Colin & Justin’s Happy Hamptons Home

Wallpaper…  Everywhere!
We love the whole Hamptons’ style – think Ralph Lauren tailoring meets Martha Stewart glamour to get the gist.  The wallpaper here has a trellis pattern that is precise and geometric while the blue and white colourway has a college-style sensibility that gives the room intelligence.  When using a busy wallpaper, try to add other items that are plain – like the sofa for example – to create relief and contrast.

Add Some Tradition
If you’re lucky enough to be starting from scratch, try to incorporate a few pieces from the past, or buy accessories with a traditional look to stop your results from being contrived.  We used an antique-style rug to add ‘heritage’ and it adds a friendly touch.   This also keeps the room from feeling too new and uninviting.

Update Old Favourites
Take an old favourite and give it a modern makeover to make it feel individual and special.  Here, the humble chesterfield sofa and a couple of Queen Anne chairs have been reborn in dramatic white linen – this colour change brings them bang up to date, and the white really ‘pops’ against the blue backdrop.  The best route to take for a white chesterfield is ‘made to measure’, so find your local upholsterers and ask them to make one for you.  This is also a perfect way to buy a sofa that fits your space perfectly.

Smart and Sexy Storage
We created our own version of built-in storage by specifying three flat-pack bookcases and then framing them in position with decorative woodwork.  Extending the new ceiling coving across the front elevation adds to the built-in nature and looks positively posh and fabulous.  This simple piece of DIY is a great way to ‘cheat’ your own custom cabinetry that looks expensive but is surprisingly cost-effective.

Hi-Tech, High Spec’
Modern technology makes for modern rooms, and in this contemporary lounge, a wall-mounted flatscreen TV creates understated glamour.  By incorporating the TV into the bookcases, we kept it from dominating the room.  And at the same time we were able to hang it from the back of the cabinetry and wire the DVD and cable box out of sight into the cupboards.  The unit also provides great storage for books and DVDs, so the project should remain clean and clutter-free for years to come!

Balance of Power
The built-in bookcases on one side add height and weight to the room. To balance it out, we added a large mirrored sideboard and huge ornate mirror on the opposite wall.  This double focal point works well to keep the scheme casual, while the positioning of the furniture allows both sides of the space to be equally dominant.  The mirror is a real eye-catcher, adding décor and bouncing light around at the same time.  You can never have too many mirrors at home.  Vain? Us?