How the ‘Bamboo House’ came to be

While my grandfather’s hair career thrived in 1970s New York City, his true creative sanctuary was in the Fire Island Pines. He lived at the beach year round, collecting shells, driftwood, horseshoe crabs and more to turn into art.

In 2008 he became interested in bamboo as a material, and sent two shipping containers filled with bamboo over from Indonesia. He spent the next two years covering the house inside and out. We joked that if we stood still long enough he would cover us with bamboo.

One winter day, his ladder fell while he was “bambooing”, leaving him stranded on the roof for hours until a service worker happened to drive by and hear him calling.

The ocean air wasn’t kind to the bamboo and we’ve had to remove it over the years, but the name stuck.

You've likely never heard his name, but you’ve undoubtedly encountered his work. My grandfather Paul McGregor was a true artist in every sense — his most notable creation being the iconic ‘Shag’ haircut made famous on Jane Fonda for the movie Klute. He ran an iconic barbershop out of 15 St. Marks place, drawing crowds lining up down the block to get a Paul McGregor cut. Once he grew tired of hair he transformed his shop into the worlds smallest roller rink, and then into Boy Bar– a gay bar where many notable drag queens got their start.