A peek inside this summer's Hampton Designer Showhouse

Some of the designers for the 2019 Hampton Designer Showhouse, a fundraiser for Southampton Hospital, have taken inspiration from the surroundings for their décor, whether it’s the area’s natural or architectural beauty. Here are a few of the rooms created by Long Island-based designers in the house built by East Moriches-based Paramount Custom Homes.

ALL WHITE

Genevieve Carter, nee White, and her husband, Cy, of St. James-based Carter Design, were inspired by the work of architect Stanford White and his wife, Bessie Smith White, for this bedroom. It features an original Stanford White gilt mirror and a paper light sculpture by artist Isamu Noguchi. Beach-inspired colors abound and the art represents four generations of descendants of Stanford White — including a crab painting from Genevieve, his great-great granddaughter — along with work from current photographers and artists from around the world. The couple also used several local artisans and fabricators.

“Our room celebrates the creative bastion that Long Island is and has been for many generations,” Genevieve Carter says. “Walks on the beach are juxtaposed with combinations of furnishings and art collected on journeys and produced by their friends and contemporaries.”

DIY TIP While you may not have a pedigreed architect as an ancestor, Carter suggests finding a vintage or antique frame and taking it to a glass store to have mirror installed for a unique mirror.

FRESH TOWELS

Courtney Sempliner, based in Port Washington, gave the often-overlooked laundry room more pizzazz with a beach-inspired look. A hallway leading to the room features a mural of Hamptons sea grass and sheets handing on clotheslines by New York City company Silver Hill Atelier (which threw in a UFO in the top corner for a little whimsy). The ceiling is wallpapered in a bold blue floral pattern, and there’s upholstered furniture for lounging during loads of laundry. "We wanted to make it a space where you might want to stay,” Sempliner says.

DIY TIP When you have a small space, Sempliner says she believes it's an opportunity to go big with bold color and patterns. "Don't be afraid to take that plunge," she says.

SOUTHAMPTON LINK

Another husband-and-wife team, Water Mill-based Jennifer Mabley and Austin Handler of Mabley Handler Interior Design, gave a nod to what Handler calls “old-style Southampton,” with a modern twist, in the dining room, using a wood veneer wall covering with a fretwork pattern by the Phillip Jeffries wallcovering brand. 

“That lattice is something you’d see on furniture possibly, or more old-fashioned fabric, but this is a more updated look,” Handler says.

The room, which has the couple’s trademark blue color palette, also features pieces from their furniture collection for home furnishings company, Kravet, including upholstered dining chairs and a bar. They also added some books to a built-in that the builder intended to use as a bar.

DIY TIP Handler recommends bringing books into the dining room, where you wouldn’t normally see them, to add some depth and character to the space.

IF YOU GO

WHAT The 2019 Hampton Designer Showhouse, a benefit for Stony Brook Southampton Hospital

WHEN | WHERE The show house is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, starting July 21, through Labor Day at 66 Rosko Lane, Southampton.

INFO Regular admission is $40, which includes a journal; no admission 30 minutes before closing; no strollers, infants, children younger than 6 or pets allowed; 631-296-8377 hamptondesignershowhouse.com