A California Case Study inspired house and guest house with a 20m lap pool on four acres in the Hamptons, New York. Surrounded by lush greenness and close to the beach, it needed to reflect the wholehearted welcome and love of friends and family that define this client’s approach to their leisure time.

Lives lived at a very fast pace, intense pressure and endless travel professionally need the counterpoint of fun and freedom whenever there’s a chance and this house is one of those precious opportunities.

The brief was simple. No green and a (relatively) tight budget. Most items were to be from online sources such as Hive Modern to contain costs and simplify the purchase and delivery process. We had to make our recommendations without being able to see the actual items which is counter to our usual process where we have intimate knowledge of each piece. There was scope for some vintage online purchases which we used to balance the mass produced items and the client also found a great Roy Lichtenstein ‘wallpaper’ artwork that became the focal point for the living room.

It needed to be fully furnished and the kitchen was to be replaced. The house has simple planning and an open, airy feeling and extensive decks that provide many opportunities for outdoor living. The main kitchen/meals/living room was designed to be lit without ceiling lights so the kitchen has lamps and the living room seating group is defined by four Starck designed Flos floor lamps.

Blue was key to the colour palette and we brought in timber pieces to add warmth and depth. This ‘beach house’ also is used as a city escape when there’s snow, so we made sure the entry allowed space to take off snow covered shoes and to hang up jackets. Not our usual brief for a beach house, but one we were delighted to meet.