The Hamptons Home

Five awesome tips for Hamptons designs!

Top A-listers and celebs, as well as rich and prominent businesspeople and their families, have long since settled their go-to summer homes in Long Island – and they didn’t spare a dime when it comes to decorating their beautiful vacation houses! It’s no wonder, then, that this wonderful design style lovingly called “the Hamptons” has evolved, drawing inspiration from everything sun, fun, high-end and beachy!

These vacation homes are bright and welcoming enough to soothe the soul during some much-needed time off, but are also just light and sophisticated enough to hold the most fashionable brunches and vacation plans for adults and kids alike. It’s a fine balance that you’ll get to practice this Season!

“Coastal” doesn’t just mean “Blue” – not in the Hamptons!

Oftentimes, the Hamptons designs incorporate a great deal of ocean-related themes – but not just! This style is known for its use of natural elements such as wood and wicker along with a beautiful pale color palette that seems to draw inspiration from the colors of the beach itself, with different shades of brown and sand, green and blue, and even a hint of coral.

This style says: elegant, without rubbing it in your face. It’s casual enough to be a beach home, with the kids scattering sand around as they come back from a day at the beach, but it’s also modern and suave, expressing luxury in a way that only the richest and highly famous can afford.

Families, couples and friends work hard all year long, fantasizing about their annual summer trip down to the beach house in the Hamptons. This Season, you can help them make it happen by creating the best designs for them to relax in!

So get your suitcases packed, Redecorators, we’re going on a Hampton’s family vacation!

Tip 1 – Nature and Texture Go Hand In Hand

Rattan, wicker and wooden pieces will adorn this Season’s rooms, without a doubt! Not only do their sandy and earthy tones fit the general Hampton’s color scheme, but the texture they provide help with creating a more nature-inspired atmosphere inside the beach house.

Expect to see “noble” materials throughout the entire house when checking out other designs, that will include not only wood and wicker but also marbles, stones and metals when it comes to surfaces and cotton and linen bedspreads and tablecloths. These gorgeous textures won’t let the room fall “flat”, despite having a more subdued color palette that favors whitewashed walls.

Marine inspired decorations and ornaments are also encouraged in this style as a way to bring the outside in: modeled starfish from clay or wood (hopefully not real ones that were harvested unsustainably), tree boughs that were thrown out by the sea, nautical ropes, lanterns, and even sailor patterns can all help create that seaside atmosphere vacation homes owners long for.

Tip 2 – Make Bold Colors Work

Bold colors can often be seen incorporated into accessories such as pillows, vases, chandeliers, and other knick-knacks decorating the house. They’re not meant to draw your attention away from the entire room, but to help it feel more open by adding a hint of depth.

If you’re feeling especially adventurous, you can see if the bolder colors fit the room’s curtains or throw blankets, but be sure to use a discerning eye – usually paler, flowy fabrics are preferred to keep the airy summery vibe in the room and allow for as much natural light as possible, especially when it comes to curtain choice. Don’t be afraid of putting some elegant gold or silver in occasional vases and sculptures! You’re designing for clients from the upper classes of society who are used to richness and beauty all around them.

This Season, you’ll have to trust your inner design instincts more than ever and create a beautiful and delicate balance between bold and sophisticated statements and the light beachy summer vibe throughout the rooms you redecorate.

Tip 3 – Home Furniture

Much like our beautiful Artisan Season,  this Season focuses more on quality rather than quantity. All furniture pieces in the Hamptons are expected to have distinct high-quality workmanship, and if they’re handmade and one of a kind – well, that’s even better!

Expect to see large models of furniture with a classical, timeless cut that fills up a room yet never blocks it completely. Sofas and armchairs should be scattered around the home for maximum comfort (this is a vacation home, after all!) along with small lamp tables and plenty of throws.

Try to mix and match various patterns when it comes to your sofa or armchair cushions, using textured options like linen or thick canvas covers n the process. Rugs can be used sparingly throughout the house as they’re not in theme with the summer vibe, but are a great way to dress a room when it’s feeling a bit too bare and plain. For those, try to go with silk or wool rugs that add the right amount of warmth, without saying “it’s winter!”.

Tip 4 – Open and Light

Plenty of natural light is used in this decor style, so expect to see big windows and French doors throughout the homes! The windows usually have structured classical window furnishings that add to the elegant feel of the room.

In order to emphasize the bright and open space, walls are usually colored in a semi-matt or snow-white base. The dimmed color palette relies strongly on nature, with pops of bolder colors only peeking through in ornaments and smaller decor items.

You can expect to see a lot of symmetry in this Season’s designs! Forms throughout the space are simple and classical, with soft lines to accentuate how open and big it is. Keep that in mind when choosing wall art and colors for your room – the room should feel spacious and airy, full of natural light and summer vibes!

Tip 5 – Layering Is The Way To Go

The wonderful thing about the preferred pale wall palette is that you can always layer the color in! Try to pair warmer neutral tones with several shades of blue, from navy to baby blue, all in one room.

Sofas, cushions, throws and ornaments are a great way to add color to the originally pallid designs typical of this decor style. Incorporate accessories such as pillows and vases with bluer tones, saving the warmer colors for others such as blankets and sculptures.

The idea is to add the colors in a clever way that’s not too “in your face” but just tasteful enough to match the whole beachy atmosphere of a vacation home. Remember, the goal is to create a soothing atmosphere that reflects the beachside, so go easy on the colors and lean more towards the interesting textures and designs that you can play with this Season!

Use this month to create a perfect seaside oasis for your clients, filled with family quality time and happy memories in the making! Design stunning Hampton homes on Redecor this Season.