The Colors Of Water
In Water Mill, New York, Safavieh reimagined the traditional Hamptons home to suit modern tastes./b>
Set within the envelope of a traditional Hamptons home, this dining room is contemporary in both its architecture and its furnishings.
Large double-hung windows and glass sliders flood a sitting room with light, providing a strong showcase for pieces from the Safavieh Couture collection.
Open and airy, the kitchen enables entertaining on a large scale.
Building homes on speculation may not sound like the calling of a high-end master builder, but things are different in the Hamptons. Here the typical spec house is a multimillion-dollar affair, replete with media room, butler’s pantry, glass-walled gym, in-ground pool and other expected amenities. And there are no plain-drywall bonus rooms: Extensive millwork and luxury finishes are used throughout. It’s custom luxury quality—built, as it happens, on spec for a discerning (and probably impatient) buyer.
The home you see here, constructed in Water Mill, New York, by BJC Custom Builders, is a prime example—a stone and cedar shingle sprawler with high-peaked gables, dormers and other hallmarks of a prevailing Hamptons style that harkens to the late 19th century. Led by designer/contractor Matthew Pantofel, BJC created a twin nearby, a house with the same floor plan and exterior styling, and he commissioned Safavieh to furnish them both.
Staging homes for builders and real estate developers is a growing endeavor for Safavieh, and the benefit for both contractors and buyers is obvious: A stylishly furnished abode helps potential buyers imagine how beautiful life could be there, and it provides the
Book-matched marble sheaths a fireplace wall in the living room.
The centerpiece of the master bedroom is a thoroughly modern take on the four-poster bed. With its steep, sweeping gables and diamond-lattice windows.
The centerpiece of the master bedroom is a thoroughly modern take on the four-poster bed. With its steep, sweeping gables and diamond-lattice windows.
The outside of the house has storybook appeal.
convenience of being move-in ready.
Safavieh’s Karin Krinsky, who was lead designer on the Water Mill project, explains how she approached the job: “This house had some contemporary interior finishes, so we decided to furnish it in a contemporary way, while we did the ‘twin’ in traditional style.”
Because Safavieh maintains an extensive inventory, Krinsky was able to complete the project with amazing speed—in less than a week, start to finish. All of the furnishings and rugs in the home are from the Safavieh Couture collection, which helps explain the integrated look of all the spaces. Color also plays a unifying role. With the exception of the wood floors, virtually every surface is white, blue, gray, silvery, reflective or clear. “These are the colors and visual qualities of water,” notes Krinsky, “and what better palette to use here on the South Fork of Long Island, where you can sense the presence of the sea everywhere? It’s the perfect décor for a vacation home near the beach.”
At press time, this home and its twin were still on the market—move-in ready, of course.
