You'll Want To Cozy Up In This Hygge Hamptons Home
When the owner of a historic 1860s whaling captain’s home in Sag Harbor, New York, asked Liliane Hart to evoke the Scandinavian simplicity she recalled from childhood visits to Sweden, the designer looked back to her own Nordic memories for inspiration. “When I was growing up, my family would spend midsummer on a tiny island off Stockholm, visiting my father’s oldest friend,” Hart says. “Those weeks were magical. They taught me so much about Swedish style. I wanted to bring the country’s love of subtle hues and sunlight to these rooms.”
While the three-story Victorian was in turn-key condition, strategic nip-and-tuck renovations “improved the proportions and pared down the embellishments,” Hart says. All the door heights were raised to the same level, mantels were stripped of excess molding, and the wide plank floors were painted the color of fresh milk. In addition to Swedish wallpapers in understated florals and geometrics, a palette of whisper- soft whites and grays brought calm and continuity to the small-scale rooms, making them seem more expansive. Layering in textures-rich leather, fuzzy wools, rough linens-ensured that the neutrals felt cozy, not chilly.
To avoid too much of one thing, Hart incorporated pieces from a range of cultures into the mix. Alongside such Scandi classics as Normann Copenhagen coffee tables and a Hans Wegner–inspired Papa Bear reproduction chair are an antique Turkish Oushak, a contemporary Italian sofa, and midcentury Eames chairs. “The decor straddles different places and eras, which is fun,” Hart says. “It relaxes the rooms, because this is very much a family home. There are three children-two are teens-lots of activity, and pop-ins from the client’s Swedish-born mother. Did I mention she lives a few streets over?”
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