Hamptons Shingle-Style Retreat Transformed with Modern Interior Design

When the couple bought their summer home in Southampton, they knew it would require some modifications. After all, the Single-style house had been built in 2006 and remained mostly unchanged.

Because the new owners wanted to live in the home before undertaking major alterations, they opted to tweak the details.

“The bones and layout of the home are great,” says Allison Babcock, whose Hamptons-based eponymous design firm was commissioned to do the project. “All we had to do was a light update to make it welcoming for family and friends.”

Babcock and her team revamped every room in the six-bed, 8,000-square-foot residence, which sits serenely on some two acres with ocean views. And they did it in just six months.

“We had to be very disciplined,” she says. “Our one rule was that we couldn’t move any walls. I did move one door, though, and we removed an arched wall to open up the kitchen.”

She repainted the interiors Benjamin Moore “Swiss Coffee” white, refinished the floors to lighten them, and refreshed the look with a juxtaposition of new and vintage furnishings. The result is an interior that communicates refined yet casual elegance.

“We wanted to create multiple places to relax,” says the interior designer. “The owners also have a home in Florida where they live for half the year. It has a lot of color, so they wanted this to be a different experience.”

Gentle color pops—mainly blues and greens—extend the rooms into the landscape, which includes cutting and vegetable gardens.

The living room introduces Babcock’s fresh palette and aesthetic. The first thing the eye sees is an abstract artwork in white and blue by Paul Kremer hanging over the fireplace. Meanwhile, contemporary sofas (one is snuggled into a recess), vintage French chairs, new coffee tables, and antique French nesting tables form two conversational seating sets. A vintage French standing brass lamp in the shape of an undulating bouquet of blooms and floral sconces bookending the Kremer are subtle reminders of the natural world outside.

“It’s a formal but casual room and one of my favorites,” Babcock says.

Nature makes another appearance in the dining room, illuminated by a patinaed chandelier and matching sconces. The antique table contrasts an Italian console, a contemporary metal piece covered in plaster that is reminiscent of an old-time radiator.

To update the kitchen, Babcock made minor changes with big impact. She rebuilt the island, changed the countertops to Calacatta Gold marble, refaced the cabinets, and added gold-tone hardware designed to patina over time.

The small office to the side was converted back into a pantry that, in addition to storing foodstuffs, contains a wine refrigerator, ice maker, and coffee station.

Sans the arched wall, the kitchen now opens to the family room, where old and new continue to successfully mix. Here, Babcock grouped a dining table sourced from a Scottish castle, a set of vintage mushroom sculptures fashioned out of wood, a comfortable, contemporary sofa, and an ample ottoman.

The designer also refurbished two family favorites: a bunk room and the so-called coffee lounge. “It’s a nice place to read,” she says of the lounge, which boasts a backgammon table and rattan furnishings. “You can see the ocean from its front terrace.”

Two major indoor-outdoor spaces key into the overall design theme as well. The sunroom has a sunny disposition thanks to a neutral palette and soft green accents. In comparison, the pool cabana has a more elegant air, with rattan furniture painted in black lacquer. Black repeats in the upholstery, pillows, and drapes, which offer a contemporary take on a traditional pattern.

When Babcock’s redesign was complete, the owners fell in love with the house all over again. “They told me that they wouldn’t change anything—and they haven’t,” she says.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT allisonbabcock.com