Hamptons Styling

The Hampton's Home Look that Hinges on the Details

Hamptons homes offer timeless elegance and a glimpse into the lifestyles of Manhattan's high society, which makes award winning designer, Natalee Bowen's latest palatial property a rather unexpected sight in the farmlands of Toodyay, 80km outside of Perth, WA.

Covering over 1,000sqm, 'The Farm Estate' creates a perfect balance between rural Australian charm and Hamptons sophistication from the moment you lay eyes on it says Natalee: "The Hamptons look reflects the surrounds, which are traditionally the coast. We wanted to stay true to this by focusing on the commonalities between our home and the New York Coastline by capturing the beautiful sky tones and light," she says.

Doors were a central part of the design, which features the classic blues, whites and greys of the Hamptons style, with tones chosen to suit the farmland location. This included pairs of Classic PCL 4G entrance doors with clear glazing, by Corinthian Doors (Corinthian).

Providing an authentic period style, the Classic range features deep carvings with traditional mouldings. These elegant doors have a primed skin which is a perfect canvas for painting adding to the home's colour palette. Here Natalee chose to finish her doors in Dulux Saxby blue, linking it to the interior beyond.

"Doors, especially front doors, have to be chosen carefully and speak to the design of the rest of the home. I love the way that the blue of ours introduces the colour choices within," says Natalee. "The tall glazed panels not only create a sense of scale, but encourage the eye to glimpses of blues in pillows and tradition ginger jars inside. It has the effect of inviting you into the house before the door even opens," she adds.

"The Hamptons look is about layers, from rugs and fabrics, through to exterior finishes. It would have been easy to go for larger panes of glass, but the French doors and windows add to that look and give it a timeless charm while not compromising on natural light," adds Natalee.

These Blonde Oak AWO 40 French doors by Corinthian match the ones used around the exterior to encourage the open plan lifestyle that's synonymous with the look, continues Natalee. To provide continuity and further encourage light into the home, the French doors connect shared living areas, while the addition of solid doors with refined details enclose more private locations.

"Blank solid doors can look fantastic, but not in a traditional Hamptons home, they are too modern to fit the look. You need depth and panels work perfectly, either with glazing, or through recessed or embossed fretwork on solid doors. In bedrooms, bathrooms and other private spaces, we opted for Corinthian's Moda PMOD8 solid internal doors with two panels. The subtle engraved detail and wrought iron handles and plates tie them to the rest of the home without looking fussy," she adds.

The Moda interior door collection is based on the shaker design principles of refining down to the bare essentials, working in harmony with the rest of the home. A look that is suited to the style, Natalee continues: "When people think of the Hamptons they think of lavish luxury, but what they may not know is that the style was inspired by farm houses further inland. Developers emulated these homes when building on the coast as the area became popular in the 90's. In the process a lot of that simple, charming Shaker style came through and grounded the style, preventing it from looking ostentatious," she adds.

"From the entrance to the alfresco the doors tell the story of the home. The simple style that layers onto the décor speaks to the timeless elegance of the Hamptons, while the solid timber and glazing embody the traditional Australian rural roots of the building. They help capture the essence of what we wanted to achieve," concludes Natalee.

For more information on Corinthian Doors and its range, visit: www.corinthiandoors.com.au