The Ultimate Weekender

WRITTEN BY Bek Mitchell-Kidd
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Tria Giovan
INTERIOR DESIGN BY Meg Braff Designs

Nestled in Southampton, this new-build home needed to be warmed-up and weekend ready year-round. New York-based interior designer Meg Braff, of Meg Braff Designs, was just the person to deliver a little warmth and personality. 

“It is a classic Southampton shingle-style house, with traditional detailing and all the comforts of a modern home. It has a wonderful layout and is not ‘open plan’ by any means,” says Meg.

Over the course of a year, Meg and her team took the 8,000-square-foot house from crispy new to feeling like a familiar treat, with a mixture of antiques, vintage finds, and new pieces. A two-story home with multiple rooms, Meg engineered individual charisma for every space. 

Knowing it’s a weekend-only home for the clients, Meg says, “We wanted to keep things relaxed, yet exciting. None of the furniture feels too formal; everything is meant to be used, and was chosen with comfort in mind.”

Meg was intentional about not choosing delicate fabrics. “This house didn’t feel like the place for taffeta curtains or fussy finishes. We used mostly cottons, linens, and a few velvets in the upholstery, with jute carpeting in the main rooms and bits of bamboo and rattan.”

The guest bedrooms are set with twin beds which Meg loves for their versatility. “I love twin beds in guestrooms. Twin beds are great for siblings, or in a child’s room for sleepover parties, and can always be reset to be made into one bed with king-sized sheets.”

Meg incorporated accessibility and comfort in subtle ways throughout the home including quite a few small étagères and low consoles. “It comes down to options; this is a weekend home, a place for relaxation and comfort,” says Meg.

A weekend at the home starts with gazing at the Stardust Modern Design chandelier which anchors the circular breakfast room.

The nearby dining room is a feast for the eyes; Red Egg’s Indochine dining chairs pull up to a vintage table, and the China Seas for Quadrille’s Lyford Trellis wallpaper is less backdrop and more showstopper. “I adore the dining room, as it’s the perfect mix of a proper dining room with a casual flair. It’s mostly enjoyed in winter months when it’s too cold to eat outside. We chose a warm palette with ochre, coral, and chocolate to feel warm and inviting on colder evenings.”

Meg uses wallpaper throughout the home, saying, “Wallpaper and grass cloth are great options when there is paneling in a space—it can hold its own against the wood. Wallpaper is also wonderful for making a small or ‘pass-through’ space feel special.”

The living room opens onto the back garden via several sets of French doors, so Meg went with a cooler palette that feels at home with the greenery and sky beyond. The loggia vibe is also peaceful with Palecek President’s furniture upholstered in Lulu DK’s Harlow in Mist.

“My clients love to entertain, so the living room and dining room can both hold a crowd, and in the summertime the loggia and covered terrace allow for several al fresco dining options,” says Meg.

The den is rich and warm. “We decided to embrace the feeling, and used fabrics and furniture that complemented the wood. The soft jute carpeting grounds the space, while the velvet sofa, fun flokati-covered horseshoe chairs, and upholstered club chairs provide comfortable perches for reading and quiet conversation,” says Meg.

Filled with magical Hamptons’ light thanks to large windows in every room, Meg says, “The Hamptons is all about nature—the beach, gardens, and farms. I think this home is a refined yet classic approach to Hamptons decorating.” 

The home feels collected; a place by the beach that isn’t too beachy but is still a destination you just can’t wait to reach.

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ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Meg is known for her exuberant take on traditional design, creating livable spaces imbued with playful glamour and a modern perspective.

Her sophisticated color sense and deft eye for mixing antique and modern pieces has broad appeal, evidenced by residential commissions throughout the United States and the Caribbean. 

In addition to her design work, Meg also has a shop, Meg Braff Antiques & Decoration, in Locust Valley, NY, and is a published author, The Decorated Home: Living with Style and Joy.