Channel the Hamptons with These Coastal Home Decor Tips From the Pros

Joyelle West

If you’re low-key struggling with the transition to fall and would like to continue to embrace all things light and airy in your home decor, you may want to take some cues from the Hamptons. Long Island’s southern coast is known for housing its affluent residents in beautiful beach houses when away from their New York City dwellings during the summer.

Pulling from classic coastal motifs like shells and an oceanic color palette while also upping the fancy factor within historic 18th-century architecture, the Hamptons have an aesthetic all their own. We spoke with Jennifer Mabley and Austin Handler from Mabley Handler Interior Design—a design firm serving the Hamptons, New York City, and Palm Beach—to provide advice for bringing the coastal coolness home, whether you’re in the middle of a bustling city or small town.

Hamptons houses certainly bring elements of the beach inside, from surfboards and conch shells to high ceilings and hydrangeas. But according to Handler, Hamptons-style homes take the classic coastal look we know and love to the next level.

“Clients with even the most casual beach cottage still expect their Hamptons home to have a certain level of design and sophistication,” he says. “Gone are the days of simple white slipcovers and bowls of seashells, and that’s a good thing."

Though there isn’t just one signature Hamptons aesthetic, the proximity of these homes to New York City plays a role in upping the design ante—simple seaside views aren’t enough. The style spotlights clean lines, minimalist furniture, and classic color schemes of blues, whites, and woods. Simplistically stunning and cozy yet classy, these interiors provide the perfect summer getaway.

Designing any part of your home should