with mementos of the Kennedys
Patriotic: The hallway is decorated with pictures of the American flag
The swimming pool is set amid 10 acres of land
Pretty in pink: The sprawling home boasts seven bedrooms
Wilson too was eventually a victim of the Kennedy family, she was fired by Mary Richardson Kennedy just as the project was finishing and was paid only a fraction of her final bill.
RFK Jr. put the house on the market last month for $3.9 million - five months after his estranged wife committed suicide on the property.
Mary Richardson Kennedy hung herself in a barn on the 10-acre property in May as the pair were locked in a bitter divorce and custody battle.
Stunning: The house is filled with light
Sprawling: The estate was put on the market for almost $4 million
Crumbling: By the time their million dollar home renovation was complete Mary Richardson was getting divorced from RFK Jr.
He and his first wife had bought the original 1920 clapboard farmhouse on the site for $745,000 in 1985. He stayed in the house with second wife Mary Richardson in 1994 and they raised their children there until a storm flooded it in 2003.
The massive water damage left the home mold-infested and uninhabitable, so the couple outlined a plan to raze and rebuild the property promising contractors and vendors free publicity for working on the high-profile renovation.
Not long after the home was completed, RFK Jr. filed for divorce and then moved out.
Tranquility before tragedy: The master bedroom
A kitchen fit for a Kennedy: The sprawling kitchen was designed for free
Family room: Now the family home is being sold
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