OPEN HOUSE

Reconfigured spaces and imaginative

furnishings have enabled this Hamptons home
to host large numbers in great comfort
WORDS JULIET BENNING PHOTOGRAPHS MATTHEW WILLIAMS STYLING HILARY ROBERTSON

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LIVING AREA
Thick smoked oak shelves
display ornaments bought
on the owner’s travels.
Sliding pocket doors (left)
connect the dining area
with the family room.
Aqua dining table (left) by
Roche Bobois. Tesa chairs
from Stillfried Wien.

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 LIVING AREA
The chimney breast was
widened and modernised
with a custom poured-
concrete surround.
Walls painted in James
White by Farrow & Ball.
Otto double pendant light
by David Weeks Studio.
Sofas by McGuire at Baker.

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W hen they first viewed
the property that was to
become their much-loved
Hamptons holiday home,
Ian Ferguson and Ryan Brandau weren’t overly
impressed. ‘It wasn’t love at first sight, but our broker
was convinced that the house was right for us and
she could envisage something beyond what we
were seeing,’ recalls Ian. The couple had been in
a long-distance relationship between New York
and California for several years before settling on an
apartment in Manhattan, and wanted to complement
their city lifestyle with a retreat in the Hamptons to
be shared with Ian’s parents. ‘We love tennis and one
of our criteria was for a court and a pool,’ adds Ryan.
Clad in shingle and featuring multiple gables as is
the New England style, the house was repainted to
refine its architectural qualities. ‘It was originally
pale, which exaggerated some of its weird shapes – as
if it were all roof and no walls. By painting it a darker
colour, closer to the roof, we toned it down and made
it look a bit more thoughtful,’ says Ian. The house had
been built in the early Noughties, but lacked the
architectural detailing the couple craved. A year after
they bought it, an overhaul of the basement triggered
the extended project. Sarah Zames, of the interior
design firm General Assembly, was recommended
and became the linchpin of the redesign.
‘One of the priorities was to create more architectural
interest internally,’ says Sarah. ‘We wanted to add
texture and colour, giving each room an individual
character.’ The property was stripped back and given
a new floor plan with fewer walls, instilling in the
house a more sociable, loose character. ‘We tried to
expand and connect the spaces as much as possible,’
she says. ‘Previously, the kitchen was small with the
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dining area next door relatively constricted and
a sprawling main room that hadn’t been put to good
use,’ says Ian. Sight lines became important so that
anyone cooking would be able to see out onto the
porch and tennis court beyond. Upstairs, the landing
‘catwalk’ was widened, while bedrooms were made
bigger and en-suite bathrooms added.
In terms of decor, the couple aimed for a relaxed
look that would appeal across the generational
divide. ‘We wanted the interior to have a sense of fun
and although we felt it should be beautifully designed
we didn’t want it to feel stuffy or intimidating,’ says
Ian. Across the ground floor indoor/outdoor rugs
have been used while much of the upholstery is from
Holly Hunt’s outdoor range, making it impervious to
the scratches of Tux, Ian and Ryan’s dog.
An emphasis on craftsmanship and natural
materials has also reduced the formality of the highly
designed spaces, as Sarah explains, ‘The marble of
the dining table is a feature, while all the built-in
furniture is made of smoked oak, with the floors of a
lighter bleached oak.’ White walls delineate the crisp
planes of the slanted ceiling in the main living area
with a host of Farrow & Ball colours giving bedrooms
individual character. The paint is not the only
British touch, with new London projects by General
Assembly bringing a transatlantic influence. ‘We
discovered several furniture designers at London
Design Festival and the wallpaper in the cloakroom
is from House of Hackney,’ says Sarah.
Many months after its completion, Ian and Ryan
continue to be enthralled with their retreat. ‘We love
the fact that even if there are 20 guests staying, we’ve
used the idiosyncrasies of the architecture to create a
private nook for everyone,’ says Ian. ‘It’s great seeing
the house unfold and be used as we planned.’ &
HALL
Black steel bannisters
provide a strong focal point.
Stairs designed by General
Assembly. Floor in Bare Oak
by The Hudson Company.
Marble table from Studio
Raw Material.

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KITCHEN
A recessed ceiling with large
panels adds architectural
interest to the interior.
Dome pendant lights from
Allied Maker. Radice counter
stool from Mattiazzi. Similar
to the large bowl (opposite)
is Strom by Raawii at Heal’s.

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 BATHROOM LANDING
The traditional wooden The mezzanine level
shutters were painted was expanded to make
in the same shade as it a focal point and
the walls to give them a create this area for
more contemporary look. reading and relaxing.
The fluted glass panel Prince chair by Minotti.
acts as a chic divider in Pasteur straight floor lamp
this large space. by Roche Bobois. Door
Empire bath from painted in Hardwick White
Waterworks. Traditional by Farrow & Ball.
schoolhouse shade ceiling
light from Schoolhouse.

EN SUITE
‘We all fell in love with
this stone,’ says Sarah
Zames, of interior design
firm General Assembly,
of the marble in the
shower. Its high-contrast
monochrome is set off
by the natural, calming
tones of the wood.
Can Barro Negro pendant
lamp by David Pompa.
Arden washstand by
Waterworks. Foster
washbowl by Duravit.

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GUEST BEDROOM
Blue wood cladding recalls
traditional Hamptons-style
architecture. ‘This bedroom
gets more light than the
others so it can absorb
the dark tone,’ says Sarah
Zames of interior design
firm General Assembly.
Woodwork painted in
Down Pipe by Farrow
& Ball. Coral pendant
light by David Trubridge.

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 DESIGN DETAILS
S t y l e i n s p i r a t i o n f r o m I a n a n d R y a n ’s H a m p t o n s h o l i d a y h o m e

VERDANT WALLCOVERING TIMBER CLADDING

In the downstairs powder room the influence of
London designers can be seen in the choice of
wallpaper – House of Hackney’s Limerence in Ink,
£185 a roll. For a good selection of green paints try
Little Greene, who have collaborated with the National
Trust on a new colourcard featuring 31 leafy shades.
In Ryan and Ian’s room, Sarah took advantage of the
window recess to create a cosy yet functional nook
clad in oak. Mixing varying widths of cladding adds
an extra layer of interest, while the woodwork creates
a solution for both window dressing and storage, as
well as visually recalling the beams of a boat.

WHERE TO SOURCE WALLPAPER WHERE TO SOURCE CLADDING

A burst of pattern in a calm interior, especially in smaller Timber cladding is not only eye-catching but durable and
rooms, like Ian and Ryan’s powder room, gives a sense of fun. economical too, plus it has excellent insulation properties.

Feuillage in Pervenche, Jungle Mood in Green, £60 Reclaimed Java Teak Yarn cladding, £190.74sq m,
£182m, Edmond Petit at a roll, Graham & Brown. boards, £234sq m, Lassco. Woodworks by Ted Todd.
Turnell & Gigon.

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