HOME is where the HEART is! (Eye Swoon)

My Amagansett home is something I treasure and feel incredibly proud of. Not just because of the way it looks, but because it single-handedly transformed my family’s life. It brought us closer to nature, the ocean and each other, while also being the catalyst that defined my career in interior design. I am beyond honored for the home to have been feature in Elle Décor, Living Etc, French AD, and LUCKY Magazines. The project was a complete labor of love that really pushed my design sense and allowed me to work with brilliant local architect Paul Masi of Bates Masi Architecture.

The home was purchased in 2010 and while it was immediately apparent that the bones of the home were incredible – dreamy mid century modern – the home was in shambles. Bulbs of mold grew on the caving in ceiling and the home, engulfed by overgrown trees, stood frozen in time from 1960 with an {eeek} dead deer in the pool!

I knew immediately that I desired a warm laid back retreat where the exterieor and interior flowed seamlessly allowing a care free relaxed atmosphere….sand on the floor – YES PLEASE. A revolving door of family & friends huddled around the kitchen and lounging by the pool – FOR SURE. I did not want a modernist austere home that felt too staged and precious.

Before we closed on the home I began curating & collecting industrial antiques, random Ebay & flea market finds, and eclectic findings – without knowing where they would eventually land, I just began collecting stuff. The STUFF that makes a home a home -that adds character, depth, an unknown rich history with a time worn patina. The house certainly tell a story of travels and holds precious memories of trinkets from the evolution of my life as a woman, wife, and mother. Actually most every piece in the home conjures a memory – a time or place – triggering the journey of its origin. As I walk through my home I can trace where initial sparks of inspiration came from – the singular image that inspired the rope detail (a danish chair) or the place that dictated the stone in my kitchen (Mykonos). It’s amazing really….truly amazing what this house holds for me – in my heart and on my creative path.

I was immediately inspired to use natural materials in unconventional way…rough hewn wood, leather, and rope were the three simple and utilitarian elements I obsessed over throughout the realization of my home. I love juxtaposing elements in most everything I do. I have a no-rules approach to design – embracing that unexpected mix of pairing the old and new, high and low, modern and traditional, grit and glamour! It’s all about the mix and it’s what creates intrigue and curiosity in a space. The home walks a fine line of rustic & modern and you can feel that play in many aspects of the house. It also toys with extremes -I thrive on contradictions and I think its apparent in the way the house looks and feels.

This post is meant to inspire your own design journey – take my ideas, filter then through your eyes and make them your own. I love nothing more than sharing! Many of these items and more can be found on my follow-up post Design Decoded xx a

Photography from various photographers Chloe Crespi, Marytn Thompson, Matthew Williams, Paul Masi, Anthony D’Argenzio & Myself

Industrial antique counter stools are an absolute favorite find, purchased through Paula Rubenstein in NYC. The countertops are Lava stone, Basaltina and the black kitchen cabinets are Ikea with black leather straps from Spinneybeck">

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Similar Style). Hanging above is a custom medieval style double tier chandelier. (Restoration Hardware now sells a very similar chandelier)">

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similar stool)The sofa is Restoration Hardware and the graphic pillows were purchased at the Bklyn Flea">

MALM bed costing less than $300. Juxtaposition! The Ikea bed was primed & painted a deep graphite tone. The dreamy horizon photography is by local artist Mary Ellen Bartley from Ruby Beets">