HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
For many Australians, our hearts are firmly planted in the outdoors. We’re a relaxed group and love a natural transition between inside and outside.
The Hamptons style originated in the summer homes of wealthy New Yorkers and has been readily adopted in this sunburnt country. It is classic and timeless with a high-quality finish, yet also casual and relaxed. Perhaps it is a little more ‘boat shoes relaxed’ rather than ‘thongs relaxed’ - but it is relaxed nonetheless.
The key features are:
- Lots of light
- Shades of white - creating a feeling of space
- Subtle inclusion of soft blues and greens
- Accents of timber, woven cane, ceramic and stone
- Timber cladding (painted white)
- Wooden or stone benchtops
- Shaker style cabinetry
- Cane baskets, white cutlery and dinnerware on display in open shelves
If you really want to master the Hamptons look, remember to use white as your colour base and choose your detailed elements carefully. Don’t be tempted to pop a wall colour - even if it is soft blue.
Once you start to live and breathe the Hamptons, you will come to recognise the subtle differences in shades of white, cream, off-white and ivory. At some point, you may branch out and consider a grey tile backsplash or dark concrete-look floor tile. You’ll feel like a total rebel. Luckily, you’ll be a rebel with a cause; to achieve that feeling of satisfaction when you pull the Hamptons look together.
The fun part!
Tiles are key to the Hamptons look and there are so many options to choose from. For the bathroom, you might consider the Newport gloss small Subway with white grout for the walls, and choose a darker round, hexagonal, square, or rectangular tile like the Hamilton matt Charcoal look tile for the floor. For more information on Hamptons look bathrooms check out our Hamptons Style Bathrooms article. Alternatively, nothing says classic and natural quite like Brushgrove matt white for the walls if you want to pack a punch with a floor tile like the Rose Bay Carrara look tile.
In the kitchen, give your shaker style cabinets the edge with a shell cup pull handle. Tie the vintage feel in with a modest white tile backsplash laid out in herringbone pattern. Traditional shaker style houses were decked out in timber flooring. If you want an easy-clean, low maintenance flooring option for the kitchen, consider the Byron Travertine look grey matt.
