This Hamptons Home Ditches All-White Decor for Vintage Charm

New Home With An Old Soul

The home already had an inherent farmhouse quality to it that was typical of the Hamptons. "Thankfully, the architect had played with scale in a way that gave the new build a sense of history," says Shane. Quirky rooflines and narrower hallways make it feel like a house that's grown over generations.

To skip the expected, the duo played with color and texture. "The biggest antidote to the typical 'beachy summer house' aesthetic was introducing subtle color, texture, and contrast," Jordan says. "We weren't focused on making every room feel uniformly light and bright."

Case in point: the kitchen. "We deliberately chose a darker, moodier palette that feels closer to a cozy British country kitchen than a pristine, gleaming-white Hamptons new build," Shane explains.

East Coast Meets West Coast Design

Elsewhere, paint does the storytelling. Main walls are wrapped in Sherwin-Williams Shoji White, the staircase banister gets a hit of Iron Ore, and the front door greets guests in Farrow & Ball's Studio Green. The mudroom is fully drenched (walls, trim, and ceiling) in Benjamin Moore's Thunder, while interior doors in Sherwin-Williams Amazing Gray add quiet contrast throughout.

Both homeowners grew up nearby but now live in Los Angeles, so blending the two coasts felt natural. "There is actually a long history of West Coast architecture drawing inspiration from the East Coast," says Jordan. "Many of the Tudor and traditional homes built in Los Angeles in the 1920s and '30s referenced houses in New York and New England, but often with slightly pared-back detailing."

That conversation carries right into the furnishings. Pieces from L.A. favorites like Lawson Fenning mingle with vintage finds from Round Top, Texas, and one-of-a-kind treasures from shops in Long Island's small towns. "We layered Swedish, Danish, French, and American antiques with custom upholstered pieces and dining tables, along with a mix of metal and woven lighting to bring in texture and variation," Shane says. Warm white oak furniture and vintage rugs that can happily show a little wear keep everything relaxed.

A Favorite Room For Every Guest

Beyond the great room, the house unfolds into what feel like separate wings — and each space got its own personality. "In a genuinely old family home, rooms would rarely have been decorated all at once or in exactly the same way," says Jordan. "They would have evolved over the years."

Some rooms are soothing and restrained; others go big on whimsical pattern or nautical fun. "We wanted the homeowners and their guests to develop attachments to different spaces for different reasons," Shane says. The goal: a favorite spot guests return to summer after summer.

So which room will spark a friendly rivalry? "The downstairs guest suite is probably the one guests will fight over," says Jordan, thanks to its plaster walls, roomy layout, and direct access to the yard and pool. "It feels especially private and perhaps the most resort-like of all the guest spaces."

Shane's pick? "My personal favorite, though, is the sailing room upstairs. We intentionally allowed that room to be the most playful and overtly thematic space in the house." Designed for kids and grown-up kids alike, it's pure summer nostalgia. "It is the kind of room you remember."

Pretty But Pool Proof

All that whimsy is built to last. Custom sofas are upholstered in durable fabrics, and the den features performance and indoor-outdoor textiles. "In a summer house especially, you have to assume that someone may come running in from the pool and sit down in a wet swimsuit," Jordan says.

The daughter's bedroom is papered in Clarke & Clarke's pink Creatura, giving a darling Eloise at the Plaza vibe.

The en suite bath, designed to grow up with her, is painted top to bottom in Sherwin-Williams Koral Kicks.

And no, you'd never guess. "Those materials have come such a long way that, in many cases, they are nearly indistinguishable from more delicate textiles in terms of look and feel," says Shane. "It allows the house to remain beautiful without becoming precious." The earthy bath gets a pop of print with House of Hackney's Avalon in Ecru.

The result is an elevated take on quintessential Hamptons home: thoughtful, curated, and comfortable enough to feel like home — all year long.