There are always 'fashionable 'trends that appear in the world of design every so many years. We had the French Provincial Look, The Tuscan Look, Minimalism, English Country House and so on. At present I hear the word 'Hamptons', way too often, and never really understand exactly what the term means. What is the Hamptons ? Well its a place on Long Island, one of the burrows of New York City. Its a town, about two hours drive from central Manhattan , where wealthy city dwellers have always gone to escape the heat of the city in summer, and be by the water. In winter the place is deserted, in summer its the complete opposite.
The architectural styles that have evolved over time in the Hamptons are very varied. From grand stone mansions, to hard edged modern brutalism, and beach shacks built on the dunes, the contrast is extreme, but the point is that there is no definitive style you could call Hamptons. Yes, its a lifestyle by the beach, but again this is very open to interpretation by those who chose to live here and have the money to buy a property in this part of the USA. So my point is you really cant put your finger on a formula, that adds up to a certain style that says, this is Hamptons.
If someone asked me to describe what it is, rather than go into describing certain elements that make up a style, I would say think of the movie 'Something's Got To Give', with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. The house although a movie set, captured a feel of the lifestyle wealthy New Yorkers enjoy during the summer. Relaxed, elegant, comfortable, decorative elegant rooms filled with furniture, art and objects. No minimalism here. A place to cocoon, chill and revive. But again, its no formula and is very open to personal interpretation.
So when you get to design a home where the client asks for a feel and look that could be described as Hamptons, there are many, many pathways to choose. The room seen here is from a project that was inspired by the clients love of American interiors, and from the comfortable lifestyle of places like the Hamptons.
Comfortable, timeless, peaceful, and most of all real. I mean real, in that it reflects the people who live here, rather than some generic interior chosen from a catalogue of furniture and items that says, this is Hamptons Style.