Design Confidently, Live Comfortably
  Be comfortable I love planning kitchens, so mine was easy to design. Most clients in the Hamptons want a light and beachy kitchen done in shades of white and sand, but my house would be a year-round residence, so I didn't want it to feel like a summer house. Instead, it's outfitted with simple Shaker-style cherry cabinets and green marble counters. I found the kitchen island at a thrift shop and decided that after a bit of sanding and cleaning up, it looked beautiful.  In the kitchen The short cherry cabinets over the windows (left) add storage space without sacrificing the view, but they also lend a sense of shelter to the space. The hardworking island on wheels (right) has a sturdy stainless-steel top and lots of storage underneath. Erica found it in a thrift store and restored it with a little elbow grease. I wanted my living room to be a comfortable place for quiet activities like reading by the fire. Since practicing yoga and camping are two of my favorite hobbies, I decided to lower the fireplace to floor level instead of designing a raised hearth. Now it feels like I'm sitting and stretching in front of a campfire, right in my own home. A flush hearth also allows more circulation space in the small room. And although the bluestone slab fireplace with a mahogany mantel was based on economy more than anything, it appears quite modern in design. Make the master suite a haven Growing up in an open-floor-plan 1970s house, I was always bothered by a lack of privacy. I was determined that my house would have separate rooms. I had also grown up with a bedroom on the lower level of the house, and I disliked everything about it: the noise from above, cold from the crawl space below, and the ground-level windows. I knew my master suite would be upstairs, along with a second bedroom, and that only the guest room would be on the ground floor.
Beyond that, I had two motives in designing the master bedroom. Thinking ahead, I wanted to be able to easily rent my house in the summer if I had to. Knowing that most renters dwell in New York City apartments with flat ceilings, I decided that a dramatic gabled ceiling would be especially appealing. The gabled ceiling also adds to the warm and comfortable feel of the room, creating a safe haven. Splurge when necessary By now, you can see that cost was a huge consideration for me, but I'm a firm believer in splurging once in a while -- in a sensible way.
For the most part, I think it's smart to keep materials like tile neutral and cheap, but I had my eye on a pricey green onyx mosaic tile. I decided it would look great in my shower and bought a few extra square feet to use as a border pattern on the bathroom floor. I combined it with 12-inch-square limestone tiles cut in half. Using an expensive tile as a border is a great way to get the look you want without going overboard.
I splurged on a brushed- nickel faucet in the powder room downstairs, since that's the one my guests use. Another indulgence was wood flooring. I toyed with putting carpet on the second floor to save money, but once the wide-plank, white-pine flooring was installed on the first floor, I was so impressed I used it throughout the house. Another splurge was the replica Edison light bulbs hanging in the kitchen.  A nod to bygone days Replica Edison light bulbs illuminate the kitchen island. Now that I’ve lived in my house for a few years, I like looking back on the process. I think of how it all came together and what I’d do differently. Details throughout the house serve as reminders of conversations, ideas, problems, and solutions. In the end, I got to know myself better and came away with a sense of great accomplishment, not to mention a wonderful house I feel fortunate to own. Erica Broberg practices architecture from the East Hampton, New York, house she designed for herself. NEXT: A Compact House with Room to Move BACK: Design Details |
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PHOTOS: ELLEN SILVERMAN |
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