Houzz Tours
Houzz Tours: A Colorful Cottage in The Hamptons
Here is a Hamptons beach house that will knock you over with a breath of fresh salt air. The dynamic color palettes, the textures, the unique and sculptural pieces of furniture, the pop art graphics—it all shows designer Tara Seawright's background in art history and her experience working in galleries, an auction house, and decorating small spaces in functional ways. Here she was tasked with keeping a neutral base and bringing in color and texture in ways that could be switched out with ease. Enjoy the tour!
20 Spectacular Beach Houses | Browse beach-house photos
20 Spectacular Beach Houses | Browse beach-house photos
This is the same clients' home in Tribeca, a previous collaboration with Tara. "I fought to bring in a bit of color through silver, gold, flesh and a very pale blue," Tara says, but that was as far into color as they wanted to go.
"The brown sofa faces a plasma screen television and is ultrasuede; it's great for the clients' two small children because it doesn't show stains." She was able to add prints and colors through a plethora of vibrant throw pillows. The ottoman is seagrass, adding texture and relating the space to its beautiful surroundings.
Tara's husband Sam is an artist, and the painting in this room is one of his. "As an interior designer, I have a natural attraction to pairs of things," she says. Sam "encourages me to juxtapose colors and pieces and to break free from some of my natural inclinations."
And though she's a fan of resources like 1stdibs , Tara says there's nothing like learning from furniture dealers. "They are such a wonderful resource, especially in New York... Being around a piece of furniture and learning from these experts can never be replaced by looking at a two-dimensional drawing."
Having so many of these great resources around her can be dangerous, though. "I fall in love with objects and make everything work around them," she says. "Right now I have five storage spaces!"
And though she's a fan of resources like 1stdibs , Tara says there's nothing like learning from furniture dealers. "They are such a wonderful resource, especially in New York... Being around a piece of furniture and learning from these experts can never be replaced by looking at a two-dimensional drawing."
Having so many of these great resources around her can be dangerous, though. "I fall in love with objects and make everything work around them," she says. "Right now I have five storage spaces!"
Once she decided to bring in color, the client (whose background is in fashion) went out and bought these Mademoiselle Chairs. "You have to be choosy with your clients" Tara says. "It's a love affair — you have to REALLY like them and it has to be the right combination. An easy connection of mutual respect filters through everything, and it makes you want to do the best job you can to make their dreams come true. Each client transforms my aesthetic and helps me to grow as a designer."
Tara approaches interiors with the eye of an artist: "I look at everything as I'd look at a piece of art. Every piece of furniture, a piece of fabric, a rug excites me on a different level. I search for the unusual, the unique hand of the artist in each piece." The bathroom was designed so that the background is a blank canvas, and items like the shower curtain, rugs, and accessories can be switched out to instantly change up the look.
The kitchen needed brightening: "It was a dark corner of the house, and the shutters were often closed. Painting the cabinets was too much of a commitment for the client, so I talked her into painting the ceiling." The result is a sunny and cheerful space.
The client already owned these fabulous chairs. "I respond to sculptural pieces of furniture," Tara says. "Each piece needs to be beautiful on its own." That being said, she knows that every piece must be functional. Thus "if a client is not sitting in every chair, it's not working, and that could be a $100,000 loss."
The Parsons desk and the crab pillow are from West Elm. "I love West Elm. I'm going to sound like a commercial for them, but they are so great for singles, people who are just starting out, people with young kids who want inexpensive pillow covers that they can throw in the wash. It's style on a budget."
The ceramic zebra stool was found shopping in a Stamford warehouse full of antiques. It reflects the client's sophisticated fashion sense.
Tara advises holding off on curtains, as they can be space hogs and are often expensive. "Start with the functional. Shades are clean and modern. You can always add curtains later if you decide you want them."
The Parsons desk and the crab pillow are from West Elm. "I love West Elm. I'm going to sound like a commercial for them, but they are so great for singles, people who are just starting out, people with young kids who want inexpensive pillow covers that they can throw in the wash. It's style on a budget."
The ceramic zebra stool was found shopping in a Stamford warehouse full of antiques. It reflects the client's sophisticated fashion sense.
Tara advises holding off on curtains, as they can be space hogs and are often expensive. "Start with the functional. Shades are clean and modern. You can always add curtains later if you decide you want them."
Tara's experience doing projects in New York City, where space is at a premium, taught her the value of every bit of space: "Working in New York City, I learned that every inch counts... a headboard can be very expensive and take up too much room."
The Marimekko fabric stretched over a canvas serves as an inexpensive space-saving headboard. The vintage light fixtures "weigh a ton because they are made of shells... It was a real pain to get them hung and working but the effort was well worth it. When I found them at Brimfield I knew I was going to make them work somewhere in this house."
More: 20 Spectacular Beach Houses
Browse beach-house photos
The Marimekko fabric stretched over a canvas serves as an inexpensive space-saving headboard. The vintage light fixtures "weigh a ton because they are made of shells... It was a real pain to get them hung and working but the effort was well worth it. When I found them at Brimfield I knew I was going to make them work somewhere in this house."
More: 20 Spectacular Beach Houses
Browse beach-house photos
"The metal chairs are outdoor chairs; I tied them to the rest of the room via muslin upholstery and the metal coffee table." Tara calls the wooden frog "sweet and whimsical." She found it at Brimfield and knew it was perfect for this home.