I’ve always wanted a Dutch door, and this one is painted in a green color I saw on a car in a magazine. It’s bright and inviting, and matches how beautifully green this place is in the summer. Paint Color (on door), Porsche Irish Green by Backdrop.
Designer Samantha Tannehill remembers treading carefully as the new girlfriend when she first visited this Southampton home. The Long Island retreat carried a lot of memories for her now husband’s four children (he had bought the place in 1999), and at the time, it felt too soon to step in. “I remember him saying, ‘You’re a designer, I want you to do stuff,’” Tannehill says. “But I was afraid. I’d respond, ‘But this is where your kids grew up.’ I didn’t want to rock the boat.”
That first trip happened a little less than a decade ago, and the couple have since gotten married and settled into a routine of using the place as a year-round vacation hub. “We have a big family (lots of Italians), and he and I both like to be in the kitchen,” she says. “But it wouldn’t allow for a lot of people to be in there, so that’s what first alerted us that it was time to make a change. At that point, I was comfortable taking it on.”
Tannehill worked with deVOL to retain a traditional feel in the kitchen, but once that renovation wrapped up just before the summer of 2022, she realized it wasn’t enough. “The house didn’t connect to the kitchen at all, and it was driving me insane,” Tannehill says. “So my husband said, ‘OK, I’ll give you the reins.’” Here’s how the designer took over, ensuring that the home could welcome a fresh start for their family without straying too far from its roots.
Our original architect had this grand idea of moving the walls so that we could have a massive kitchen. But he didn’t share that in order to demolish it safely, we would have to reconstruct the whole foundation of the house. We had already designed the entire kitchen before a general contractor showed up and said, “I don’t want to ruin the vibe, but this is going to be a big adjustment.” So, we had to shift everything and stay within the existing footprint, but it ended up being perfect. The island has two materials, copper and butcher block. I didn’t want to do all wood, because there’s already so much wood in this space. With copper, you can place a hot pan directly on it, and it’s fine. Plus, I love the patina. | Kitchen Design, deVOL. This is such a well-planned place in the kitchen, filled with items we use every day. And yes, those are real eggs—we have chickens outside! I also didn’t want to change the tile on the floor, I think it adds a lot of character, the only drawback is that if you accidentally drop something, it’s definitely going to shatter. But the flooring, and the exposed plates, and the space to cook all feels so easy and natural. That’s exactly what I was going for. We built bookcases on the wall leading into the sunroom, and changed the beams on the ceiling to be more rustic and warm. I love how much light this room gets, it’s always sundrenched. I thought that the best way to take advantage of the length of the room—and the fact that we sometimes host as many as 15 people here—was to do a pair of super-deep sofas facing each other. | Sofa Upholstery, Kravet; Art, Kara Walker.I wanted to bring the outside in and this green felt traditional, but because of the way we used it, it could also read as contemporary. The existing fireplace is functional, but because it can get toasty if you’re sitting right in front of it, we mostly just admire it. | Vintage Chairs, Guillerme et Chambron; Paint Color (on walls), Olive by Farrow & Ball.The vintage art piece above the sofa was sourced in Italy, and it’s very good luck to have an elephant with its trunk pointed up, which I suppose is nice in a game room. This is my favorite room in the house. It’s where we read and hang out, or play cards and backgammon. For years, the girls had two separate beds with no headboards. For an easy but impactful change, we built a 14-foot headboard to connect the two, which was quite a feat. It couldn’t fit through the front door, so six guys had to hoist it up from the deck and into the room. One of them said, “What is this for?” and when we put it in place, he said, “Oh, this is great.” I also love that this room has subtle pink [walls], and it changes in the light. It can feel cozy and summery, depending on the day. | Wallpaper, Dedar; Headboard and Bed Upholstery, Kravet; Side Table, Soho Home; Sconce,Aerin.This used to be the kids’ playroom on the ground floor, and now it’s a guest suite. I used a natural weave wallpaper in a chocolate brown, which makes it so cozy, but those poppy Andy Warhol prints above the bed keep it from feeling stuffy. | Beds, Saatva.I liked the idea of having a green bathroom off a brown bedroom because it feels so natural but might not be a combination that immediately comes to mind. Using a woven wallpaper in this room works (there’s ventilation) and it matches the existing tiles. The green against that vintage wood mirror and gold sconces just looked playful but still traditional. There was a massive closet where the mirror is now, but it was always empty. So we knocked it out and enclosed a shower on one side, with a place to get ready and see your whole outfit. The home was built in 1992 by architect Costas Kondylis, and the hardwood floors and wainscoting were installed then. Everything stayed, but we painted the wainscoting in the same color as the walls, just in a different finish, to give it some dimension. We upholstered the vintage sofa to match the pink in the painting to have some fun. | Paint Color (on walls), Dimity by Farrow & Ball; Artwork, Wallase Ting.This room might be my pride and joy. It’s the bathroom that guests use the most, and I thought painted walls and a pedestal sink would be too boring. I wanted to make it louder with shinier paint, so shiny you could almost see your face in it. The wainscoting is floor-to-ceiling, and there’s a custom marble sink under sconces that are probably a little too high, but I love it. It feels like a happy accident. It’s a powder room I want guests to feel cool in. | Paint Color, Navy Blue by Fine Paints of Europe; Roman Shade Fabric, Pierre Frey.This bedroom almost feels like a loft, and I didn’t want to add too much to it. It felt nice to do something toned down and calm since I knew we’d be coming from the city. And I love this sofa so much, it’s the perfect little size. It’s right in front of a fireplace that we do use! | Wallpaper, Innovations USA; Vintage Sofa, Wyeth.This bathroom is so traditional, and I wanted to make it less so. I found these vintage tiles in a store in Massachusetts, and there were just enough to create a border around the room. The leaves match the green on the bottom of the clawfoot tub, and we kept the pedestal sink but added a medicine cabinet that’s much more modern.
