2010 Hamptons Designer Showhouse in Sag Harbor, NY

I was in Southampton yesterday and I popped by the 2010 Hampton Designer Showhouse, sponsored by Traditional Home magazine and benefitting Southampton Hospital.  This year’s showhouse is located at 129 Stoney Hill Road in Sag Harbor, NY.  The 10,800 square foot home was built by Frank Bodenchak on 4.7 acres surrounded by 62 acres of private reserve.  I took a shortcut from Southampton because the traffic was bad and as I cut through the back roads, I felt like I had left the Hamptons and stepped into a Lord of the Rings or Hobbit movie set!  Here is a photo I took from my car en route:

I thought the trees might envelope me and it gave me a preview to the land reserve I was driving into.  Alas, after many windy turns through this densely forested area, I made it to the show house in tact with my notepad in hand.  The Stoney Hill Road home is currently on the market for $5.5 million and had a bit of a spec house feel, but I enjoyed perusing the rooms nonetheless.  It has seven large bedrooms, 8.5 baths, a two story foyer and living room area, a 36′ x 15′ library, a designer kitchen and breakfast room with a fireside living area.  The house has a huge second floor 1,750 sq foot master suite with private office/den, a sitting room, dressing room, fireplace, large balcony and an additional first floor master suite and separate studio apartment. The lower level had an amazing showcase caliber movie theater with seating for 12, game room, library, gym, sauna, wine cellar and room for a wet bar.    It also boasts 2,300 square feet of outdoor porches surrounding a 20′ x 46′ gunite pool, 8 person spa, water sunbed a two tier fire pit and space for a tennis court.

The master suite was done by Diane Karmen and Skye Kirby of Lillian August in Norwalk, CT and featured items from their Lillian August for Hickory White collection.  According to their literature, the pair, “designed the space with the vision of an urban, sophisticated couple from New York City who weekends in Paris and summers in Sag Harbor.”

The bathroom was designed by Susanne Kelley of Bakes and Company.  I loved the fresh and open feel to the room and loved the accents she used.  Susanne opened waterworks in East Hampton in 1996 and she continues to design baths on the east end.  Her style ranges from traditional to modern…

Beautiful and personal effects placed carefully on the vanity, all in the same cool silver tones with splashes of blue.  (Photo copyright The Well Appointed House)

I enjoyed Arden Stephenson’s design of the third guest room.  I felt like I was in a guest bedroom at a beach retreat out of a Slim Aarons book with the punchy 1960′s golden yellows and turquoise blues.  She featured many products that you can buy right at The Well Appointed House.

The home theater system in the basement really took the cake.  Designed by Audio Command Systems, Inc. in conjunction with Barbara Ostrom, this home theatre was like nothing I have ever seen!  I really felt like I had been transported away from Sag Harbor and to a Coney Island theatre. They even had a doll sitting in a ticket book reminiscent of the fortune teller/magic wish machine in the movie BIG with Tom Hanks (a bit spooky).

The game room was designed by Bradley Stephens.  His concept for the game room was inspired by the refined sport of billiards and the exciting allure of a speakeasy.  A destination for smart cocktails and some friendly, good-natured competition.  If you look at the far end of the photo, you’ll see the shimmering navy walls, which come alive with Phillip Jeffries Ltd Lacquered Strie wallcovering, which created a glittering backdrop.  As I mentioned earlier, Phillip Jeffries was one of the winners of the show house…I saw his papers used in a number of areas.

I’ll end this blog entry with one of my favorite rooms  - the hollywood regency style pool lounge by Jennifer Madbley and Austin Handler of Mabley Handler Interior Design.  Again I saw orange!  Hermes watch out!  2011 is going to be the year of the tangerine…and again I see textured paper by Phillip Jeffries…