Vacation House Renovation

I'm sure you like looking at before and after photographs. This 1980's house in Bridgehampton, New York, used to be dark and barn-like and was transformed into a light filled summer house. For this, owners Nina Richter and her husband, Greg, appointed architect Stuart Disston and interior designer Ken Gemes.




The front before the renovation.


To give the house the profile Nina wanted, architect Stuart Disston reshaped the structure by extending rooflines to create two gambrels.


The foyer before the renovation.


After. An antique mahogany table, teak stools, and a thick sisal rug from in the large open foyer. Stairs were widened and flared at the base, and walls were paneled and painted Benjamin Moore Linen Sand.


The living room before the renovation.


After. The stone fireplace surround was replaced with wood panels and trim for a refined style. A room overlooking the living area was enclosed and a walkway to a second-level balcony was added above the fireplace.


French doors with transoms open the living room to a back porch.


Nina Richter and daughters Gretchen, 14, and Sabina, 11, with dogs Otto and Olive, sit on the porch off the living room.


An old harvest table in the dining area is surrounded by teak-and-cane chairs


The kitchen before the renovation.


After. A boxed beam ceiling with beadboard insets and simple cabinets with chrome hardware give the kitchen a vintage feel. A Roman shade in adds a pop of warm color. Caned-back bar stools around the island.


An attached garage was reconfigured, making space for an TV/sitting room.


A guest room was created when an open space overlooking the living area was enclosed. Designer Ken Gemes chose a sea-foam palette, including draperies made with a hand-blocked fabric.



A chair and ottoman (by the bed) are covered in an aqua linen trimmed with ivory piping.


The rear of the house before the renovation.


The back exterior was balanced with the addition of a second chimney, matching an existing one. The new chimney serves both a fireplace in the sunroom and a grill on the porch. A covered back porch, sunroom addition, and new balcony above the porch open the interiors to the yard.

Photography Tria Giovan
All images and information from Traditional Home.

Another Hampton Hideaway

There is nothing I love more than peaking into the Hampton homes of fabulous New Yorkers. It makes me want to work harder so I can have a place to getaway from the city every weekend and the Bridgehampton home of legendary advertising guru Trey Laird and his family is no different. It looks soothing and relaxing but is certainly not boring probably because they collaborated with interior designer Jeffrey Bilhuber, a legend in his own right!

The Louis XVI bergère is upholstered in Ru­belli's Samos and the sofa and Basics slipper chair, both by Bilhuber, are in Rogers & Goffigon fabrics, see more below. The antique limestone mantel is from A&R Asta.

In the living room of the main house, the Breck sofa is a Bilhuber design upholstered in a Travers linen, the curtain fabric is by Création Baumann, and the ceiling is painted with Benjamin Moore's Cloud Cover.

The Moroccan table in the library was found at a Paris flea market and the wool carpet is by Beauvais. The sofa was designed by Jeffrey Bilhiber. I also love the Elizabeth Peyton piece on the bookshelf. Jenny Laird was an art dealer and her taste is impeccable!

Maya Romanoff paper sheathes the library walls, and Bilhuber's Bridgewater sofa is upholstered with a Création Baumann linen-cotton.

In the study, the desk is by Mecox Gardens and the chair is by Pottery Barn. The walls are covered in a Raoul Textiles linen and the ceiling in Albert Hadley's Trixie wallpaper for Hinson, a fun contrast.

The dining table is a flea-market find and the mahogany server is Victorian. The floors are espresso-stained American walnut.

The quilt in the guest room is from Calypso Home, one of my favorite stores to find interesting textiles and furniture. The bed skirt is made of Michael Devine's Petite Fleur linen and the print is by Jean Pagliuso. The walls are painted with Benjamin Moore's Hancock Green.

In the master bedroom, the grass-cloth wall covering is by Designtex and a painting by Robert Bordo hangs above the mantel.

The master bathroom's antique stool is from Mecox Gardens, the wainscoting is painted with Benjamin Moore's White Dove, a favorite color among all designers and the one I used in the Bachelor Pad. The tiles are by Urban Archaeology.

The slatted tables in the poolhouse were designed by Bilhuber while the Hampton club chairs are by Walters Wicker, and the 1850s star lantern is from Amy Perlin Antiques. The landscape design around the pool below is by Deborah Nevins. A perfect ending to a perfect home.