We were approached by this amazing family to design their beach house in Orient, New York after they saw our work at a hotel in nearby Greenport. Pulling up to the house for the first time, I knew this would be a special project. The house was new-ish and  designed by an architect for his own family; shingle style, with classic bones, rooms oriented to the water, proportioned for entertaining. The interior was dated in parts, but it had a solid foundation for us to blitz and update in a few short months. On the walk through, I asked my client what style he was looking for, and his response was “Ralph Lauren, but more casual.” Music to my ears.

We designed the home to hang as one palette – all black and white and neutrals, with the people and views taking center stage. We used a sort of “keep, toss, change” approach to things: keep the cabinet but paint them, toss the old countertops for new ones...etc. I always say that paint is your friend, and here it’s particularly true: the whole home got a fresh coat of paint. Wide plank pine floors were painted a high-gloss white enamel, to reflect light; doors were painted high gloss black, for a bit of dramatic contrast. While most rooms were painted Benjamin Moore Super White (my favorite), the den became a moody retreat in Kendall Charcoal.

Meanwhile, we were busily sourcing and purchasing an entire house in about three months. We weren’t precious about where items came from, but rather focused on durability, cost, look and availability. Upholstered furniture and custom pieces – like a 8’ upholstered leather sofette and specially-sized coffee table – were ordered first. The home evolved to be a mix of off-the-shelf, custom, and semi-custom items that blended to feel special and bespoke for our client.

As install neared, we focused on art, accessories, bedding and final touches. I tapped artists Caitlin McGauley and Michael McGuire for custom black and white pieces; we shopped locally for antiques, lighting and accessories. Bedding was a mix of white and patterns, sourced judiciously from West Elm, Walmart (yes, Walmart!), Restoration Hardware, and more. A collection of bubble glass hurricanes were scored at nearby outlets, and accessories were picked up from Aero Studios. I even bought an 8’ canoe from Etsy, which arrived at the install with this weird faux skin cladding it. So, we took it in the backyard and removed the material, and just used the frame as wall art. 

After five short months, and a four-day installation, the result was a black and white beach house perfect for entertaining. It is casual enough to minimize worry – white Perennial fabric on the sofas were tested with red wine on the first day! - and timeless enough that even five years later it still feels as fresh and easy breezy as the day we welcomed our client home.