space of the week

A Beach House for All Seasons

This Sag Harbor home is outfitted in a black-and-white palette that works all year round.

The living room. Photo: Sean Litchfield
The living room. Photo: Sean Litchfield

Interior designer Delia Brennen adores black-and-white interiors — her own Brooklyn townhouse is a testament to her love for the classic color scheme. So when her clients, a New York–based couple, requested that she transform their Sag Harbor house into a year-round retreat, she knew exactly what direction to take. “One of them wanted a totally dark space, with inky colors and brass,” she says. “But the other wasn’t entirely convinced. To compromise, we used dark details — black side tables and black leather chairs, for instance — but kept the walls white.” Brennen put a Jonathan Adler sofa and a Restoration Hardware coffee table in the living room, seen above, plus Clam floor lamps from MoMA, a glass Oda Pulpo floor light, and some vintage lounge chairs that overlook the pool. The art to the left of the glass door is by Júlio Leitão, and the carpet is from ABC Carpet & Home.

“We used a beautiful smoked-oak cabinet front on the sink side of the kitchen and burnished brass handles on the side of the island,” says Brennen. “To offset the dark cabinets — which will patina beautifully — we used a lilac marble countertop, which the client just fell in love with.” The overhead pendant lights are from ABC Carpet & Home, and the oven is from AGA. Photo: Sean Litchfield
Moooi’s Random Pendant Light in the master bedroom complements the wall art above the bed, which is by Algue by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra. The chairs in the recessed window area are from Timothy Oulton, and the bed is from ABC Carpet & Home. A pair of Menu Cage Tables sit on each side of the bed, each topped by an Artemide Nesso Table Lamp. The only splash of color in the room comes from the art: a knockoff of a painting by Warhol and Basquiat called Dollar Sign Don’t Tread on Me, commissioned by Brennen’s friend Scott Schroeder. The area rug is from ABC Carpet & Home, and the stools are from HomeGoods. Photo: Sean Litchfield
“The master bath is the opposite of the other parts of the home: We went dark on the walls and used neutral custom limestone on the floors.” Restoration Hardware’s bath cabinet and mirror emphasize the moody drama. The faucet fixtures are by Brizo. Photo: Sean Litchfield
Though the beach is nearby, it’s a luxury to have enough turf to install a pool for when the surf gets rough. The outdoor furniture is from Restoration Hardware. Photo: Sean Litchfield
The powder room’s subtle wallpaper is Tancho by Maison C from Studio Four NYC, and the handsome Carrara marble sink is a custom design. The faucets are by Brizo, and the floor tiles are Hexagon Belgian Bluestone. Brennen’s work is also featured in interior designer Carl Dellatore’s new book On Style: Inspiration and Advice from the New Generation of Interior Design, which comes out on September 24. Photo: Sean Litchfield

*This story has been corrected to show that this home is in the Sag Harbor, not the Hamptons.

More From Design Hunting

See All
A Sag Harbor Beach House That’s Suitable for All Seasons