Seaside towns in Long Island may be thousands of miles away from the beaches of Manly and Freshwater, but there are plenty of similarities in lifestyle between those holidaying in the Hamptons and living by Sydney’s coastline.
As a result, the house design style that many associate with the holiday destination for New York’s rich and famous has made its way to our shores – albeit with an Aussie twist.
The Hamptons style is inspired by the popular American holiday destination of the same name. Image from Pinterest
What is a Hamptons-style home?
The Hamptons design is based on the ideas of space, air and taking advantage of a coastal setting. As such, it is informed by the architectural ideas that often appear in heritage homes, but is also contemporary, with modern touches that speak to its closeness to the seaside. As the design was originally for holidaymakers, a Hamptons style home commonly features large, open-air living spaces that encourage entertaining.
A Hamptons-style home is generally built for entertaining. Image from Pinterest.
Other common elements include a cladding exterior, large windows and doors to encourage air and light, high ceilings and seamless indoor-outdoor spaces. The colour palette is generally neutral, with white, black or grey stone appearing in the benchtops, and natural materials, such as oak or slate, on the floor.
The colour scheme of a Hamptons home is generally neutral. Image from Pinterest
Bringing it to Australia
We are currently working on a duplex project that represents ‘Hamptons with a twist’. We have taken the best elements of a Hamptons design and adapted them to suit our client’s needs, as well as the overall look and feel of the local area.
Our current project is a Hamptons home ‘with a twist’.
As it is surrounded by heritage homes, we were careful not to be too overt in our design – after all, the home needed to aesthetically fit into the surrounding streetscape. Therefore, we have used cladding solely as a feature on the exterior, especially on the higher levels of the property.
The emphasis on large windows and doors remains – along with a first-floor balcony with bi-fold doors, a feature window takes pride of place on the second level, providing exceptional views out to the sea. The natural colour palette is also consistent with a Hamptons style home, with neutral benchtops and oak herringbone flooring.
The completed home will feature open plan living and a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor.
Finally, the general layout of the duplex reflects the emphasis on entertaining that defines the Hamptons design. There is a seamless transition from indoor living spaces to outdoor areas through the use of bi-fold doors, as well as an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space.
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If you’re looking to introduce a slice of the Hamptons to your new home, get in touch with the team at BCM Aust to see how we can help.