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When they first viewed the property that was to become their much-loved Hamptons holiday home, Ian Ferguson and Ryan Brandau weren’t overly impressed. ‘It wasn’t love at first sight, but our broker was convinced that the house was right for us and she could envisage something beyond what we were seeing,’ recalls Ian. The couple had been in a long-distance relationship between New York and California for several years before settling on an apartment in Manhattan, and wanted to complement their city lifestyle with a retreat in the Hamptons to be shared with Ian’s parents. ‘We love tennis and one of our criteria was for a court and a pool,’ adds Ryan. Clad in shingle and featuring multiple gables as is the New England style, the house was repainted to refine its architectural qualities. ‘It was originally pale, which exaggerated some of its weird shapes – as if it were all roof and no walls. By painting it a darker colour, closer to the roof, we toned it down and made it look a bit more thoughtful,’ says Ian. The house had been built in the early Noughties, but lacked the architectural detailing the couple craved. A year after they bought it, an overhaul of the basement triggered the extended project. Sarah Zames, of the interior design firm General Assembly, was recommended and became the linchpin of the redesign. ‘One of the priorities was to create more architectural interest internally,’ says Sarah. ‘We wanted to add texture and colour, giving each room an individual character.’ The property was stripped back and given a new floor plan with fewer walls, instilling in the house a more sociable, loose character. ‘We tried to expand and connect the spaces as much as possible,’ she says. ‘Previously, the kitchen was small with the dining area next door relatively constricted and a sprawling main room that hadn’t been put to good use,’ says Ian. Sight lines became important so that anyone cooking would be able to see out onto the porch and tennis court beyond. Upstairs, the landing ‘catwalk’ was widened, while bedrooms were made bigger and en-suite bathrooms added. In terms of decor, the couple aimed for a relaxed look that would appeal across the generational divide. ‘We wanted the interior to have a sense of fun and although we felt it should be beautifully designed we didn’t want it to feel stuffy or intimidating,’ says Ian. Across the ground floor indoor/outdoor rugs have been used while much of the upholstery is from Holly Hunt’s outdoor range, making it impervious to the scratches of Tux, Ian and Ryan’s dog. An emphasis on craftsmanship and natural materials has also reduced the formality of the highly designed spaces, as Sarah explains, ‘The marble of the dining table is a feature, while all the built-in furniture is made of smoked oak, with the floors of a lighter bleached oak.’ White walls delineate the crisp planes of the slanted ceiling in the main living area with a host of Farrow & Ball colours giving bedrooms individual character. The paint is not the only British touch, with new London projects by General Assembly bringing a transatlantic influence. ‘We discovered several furniture designers at London Design Festival and the wallpaper in the cloakroom is from House of Hackney,’ says Sarah. Many months after its completion, Ian and Ryan continue to be enthralled with their retreat. ‘We love the fact that even if there are 20 guests staying, we’ve used the idiosyncrasies of the architecture to create a private nook for everyone,’ says Ian. ‘It’s great seeing the house unfold and be used as we planned.

A room tucked away within the woodsgoes from large to intimate. After buying a ranch on nearly 3 silvan acres outside the town, the new owners quickly created plans to renovate the immense room. Having restored four kitchens in past homes, they were at home with endeavor such a serious project. however now, they selected to figure with knowledgeable to form the method easier and stress free. The couple was introduced to married woman tater, designer at Karr Bick room , by their house agent. “We clicked right away,” says the house owner. “She understood my style aesthetic and created everything therefore seamless.” The home’s exterior had a lodge feel, however the inside was Tuscan. The house owner extremely wished the room to match the texture of the home’s exterior. She describes her vision as “Forest stylish,” that means neutral colours that blend well with the greens and browns she sees from her window: easy, clean lines and components of visual interest with a country bit. married woman says that from their initial meeting, her consumer was prepared to hit the ground running. “She was somebody UN agency extremely helped the project move quickly by creating selections on materials and layout,” married woman says. married woman created 3 to four totally different layouts for the area as a start line for the look. She says the largest challenge of the project was the massive quantity of area they'd to figure with, nearly 600 sq. feet. The recent room layout didn’t operate right, and also the work space was scrunched along. The new style required the world to breathe with a additional large-scale layout. To fill the sq. footage, married woman incorporated 2 islands into the room. In one space, an enormous island with a wood high was created to feel additional sort of a table than associate island. With chairs on all sides, it's a good place for the owners and guests to take a seat throughout meals or diverting. The second island is that the husband’s spot as a result of he's the cook within the family. There is no lack of storage in the new style with tons of pull out drawers for pots and pans. A coffeehouse behind the kitchen appliance wall includes doors to hide appliances. With the layout challenge resolved, consequent obstacle to tackle was making certain the area was balanced. “We had to work out the way to embrace the country qualities the house owner wished whereas conjointly marrying it to associate industrial edge with touches of female charm,” married woman explains.For carpentry, the designer inspired the house owner to assume on the far side stark white. The wolfram perimeter cupboards don't seem to be white or grey however somewhere softly in between. they're finished with different dark hardware. The dark grey island carpentry has hints of distressing to melt the planning and convey in rustic qualities.Dark wood beams channel the country roots of the house and it's rural location; but, they were virtually ignored of the project thanks to placement problems. “The overall look wouldn’t be identical while not the beams,” says married woman. conjointly complementing the country feel of the house, the dark, fabric floor tile has hints of wood tones that echo the wood beams on the ceiling. The designer set it during a fabric pattern for a softer foundation against the remainder of the room components.The chrome steel appliances have associate industrial ambience and convey during a additional modern edge. For the female aptitude, the house owner fell enamored with the show-stopping backsplash mosaic tile that has hints of flower styles in different dark colours that obtain on reflective mirror tones. They sparkle each therefore slightly in sure light-weight to enhance the unstained appliances. “The mosaic is therefore distinctive, and footage don’t have sex justice,” married woman says.The backsplash may be a favorite facet of the look for each house owner and designer, however married woman conjointly loves the quantity of natural light-weight that spills into the area, and also the read into the curtilage is breathless. “You feel extremely serene and calm during this room,” she says. “I am happy with however it reflects the homeowner’s style and the way proud she is of this area.” As for the house owner, she says selecting a favourite half is hard. on the far side the backsplash, she conjointly loves the “beautiful combination of various materials” within the area. “Functionally, I love the quantity of cupboard area that married woman worked into the style,” she adds. “For once, we've lots of space to store everything!” See stlouishomesmag.com for resources and extra photos.