Inside a Warm, Shingle-Style Home in the Heart of the Hamptons

Troy J. McMullen

January 17, 2025 at 8:00 a.m.·8 min read

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A year ago, when interior designer Melissa Lee visited the rural East Hampton, New York, hamlet of Springs, she was struck by the area’s unpretentious charm. Long celebrated for its artistic legacy, Springs is the birthplace of the Abstract Expressionist movement and was home to a string of midcentury painters, including Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and Willem de Kooning. Those influential artists helped infuse the bayfront community with a rich, creative character that still exists today.

So when Manhattan clients enlisted AD PRO Directory member Lee, founder of New York–based design firm Bespoke Only, to transform their newly purchased residence there—a 1965 shingle-style property on nearly three acres—the designer leaned into the town’s authentic atmosphere. “They wanted a cozy, personal retreat,” says Lee, whose firm is noted for balancing original, turn-of-the-20th-century details with richly curated contemporary decor schemes. The clients, who were expecting their first child, envisioned a country home where each piece tells a story and nothing feels too precious. “We wanted an interior that reflects a story of warmth, character, and thoughtful design,” the designer adds.

Interior designer Melissa Lee of design firm Bespoke Only wanted to invoke a feeling of a cozy retreat for the clients of this 2,500-square-foot weekend home in Springs, New York. The living room echoes those design sentiments with a trove of vintage pieces. The room is furnished with early 1940s Jindřich Halabala chairs, a 1960s Sergio Asti rosewood coffee table, and Maiden Home couch. The floor lamp and pendant are both from Soho Home, while the bar cart is antique French silver and the table lamp is vintage.

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That spirit punctuates virtually every corner of the 2,500-square-foot residence, which manages to feel intimate and lived-in. While the carefully orchestrated spatial plan enriches the home architecturally, Lee employed a layered, relaxed approach that adapts to how the clients want to live and function in their new surroundings.

Without altering the home’s original structure, the design focused on creating an environment that feels both eclectic and welcoming. Lee says the choice of furnishings played a key role in achieving this effect. The pendant in the entryway is Soane Britain. The rug is Revival and the chair is a 1940s Fritz Hansen Model 17 rocking chair. The wallpaper is Hedera from Zak + Fox.

Vintage decorations throughout speak to the spectrum of different eras and styles the owners wanted to embrace in the project. A Shaker-inspired bench in the dining room evokes the simplicity and grace of a church pew, while a vintage iron bed in the guest bedroom shares space with a primitive English desk and antique velvet Art Deco armchair. In the attic, an antique William IV mahogany armchair sits next to an antique English mahogany tray top tripod table stool.

A chef was a former owner of the home, so the kitchen needed very little renovation. The couple kept the original cabinetry but added the vintage pendant lights made from galvanized steel and the Alvar Aalto K65 kitchen stools.

The design scheme is meant to create an authentic and unpretentious atmosphere that is relaxed, layered, and intriguingly eclectic, designer Melissa Lee says. The dining room includes custom millwork, including a Shaker-inspired bench. The dining table is a slab top Brazilian oval trestle table that is surrounded by Edwardian period carved oak chairs that are upholstered in mustard velvet. The pendant above and the rug below the table are vintage.

“The design honors its surroundings but also incorporates the personal touches of its owners,” Lee professes. Because the interiors included interactions with varying materials, Lee says attention to detail was a priority. “The idea was to find harmony in blending modern forms and natural textures.”

The real soul of the residence is animated by the homeowners’ wide-ranging collection of paintings and local ceramic sculptural works that are thoughtfully integrated throughout. Beyond adding depth and personality to each room, the collection delivers an heirloom feel that the owners say was critical to making the space feel like home.

The sofa and chairs in the sunroom are vintage Elinor McGuire rattan pieces upholstered in Zak + Fox fabric. The rug is from Armadillo and the Shades of Light lamp is from Visual Comfort.

Lee thoughtfully integrated a diverse set of materials to add depth and personality to each room. The French hand-carved walnut mirror in the bathroom has beveled glass. The wallpaper in the room is Soane Britain and the rug is antique Persian. The pendant is Felix Lighting.

“We really wanted an English cottage vibe but also a house that felt personal,” says one of the homeowners. She says Lee’s talent for blending vintage elements with modern principles thoughtfully reflect the couple’s tastes, which are more reminiscent of historic Brooklyn townhomes. “Melissa understood what we were after but also did a really nice job of making the interiors warm and comfortable,” she says.

The warmth and charm inside the residence extends to the outside of the property as well, from lush vines climbing a backyard trellis and sculptural hedges lining the house. Lee says the landscape was designed to complement the home’s unique character while also reflecting the historic and artistic inspiration of the interiors. Lee adds, “We wanted to make the outside of the home a seamless extension of the lived-in, eclectic vibe that defines the inside of the place.”