The homeowner has style in her DNA. She is the daughter of an international model, Vogue editor, and jet-setter who helped put Valentino on the map. And she, too, was a cover girl in the 1970s, known for her sporty elegance and European je ne sais quoi. Much of her life has been spent in a series of historic homes and chic apartments around the globe, where she basked in Old Masters, Chanel, and Sèvres.
The homeowners' Norwich terrier relaxes in the living room, where a pair of ombré paintings by Pieter Vermeersch adds subtle depth. TheCustom sofa is in a Brochier linen. The leather armchair is Soane Britain. The rugs are Roger Oates. The sculpture is by Dustin Yellin, and the artwork over door is R.H. Quaytman.
Now based in New York, this philanthropist and art collector and her husband, a former financier, realized that they wanted their new weekend home in the Hamptons to feel gracious, easy, and modern. Most of all, they needed an ideal environment for their growing collection of works by emerging and contemporary artists. Their prewar apartment in Manhattan, decorated by the Madrid-based Luis Bustamante, is a sophisticated setting for their trove of 1960s and 1970s Arte Povera pieces, but at the beach they wanted to display new and challenging works in crisp, forward-looking surroundings. “You don't ever want to get stuck,” she says. “There are always new things to learn and a world that is unfolding.”
The oak table is custom. The vase is Georg Jensen. A multicolored glass sculpture by Jean-Luc Moulène sits on the table. Behind it, the painting is bySam Falls.
Their last Hamptons house was a 19th- century shingled classic with many small rooms - charming, but also a bit warren- like. Their vision for the new one was a home that would resemble a series of post- modern connected barns, all on one floor. There would be plenty of wall space and a sense of expansiveness they had never had before. “We keep buying art that is bigger and bigger,” she says, with a tone of bemusement. “We need a context for it.” Among their acquisitions are works by R.H. Quaytman, Dustin Yellin, Damien Hirst, Doug Aitken, and Mark Bradford.
As soon as they met the architect Steven Harris, they knew he shared their aesthetic, embracing a plan with an infinity pool that visually bleeds into the graceful, marshy pond just beyond the homesite. “I am Mediterranean, so there is never enough water for me,” she says.
A garden path is surrounded by native grasses and river birch.
For the decorating, they called again on Bustamante. “She wanted something airy,” he says, the opposite of their Manhattan place, which he had swathed with chocolate velvet. “This is a joyful house where they have their grandchildren and lots of other family, so they wanted to be able to breathe and be connected to the outdoors.” Virtually all of the furniture is custom made, so the space feels balanced and easy to navigate.
Richard Avedon photographs pop against silk walls in a guest room. Custom beds are upholstered in a GP & J Baker fabric and the benches and tufted armchair are in a Manuel Canovas fabric. The Roman shade and curtains are in a Jane Churchill stripe. The wallcovering is by Jim Thompson Fabrics.
The palette pairs soothing neutrals with ashes of color. The wife “adores oranges and reds for their depth and warmth,” Bustamante says. The combination of Zen cool and fiery accents works well with the monumental art, which is infused with topical humor and passion.
In the powder room, the Roman shade is in a Chivasso fabric. The artwork in the reflection is by Florian Pumhösl.
In the large dining room, the textured beige chairs are edged in scarlet. Even more unexpected is the powder room, which is lacquered a vibrant purple. After an evening spent meditating on the couple's art collection and watching the sun descend in the sky, the vivid space gives a jolt. “That is what you want,” says Bustamante. “Just enough surprise before you come back to earth.”
Touches of red infuse the neutral dining room with warmth. The dining chairs, upholstered in Larsen and Manuel Canovas fabrics, and the oak dining and console tables are all custom. The light fixtures are from Apparatus. The rug is Stark, and the artwork is by Doug Aitken.
This article originally appeared in the July-August 2017 issue of VERANDA.
