DHD Interiors Bring the Beach Back to This Hamptons Beach House

When a Manhattan couple first bought this 8,000-square-foot Hamptons home, it seemed like more of a hunting house than a beach house. Wall-mounted deer heads and paisley wallpaper outfitted the space, while dark mahogany floors sucked the light out of the rooms. But the new homeowners didn’t let this turn them away. “It was a big house with unbelievable water views and we thought it would be a fantastic place to host family and friends,” the wife told luxe. “But we knew it needed some work.”

The couple called in Steven Wakenshaw and Steffani Aarons of DHD Interiors, as well as landscape architect Steven Tupu, to bring out the best in their now house, but what had started out as small-scale remodeling and redecorating snowballed into an architectural intervention. Given the placement of the house on the eroding shoreline, DHD was prevented from changing the shape of house without obtaining local ordinances, which could take years to get. The homeowners wanted the house ready in time for Memorial Day, giving the team only five months to complete the task. With those restrictions, the firm decided to work with what they had to create a stylish, family-friendly beach house.

The homeowners’ primary concern was creating an environment that would be laid back enough for their children, but sophisticated enough for entertaining their family and friends. Landscape designer Steven Tupu remodeled the outdoor dining area, the terrace, and the pool with this in mind, creating an outdoor space that functions as both a play area for the kids and entertainment for adults.

Inside, DHD Interiors based the color scheme on two pillows the couple brought back from their visit to Thailand. One was a shade of orange that reminded them of the sun, while a turquoise pillow brought water to mind. The aim was to make these colors fit into a subtle nautical theme.

The colors are used as accents throughout the house, often against neutral backgrounds as to not overwhelm the rooms. In the living room, an orange ottoman is placed between the partially-domed Jens Risom Big chairs. Turquoise pillows decorate the crescent-shaped Vladimir Kagan Couture sofa.

Water plays a pronounced role in the combined kitchen and dining room. Ann Sacks Gotham tiles create a rippling water effect on the kitchen backsplash, which continues into the dining area with the aqua blue Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs that surround a glass table.

At first glance the master bedroom seems like a significant departure from the sun-and-water combo that decorates in the rest of the house. The designers wanted to highlight the ocean view in this space, without having it swallow up the rest of the room. They also used gray and white tones to emphasize the ocean’s blue, while adding pieces like the textured rug to evoke a sense of warmth.

The rule of subtly is playfully broken in the children’s guest bedroom. In order to enhance the room’s low ceilings and downplay its odd shape, DHD painted burnt orange stripes along the walls. As is the case in the rest of the house, comfy furniture makes the room inviting.

See more work by DHD Interiors here.

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Photos courtesy of Björg Magnea