HOUSE 1
On one unusual renovation, interior designer Neal Beckstedt brought harmony – and beauty – to two very distinct spaces
Coming upon oversized florals festooned across double-height walls and a pitched ceiling in a East Hampton heritage house feels a little incongruous. And it turns out that the dramatic Josef Frank linen wall treatment is just one in a series of unexpected choices made by the couple who live there with their young family.
The far-from-ordinary renovation, overseen by New York-based interior designer Neal Beckstedt, brings a whole new meaning to the concept of ‘old meets new’. It entailed restoring a late- 18th-century saltbox house and decorating an adjacent sleek no-frills new build that the couple commissioned from Architecture Outf it. Tasked with marrying these two distinct styles, Neal conceived a farmhouse whose decor recreates the natural world via leaf-laden fabrics and autumnal hues, while the modern structure’s more minimal schemes look outward, paying homage to the garden beyond. ‘But there is a note of cohesion running through both buildings,’ says Neal. ‘The spaces, used equally by the family, each have a European sensibility with an emphasis on colour, fabric and design classics.’
The couple’s collection of unusual f inds, notably a ceramic wall hanging by Fernand Léger and Roland Brice, prompted relaxed neutral schemes in the new build, interspersed with pops of colour. ‘We wanted to be brave enough to do something atypical,’ says Neal. ‘A traditional Long Island home is beachy, but a bit buttoned up; either that or it’s all poured concrete and glass, which can feel a bit sterile. We wanted to add warmth and youthfulness and enjoy the interplay of new and old sitting side by side.’
Much of that informality came from spending time with the couple and their children and, in particular, observing the owner’s wardrobe. ‘One day,
