Exploring The State Of Design In Greater New York, The Hamptons + Connecticut

New York is one of the world’s great cities for many reasons, not the least for its access to the best of everything. As a born-and-raised New Yorker with a passion for all things architecture and interiors, it is a delight to cover this robust, progressive market. Here, if you can dream it, you can find it (or find someone to make it for you in any event). This level of abundance makes for a dynamic design scene, and work at the highest end of the market is typified by meticulous craftsmanship and a resounding emphasis on bespoke execution. These fundamentals hold steady whether the home is floating high above the streets of Manhattan (like the jewel box by interior designer Bennett Leifer shown at right), overlooking the coast (as is the Hamptons estate by Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects and interior designer Brad Ford shown below), or tucked away in the countryside.

That’s another great thing about the Greater New York region. The cultural, stylistic and geographical diversity here begets a curious mind and a deep appreciation for design excellence of all stripes.

City

Jewel-box living distinguishes design in the Big Apple, where layers upon layers of artful ornamentation across interior architecture and decor prove that what Manhattan lacks in square footage, it more than makes up for in style.

Fine Finishes + Materials

We dare you to find a plain white wall in the rarefied aeries of the city’s 1%. Instead, highly considered architectural details are the order of the day, with designers deploying an arsenal of mesmerizing decorative applications and creative millwork solutions to imbue interiors with wow-factor and an undeniably upscale ethos. Think hand-troweled plaster, high-gloss lacquer, gold-leaf treatments, carved-wood paneling, eglomise and back-painted glass, handmade tile and commissioned murals and stencils. “New York homes become jewel boxes through disciplined layering, refined materials and shrewd restraint that celebrates every precious square inch,” says interior designer Wesley Moon, who envisioned the glamorous Manhattan apartment featured below.

Gallery-Grade Curation

With space at a premium, every item in a New York apartment must earn its keep—and then some. Accordingly, shopping local takes on a curatorial approach, with top designers taking advantage of the city’s prosperity of galleries, showrooms and private studios to source one-of-a-kind pieces one simply cannot find anywhere else. Lighting fixtures that are as visually arresting and richly detailed as any piece of sculpture (and often, just as expensive) are a hallmark of today’s jewel-box spaces, as are bespoke furnishings and custom-commissioned works of art.

Country

Beyond the five boroughs, estates in pastoral settings—whether primary residences or weekend retreats for the city’s elite—are being meticulously programmed for comfort, privacy and all the design cache of an urban abode.

Stately Architecture

From New Jersey horse country to the tony back roads of Connecticut, luxury buyers are seeking private residences with timeless appeal and bygone grandeur. Whether building new or reviving a relic, clients covet classical architecture distinguished by historically accurate materials and period features with a fresh perspective—like the fieldstone-clad 1926 Greenwich manse by John B. Murray Architect and Cullman & Kravis Associates pictured in this section. Grand proportions, scrupulous architectural detailing and gracious square footage encompassing a range of formal and casual living spaces bring forward a contemporary, New England riff on the British manor home.

Country Couture

Given the architectural framework, country homes are as finely considered and luxuriously appointed as any city residence, touting the same level of spend on interiors and often greater. Primary homes tend to seize on the space to sprawl, with luxurious rooms for entertaining (salons, speakeasies, drawing rooms and more), while weekend escapes are approached as an opportunity to present a different side of the homeowners’ personality and passions through design.

Coast

The unparalleled beauty of the Northeast’s iconic beach communities sets the bar sky-high for site-responsive design, prompting the region’s top professionals to dream up year-round escapes defined by a boundary-pushing dialogue between nature and art.

Alfresco Connection

Out East—and up and down the New England coast—innovative architectural transitions and material selections reflective of the setting work in tandem to achieve a seamless indoor-outdoor experience. Designers, architects and landscape professionals in the Hamptons often work in a highly collaborative fashion, presenting one holistic vision that drives home a sense of place across each discipline—as in the gracious Sag Harbor abode seen in this section, featuring interiors by Poonam Khanna of Unionworks, architecture by BMA Architects and landscape architecture by LaGuardia Design Group. In this regard, the region’s most opulent coastal homes espouse the simple luxury of connecting with nature, experienced through the comfort of high-end design.

All-Season Style

Capitalizing on the proximity to the city and the flexibility offered by remote work, today’s buyers are increasingly taking advantage of their beach houses throughout the year. These collected spaces brim with extraordinary furnishings and art that avoid coastal tropes and instead reflect the originality of the homeowners. With Hamptons homes expected to cater to hosting in every season, interior design has taken on a year-round sentiment. Think: Elegant outdoor rooms, sumptuous guest accommodations and a medley of textiles, finishes and colors as apropos for Christmas as Independence Day.