design direction for the southampton federalist

When thinking about any home design, I always look to find the compromise between personal taste and the context of the home. In this case the context is pretty significant and we’re doing everything we can to honor the original details of the home and restore them where possible. We’ll balance the details with layers of texture and art that feel timeless, fresh and appropriate for a family respite.

The Vibe

This house is all about balance - walking the fine line between history and casual comfort of modern living. We’re keeping the details throughout true to the context of the house but clean and simple. For the vibe, I’m focusing on these tenets:

Simple, refined but not boring
Clean but not modern
Classic and timeless over new
relaxed but tailored over fussy
textured not busy
distinct not ornate

This is the original mood board I put together when we bought the house:

I tend to gravitate towards neutrals and layered materials but I’m working to push this project a little more outside of my comfort zone and add in some dusty hues. I’m looking at bringing in chalky blue, blush, sage and yellow tones subtly to add a layer of ‘fun’ to the mix. While I love my initial mood board, I don’t want it to feel too serious, especially with kids. I’ll likely add color more through accents and art than statement pieces. More to come on this as we move into the individual rooms!

The details

There are a few details that will be used throughout the home for continuity and to maintain the integrity of the home’s history. Here’s some insight into how we’re handling these aspects:

The Stairs

The bannister is not the original design. I believe the original design, the stair was closed off behind a wall as this was a farmhouse originally and the exposed beam structure indicates this was likely the case. Rather than return this to its original state or force a more high end version of federalist detailing into the house, I’m doing something streamlined that feels both fresh and timeless at the same time. I love this design by Anne Decker Architects which I’m using as a reference point. I love the all white here - even for the bannister rail. It feels like a modern take on a classic.

The Doors

The house already has colonial style doors with the forged iron hardware. I love these details and will be continuing them throughout the house. I love how they feel historical, utilitarian and not too fussy. Anything too ‘new’ really stands out in this context and its important to the design and integrity of the house to ensure that nothing looks too modern and forced.

The Windows

At the time this home was built, many used interior shutters. I love the character adding these back in would bring but they’re not practical throughout the whole house. I’m looking to incorporate them where applicable and clean roman shades in rooms that need the flexibility - kids rooms, bedrooms and so on.

The Woodwork

The house has several different profiles of base and crown molding. We’ll be unifying it as much as possible throughout the updates. We’ll be using a historically accurate profile from the Windsor One collection:

If we had higher ceilings we’d be able to use the monumental buildup but the proportions would not work for our ceiling heights. The collection also includes door frames which we’ll be using to frame out openings and a chair rail. We will not be using the chair rail more so due to personal preference.

The Floor

Would you believe these floors are 225 years old? Generally, the floors are in great condition. There are a few areas where some boards will need to be replaced but overall, the original floors have stood the test of time. Originally, they would have been stained dark. The prior owner sanded and bleached them which I like. Its a great way to retain the integrity of the home while making it feel more fresh.

Which White to use?

Finally, to wrap up the key details that will be used throughout the home, what color white will we use? After a lot of swatching, we’ve settled on Farrow and Ball’s All White in a mat finish. In speaking with our painter, he recommended the Benjamin Moore Match of All White due to the quality of paint being better so that is what we have started to use at the house.

We selected this white because it was the only one we swatched that really didn’t have too many undertones to it. It wasn’t to warm and it wasn’t too cool and felt ephemeral and airy. Historically, a creamy ivory white would have been used but we’re moving away from that tone for a cleaner look.

In terms of the finishing, we’re using the mat finish including trim work. This gives it a more chalky or dusty finish rather than a gloss which feels more modern or contemporary.

That wraps up the details we plan to use throughout! Sharing the plans and some of the progress this coming week, stay tuned!