Beachy Keen: Andrew Suvalsky Lightens Up An East Hampton Getaway

When Andrew Suvalsky revamped an East Hampton beach house, he embraced playful interiors and lively colors to provide the owner, an executive at Bloomberg Media, with a beachy respite where coastal cool and cheeky fun get equal billing. His design presented a crisp, clean backdrop for the owner’s considerable art collection from notable names like Nicholas Stedman and John Ross. As a trained architect, Suvalsky and the staff of his eponymous firm, Andrew Suvalsky Designs, specialize in bespoke interiors and interior architectural renovations. His trademark light touch is evident throughout this stunning re-design.

Gwen Donovan: What did the owner request for the interior design of his home?
Andrew Suvalsky: The house, which is very unique architecturally, needed – at the client’s request – a strong design that enhanced his lifestyle. Stylistically, he wanted this to feel beachy, but not so much so that it lost its comfort and warmth for living there during all four seasons. He loves to entertain and have overnight guests, so making all of the bedrooms playful and inviting was a must. He also wanted to transform the lower level into a true entertainment hub, a different feeling from the first floor living room. Therefore, we went for a full sit-at bar, a custom Blatt pool table and punchy, bright colors not seen in other rooms of the house.

backyard pool behind a gray east hampton beach house

GD: How did you embrace the home’s strong indoor-outdoor connection in your design?
AS: Large windows and sliding doors opening to the outdoor spaces emphasize that this house is meant to dialogue actively with its exterior. Therefore, choosing furniture in lighter wood, as well as upholstery that feels both casual and chic, lent a feeling of easy-breeziness to the interior. In this way, the interior furnishings closely relate to the outdoor furnishings. A consistent use of light, flowy white linen draperies on all the windows also emphasizes the interaction of inside and outside. Outdoors, the pool, the decks and the landscaping make this a true oasis.

GD: Tell us about the color palette you used for the walls and furnishings, the mix of soft and bold hues really complement each other.
AS: The overall palette was meant to be light and tropical since the owner is from Venezuela. By keeping the hues to light creams, seafoam blue-greens and melon tones, we left room for intentional moments of bolder colors. So these tones are welcome punctuation marks, although they still keep the overall vibe fresh.

coastal blues and grays full the living room of this east hampton beach house

GD: Some of the curated pieces from the 1970s and ‘80s by artists like Nicholas Stedman and John Ross lend additional personality to the home; did the artwork influence your design?
AS: It’s a symbiotic relationship between the art and the furnishings and finishes. Each plays to each other. Most of the art was selected after the design was set, though the Stedman was an existing piece the owner loved and was inspired by, so it became the catalyst for the color scheme of the primary bedroom.

GD: Did the owner want his home to be a respite from his work life or more of a social spot?
AS: Both! He is a longtime New Yorker and has a very busy career working in media. Being accustomed to a fully New York existence, this home was definitely meant as respite, an alternate office space, and most definitely for entertaining.

GD: The bar/billiards room is so playful, especially the bar stools and overhead lighting that mimic the brightly-colored pool balls, were they custom designed for that room?
AS: Yes, they were custom designed. In all my designs I love mixing sources with many customized pieces. Broadly speaking about 50% of the pieces are items I custom designed, so while I don’t favor one more than another, I – and my client – really appreciate how these pieces add such a unique feeling to the design. It’s a design that is definitely not meant to mimic more typical Hamptons interiors.

GD: What does the owner like best about your design, does he have a favorite space?
AS: He really feels it works beautifully for all of his intended usages, especially entertaining. The flow between rooms is perfect, and therefore no room goes unused. He loves his office and his bedroom in particular, but in another conversation, he may be more inclined to favor other rooms.

GD: Do you have a favorite room?
AS: Hmmmm, that’s tricky. The bar/billiards room was the most unique and I’m really happy with the vibe and results. After that I really love the dining room/living room combo space, from the palette, the bold art, the dramatic two-story dining room windows with double height draperies…it all works for me. With this project, we really hit a strong chord of beachy, powerful, easy and playful.

Photography by Adam Kane Macchia.

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