Tour a Light-Filled Sag Harbor House With Scandinavian Influences

Stacie Stukin

December 30, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.·8 min read

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Over the years, interior designer Annalise Taft-Gersten and her husband James Gersten, principal at Silver Street Hospitality, have weathered their share of renovations—a 1900s Connecticut farmhouse where they channeled London charm, a midcentury gem designed for entertaining, and two New York City apartments in historic buildings. This past year the couple decided to pivot and simplify. They sold off their real estate and transformed a Hamptons investment property in Sag Harbor into a forever home.

“We didn’t want all the responsibilities,” says Taft-Gersten. Add to that an empty nest—a daughter in college and a son at boarding school—which made the timing ideal.

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The summer cottage in the Hamptons is clad in wood shingles and was gut renovated to make it ready for year-round residency. Outdoor dining and sitting areas, like the firepit surrounded by Loll Adirondack lounge chairs from Design Within Reach, stretch the square footage with indoor outdoor living.

Built in the 1950s, the wood shingled house was more of a summer cottage than a year-round residence. Taft-Gersten leaned into the cottage aesthetic but elevated it into her own Scandinavian interpretation, driven by Long Island’s magical light, which has inspired artists like Leslie Sokolow, David Salle, Jackson Pollock, and Lee Krasner. In his 1972 poem called “In the Hamptons,” John N Morris aptly described it as “clear as gin.”

“The light and the privacy of the property captivated us,” she explains. As Taft-Gersten began to chase the sun, she ended up doing a total gut renovation for a downsize that strategically used every inch of the 2,200-square-foot-home. “It feels lighter, and less wasteful,” says the designer, who also runs the ALT for Living showrooms. “You’re not filling up rooms because they need to be filled; you end up living only with the things you love.” The permanent move to the Hamptons also allowed Taft-Gersten proximity to her Sag Harbor interior design business and AD PRO Directory firm the 1818 Collective, which she cofounded with Kristin Fine.

Shop out the look of the house here⤵

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A vintage Castiglioni light fixture and two vintage Pascal Boyer Pin Stools welcome guests in the entry. In the adjacent living room, two graphic pieces burnished black ink by Sam Still pop off the wall painted in Benjamin Moore Silver Satin.

The interior designer worked with Rimland Construction to add windows, enlarge the ones that already existed, open the floor plan, and create a palette different from the more traditional Sag Harbor style. “I wanted it to feel a little dreamy and capture the colors of the sun rays as they change throughout the day in shades of gold and cream. At the same time, I layered it all with different textures and fabrics, in soft flesh tones and grays.”

ALT for Living Veil cashmere drapery in the living room gently illuminates the texture of an oak Charlotte Perriand coffee table, and a pop of cognac ALT for Living performance mohair on the vintage Fritz Hansen armchairs gives the creamy room some grounding. Taft-Gersten installed wood paneling throughout the house and painted it while maintaining the warmth of the grain. The original ceiling beams, bolted with steel support cladding, highlight the architecture and add a punch of grit.

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A vintage Camaleonda sofa in Liege Pumice fabric from ALT for Living, sits atop a custom Dhurrie rug. An ivory and clay mural by Olivia Cognet hangs above an Egg Collective Landry bookcase.

To make room for a primary suite that occupies the second level, Taft-Gersten added a dormer at the back of the house to accommodate ample closets, a sitting area, and a deluxe bathroom. The latter, with a cascading marble tub, casement brass detailing on the shower and lots of natural light, is a nod to her husband’s experience working with luxury hotel brands like the Six Senses and Auberge Resorts.

The couple’s bedroom—awash in ivory tones and soft textures—is an oasis, though not devoid of function. Taft-Gersten can conduct Zoom meetings with privacy while sitting by a window in a favorite Marco Zanuso vintage armchair. Beside her a pair of ceramic side tables by designer Olivia Cognet are lively companions.

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Gray streaked marble from Bas Stone adds warmth and a bit of drama to the kitchen, outfitted with a Blue Star Range. Custom cabinets by Coastal Cabinet Works feature brass finger pulls by Studio Henry Wilson.

But like with most homes, the heart is in the kitchen. And for a couple who entertains almost every weekend, a lot of care went into designing the public spaces. “We found we’d always be sitting around the table most convenient to the kitchen,” Taft-Gersten says. So instead of carving out space for a formal room, they created a dining area with a Guillerme et Chambron table and Charlotte Perriand chairs that can seat an intimate party and also comfortably accommodate 12 people.

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The couple, who entertains often, eschewed a formal dining room for an inviting banquette. “I love a banquette,” says James Gersten. “I’m from the restaurant world, and every VIP wants a banquette.”

A custom banquette covered in cork, a natural performance upholstery option that can be cleaned with a damp sponge, has the feel and look of leather without the concern for precious care. Cocktails are served using the crystal, and the fine China can be accessed easily in the storage space under the banquette.

“Living with less has been liberating. We painstakingly restored the house and designed it with a lot of intentionality,” says James Gersten. “And the house has all our touch points: a fireplace, a firepit, a pool, a sitting room outside, a beautiful primary suite, and a place we can both work. It has everything we need.”