HAMPTONS ADDRESS MANHATTAN ATTITUDE

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

The design team at GRADE infuses a traditional Hamptons home with urban modern edge to create an exquisite new kind of classic.

GINA SAMAROTTO

When GRADE design partners Thomas Hickey and Edward Yedid were approached by 828 Sagg Main developer, Jay Bialsky, to create a modern style for one of his newest projects, an elegant coastal home in the Hamptons, they knew it would take some creativity. But with the design team’s penchant for creating style that appeals to a wide range of clients, they knew precisely how to approach the task.

“The local vernacular of this area speaks to design that is classic and very traditional,” says Hickey. “But as the developer of this and many other successful projects in the area, our client knew that his market would be looking for something a bit more special. He knew that in order to make this home a standout, the traditional coastal aesthetic would have to be infused with some modern edge. While potential buyers of the home may be drawn to the traditional architecture, they also want it to have a shot of contemporary flair. They want a home that feels sleek, modern, and in keeping with their personal style.” To create that coveted aesthetic, the designers began by building their concepts for the home around a palette that was rich in luxury and then let that voice of luxury speak throughout the rest of the design.

The duo’s design sensibilities and philosophies - driven by the cutting-edge results – are achieved through their meticulously planned and executed conceptions. And 828 Sagg was no exception. By looking at the project with a cohesive eye and carrying their contemporary aesthetic throughout, the home evolved to take on the distinctive style they were looking for. A repeatedly underscored theme found in GRADE projects, the design envelope of 828 Sagg Main was deftly pushed; creating a series of clean, informed spaces intended to tell a story about the client’s lifestyle and create an aspirational experience through design.

Throughout the home, dramatic and bespoke statements are made through the designers’ inspired use of materials. Often unexpected, yet uncompromisingly luxurious, the materials lend themselves in providing a spectacularly modern sense of depth. Included in the distinctive features, a staircase comprised of beautifully detailed hard wood treads. Elegantly floating up to the floor above, the staircase is framed by a series of gleaming newel posts and banisters crafted – surprisingly - of polished chrome. Underfoot, floors in the living spaces are laid with stunning Ceruse Oak while a massive, double story interior wall is clad in uniform sheets of striking, black lava stone – all the better to showcase the fireplace surrounded in absolute black granite. In the master bath, the utilization of luxury materials continues with both a shower and enormous soaking tub crafted from Italian silver travertine; the same material found underfoot and in the wall separating the vanity from the bathing area of space. Collectively, the home is a series of spaces that are at once vast yet defined, sprawling yet inviting.

“Our client knew he wanted to provide potential owners of this property a very unique experience,” explains Yedid. “In order to be successful, the property had to not just meet but exceed the client expectations. While there needed to be references back to the traditional style and feel of the home and its Hamptons location, it also had to have appeal for those who want the charm of the beach, but the edge of the city”.

With its impressively large rooms and soaring ceilings, creating a feeling of intimacy in the rooms was paramount to the overall success of the design. “We knew we had to give the rooms a human scale,” Hickey explains. “We didn’t want people to feel lost in the spaces we were creating.” To accomplish that, the designers created visual breaks. Dramatically large windows were stacked one atop the other, leaving an expanse of wall between the two, as opposed to using one larger unit. The hearth wall, with its black stone surround was designed to continue that line, as were the arches and entries that usher guests from one room to the next. “Those focal points are all aligned with a purpose in mind,” says Hickey; Yedid adding that the lines, “Consciously bring the eye to a more comfortable point.”

Indeed, it seems nothing in the grand home was left to chance; each meticulous detail melding into the next to create an environment that says welcome home with a flair all its own.