Tour an Artful Long Island Property That Avoids Beach House Clichés

    The desire to craft an elevated idyll for all seasons is apparent from the moment one enters the seven-bedroom shingled edifice. There, in the entry foyer, an area rug by Atelier Février grounds the double-height space, where a Haas Brothers tabletop sculpture, bench by Maria Pergay, and several large hanging artworks set the tone. Indeed, the work of emerging artists abounds, introducing “moments of color and playfulness throughout our home,” notes Laura of their collection, largely acquired by her husband, which “brings the space to life.” The DeMares and their now college-age sons have occupied the home since it was built 15 years ago by local firm Michael Davis Design & Construction, but McKay and team were able to breathe new life into familiar spaces, where the family loves entertaining friends.

    “We wanted the living room to feel more inclusive,” explains McKay of his approach to the airy expanse, with its comfortable mix of custom and collected seating. “That called for a bit of a salon layout, where you’re not looking at the fireplace but into the room.” Given the project’s tight eight-month timeline, the bespoke Sacco silk rug, which features a “walkway” embellishment weaved around the fixed furniture plan, is ever more impressive. As is the new open-plan kitchen, family room, and breakfast area, which had to be durable enough to stand up to a professional catering team or a flock of hungry college kids but thoughtfully scaled and appointed for the couple to make Sunday breakfast solo. In the connecting family-room conversation pit, guests often kick back in an extra-deep Jouffre sofa covered in a plush Angela Brown fabric.

             Because the clients prefer to maximize outdoor time when the weather allows, certain interior spaces are tailored for colder months and darker hours. Take the den, for example, which “quickly emerged as a family favorite, offering both intimacy and drama,” Laura says. That corner room, where occupants sink into “an incredibly comfortable” alpaca sofa and Vladimir Kagan lounge chair and ottoman, is shrouded in horsehair-covered walls. Similarly, in the cocoon-like primary bedroom upstairs, McKay suggested eradicating its yellowish cast, which he thinks people often mistakenly equate to cozy, with a more interesting, richer palette. “I wanted it to feel cleaner and fresher,” he says, “so bringing in these more dramatic colors made a big difference.” The walls, notably, are covered in a tactile Phillip Jeffries ultrasuede—evidence of husband Jim’s particular distaste for roll-painted walls.