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When author, influencer, and Bright Bazaar blogger Will Taylor needed a break from the city, he looked to the Hamptons for a retreat that would suit his preppy, stripe-minded style. After he and husband Toby Willis purchased a new beach house, they enlisted designer Sally Gotfredson of the Studio at One Kings Lane to collaborate on a look that melded urban sophistication with nautical, seafaring design.
“We wanted the beach house to be a place to relax; a tonic from the fast-paced life of New York City living,” Taylor says. “It’s a totally different style to our apartment in the city, which has minimalist Scandinavian modern aesthetic. We were keen to go for a more traditional and country coastal look for the beach house so that it would feel different to our everyday home.
Since the blogger is known to write about embracing color and playful prep, it’s no surprise that exciting shades would pop up inside his beach house. Rich greens and various shades of blue and gray give depth to natural earth tones, brightened by fresh whites, brass, and pattern.
“Will really wanted the downstairs to be a blue and white moment, incorporating a ‘Mark D. Sikes‘ vibe throughout the living and dining areas,” Gotfredson says.
Seaside elements and that Mark D. Sikes inspiration weave their way into the living room with crisp shiplap walls, blue floral Barclay Butera chairs, and a plaid ottoman. Collected books and souvenirs fill the bookcase, while a map of their village of Bellport (gifted to them by Taylor’s father-in-law) hangs over a vintage bar tray. By incorporating lots of vintage finds, Gotfredson helped Will make their new house not feel so new.
“I tried to pepper in as much vintage as possible to give it a really lived-in feel,” Gotfredson says. “In general, we layered in a lot of texture and there was a mix of pieces that Will and Toby have brought with them from their travels, and fun new accessories.”
More cool blues and grays drift into the ocean-inspired kitchen, where two-tone custom cabinetry is accented with brass hexagon hardware—an angular alternative to ordinary knobs. Hicks pendants hang over a peninsula outfitted with Cambria countertops and ropey barstools. Cape Cod subway tiles take on an unexpected watery-green tone, further defining the beach house locale.
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sports navy leather side chairs and a jute “Nautique chandelier,” along with more stripes and natural linen, for that worn, lived-in vibe.
“We really wanted this space to feel timeless and there’s no pattern more beachy or timeless than the humble stripe,” Taylor says.
The second floor boasts traditional Cape Cod architecture with dormers and angles, which the couple embraced. To start, they anchored the master bedroom room with “Goodwin Green” and Taylor blogged that “highlighting this wall would make a feature out of the architectural shapes at play.”
Here, the designer says they went for more of a “Soho House, cozy country house feel” with brass accents to amp up the deep green paint and coordinating green, velvet, tufted club chairs to give a shot of luxe to the space. To tone down any richness, more ticking stripes add rustic prep and lend a youthful, yet layered look.
“It was super fun working with Will,” Gotfredson says. “He was drawn to classic, yet masculine pieces that you could see staying around for generations.”
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