The Designer Is In: Layering History in the Hamptons - Remodelista
Photography by Joshua McHugh. This weekend, New York-based Robert Stilin talks about classic design in his renovation of an “old fashioned” family compound in the Hamptons. With over twenty years of experience running his NYC- and Hamptons-based firm... ...Robert Stilin a member of the Remodelista Architect and Designer Directory, has developed a reputation for a classically modern style that is tailored to the needs of each client and project. In the living room of the farmhouse, Stilin establishes a neutral palette which he carries throughout the three buildings. ” My clients have chosen to live in a very classic setting; the house is very exposed to the outside and is surrounded by beautiful farmland and it’s very much about the outside coming in,” Stilin says. Staying true to the architectural integrity of the farmhouse, the main house has the original wood floors (which still creak), doors, and trims throughout. The indigo print pillows by Lisa Fine Textiles and Vanderhurd add a level of comfort and color while the vintage brass accordion lamps from the 1940’s mix another layer of history into the room. For Stillin, mixing furniture and textiles is about shape, form, texture and comfort, all of which culminate on the upper landing of the stair hall. In the master bedroom, Stilin added a classic modern fireplace made of bluestone with a bleached white oak surround. There’s an organic quality about it which I quite like,” Stillin says. While the original shutters help to retain the character of an old farmhouse... ...Stilin felt the master bedroom space would also benefit from the scale and proportion of a four-poster bed and designed one out of iron to contrast with the wood in the room. The ceiling light fixture made from vintage patinated metal boxes from R.E. Steele Antiques complements the iron bed. In the children’s bedroom, Stilin fashioned a headboard with reclaimed wooden boards from one of the existing barns on the property and painted them a soft white. Stilin’s design for the vanity references the Hamptons vernacular shingle style and the overall feel of the house while the frame for the mirror provided another opportunity to use the reclaimed wood from the adjacent barns. A light by the French designer Christian Liaigre adds an unexpected but subtle glamor to the rustic bathroom. In the classically detailed and proportioned New England entry hall, Stillin mixes in midcentury Italian coat hooks sourced from Wyeth and a vintage Arts and Crafts style umbrella stand sourced from his own shop in East Hampton. Stilin’s design approach to the the 1940s barns was to give them a more loft-like feel in contrast to the 19th-century farmhouse aesthetic; all the trim has been painted white and the floors are concrete. In the living room of the guest barn, Stilin hangs a series of vintage industrial lights from the 1950s in contrast to the beams. The second barn, a former working barn, was converted to a gym with solid black rubber tile on the floor.