It takes guts to move, particularly when one's home is an architectural gem beloved by the community almost as much as it is by its owners. It takes even more chutzpah to leave behind just about every piece of furniture in it. But Manhattanites Quinn Pofahl and Jaime Jiménez have no regrets. They decided it was time to sell their seven-bedroom Queen Anne getaway in Southampton, New York, after Pofahl painted the kitchen for the fourth time. "I guess I was craving another big project," says Pofahl, a creative director for a leading luxury-lifestyle brand. Without a single shingle to replace, spindle to repair, or tricky trim to repaint, the duo's love affair with the former merchant's house began to wane-grand foyer, formal dining room, furnishings, and all. "Our hope was to find a place that we could renovate while staying in it, which is something we've never been able to do," says Jiménez, a communications and marketing executive for Baccarat.
In the living room, vintage sofa in Ralph Lauren Home hopsack; art, Fred Beckman.
Study door in Hollandlac Brilliant Black, Fine Paints of Europe.
In the study, Pofahl and Jiménez defy convention by placing a console in front of a floor-to-ceiling abstract painting by Michael Lee. Lamps, Visual Comfort. Vintage French side chairs and curtains in Ralph Lauren Home fabrics. The sculptural wooden chair is African.
Most people in search of a house insist its ceilings be intact, but Pofahl and Jiménez wouldn't let even an ominously sagging one dissuade them. The first thing the pair noticed on their initial visit to the 1885 farmhouse they now call their home away from home was water pouring through the shingles on the second floor. It was a sign of things to come. "The place was so charming, even though the living room was flooded and the ceiling was about four feet from the floor," says Pofahl. What's more, the Rosco farmhouse-as it's known locally in honor of the original family who built it-was yet another important landmark in Southampton Village in need of preservation. Perfect.
In the master bedroom, the mix of art-like a quartet of works by Knox Martin and a fiberglass hammerhead shark-is irreverent and personal. Bedding, Ralph Lauren Home. Vintage chairs. Walls in China White, Benjamin Moore.
The mostly white scheme is a quiet backdrop for dramatic overscale objects and art. A digital enlargement of an image from an Audubon plate covers a hallway wall.
The eight-foot antique African drum, seen from the kitchen, was originally laid on its side to be played. Custom table. Hood and stove, Viking. Walls in Ice Formations, Benjamin Moore.
Pofahl and Jiménez are the exception to the renovation-as-relationship-wrecker rule; they met four houses (translation: 20 years) ago. Not even this gut redo threw them. They tore the place back to the studs and built it up again, tweaking the first-floor layout. "We didn't want any room to turn into a dead end," says Pofahl. "And we wanted a view into all the public spaces from the kitchen." They turned the dining room into a study because they never have formal dinner parties.
With the unsexy tasks out of the way, the duo dove into creating an interior that is as unfussy as their previous home was "done." It helped that the only pieces that made it out of the last house were two dining chairs. "We started with a clean slate," says Pofahl.
Make that an almost-clean slate. The owners held onto a cache of art they had acquired over the years. "Every room is designed around our collection," Pofahl says. "It all started with the paintings, photographs, sculptures, and objects." To draw attention to the art, the pair came up with a winning formula: a neutral palette, whitewashed floors, and easy furniture.
Jiménez and Pofahl like to keep gatherings simple with farm-stand produce and fresh seafood.
The scheme also turns out to be ideal for their informal approach to entertaining. In winter, they eat and play Scrabble around the living room fireplace; in summer, friends gather outside, where Jiménez, who grew up in a food-loving family in the Dominican Republic, oversees the grill. That is, when he's not involved in a heated game of pétanque on the gravel court that the couple added to the driveway. "I always let Quinn say he wins," says Jiménez. "But the truth is, I beat him every time."
Caprese salad.
Stemware, Baccarat.
Chaises, TeakSmith.
Pitcher and tray, Ralph Lauren Home.
Linguine with clams.
Rosé on ice.
