Up Tempo with Swedish Designer Cecilia Dupire

DM W 43Interior architect and designer Cecilia Dupire, co-designer of the interactive furniture brand Zig by Cezign, is known for her cutting-edge work from Paris to New York. Having previously hired her, this cosmopolitan family knew of her skill and asked her to redesign this Hamptons home, located in a hamlet called Water Mill in the Village of Southampton, one of the priciest zip codes in the country and an area that has attracted Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Matt Lauer.

Though she only had three weeks to complete the project, Dupire embraced the challenge of cleaning up an outdated design and was determined to create a simple, open getaway for the city dwellers. She could clearly see what they wanted and needed – and what could go out with the tide.


[nggallery id=108 template=”sliderview” display_content=”0”] MODERN FAMILY | Without changing the footprint of the house, the Stockholm-born designer revamped the interior for what she calls “a very modern family from Germany.” They have lived in New York for years and have two sons – one is 12 and one is collegeaged.

DM W 15“We needed to redefine everything, mostly to refresh the appearance,” Dupire explains. “There were carpets all over. We pulled them up and matched the color of the wood floors throughout. Flooring is a very big element in a house.”

The living room had double doors, one on each side of the working fireplace. Dupire closed up those openings to make the home office on the other side more private for client meetings, and added bookshelves due to the family’s love for reading.

“It’s important to incorporate elements that are personal to the clients,” she says. That includes the Mahler oil painting in the office, which the couple got when they married.

She also stripped the molding on the fireplace to make it less cluttered, and replaced the two sofas facing each other with modern gray seating.


EVERYTHING SHIPSHAPE | The remodeled kitchen is now streamlined and airy with white walls. “My clients don’t like so much molding and wanted a lighter design,” shares Dupire. She maximized the space by removing the pendant lighting and subbing in recessed spotlights, taking out the heavy backsplashes, and replacing green granite countertops – installed at two different heights – with lighter Calcutta marble.

“We were trying to simplify the whole concept of the kitchen,” she comments, adding that the brushed stainless-steel Viking appliances stayed.

Instead of cushioned stools, Dupire found innovative, ergonomic Onda stools by Jesus Gasca for STUA. “They have some curves but are not too modern,” notes Dupire. “They give a beautiful rhythm to the room.”

Photography | Costas Picadas

Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME Magazine.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

aspire design and home is seeker and storyteller of the sublime in living. It is a global guide to in-depth and varied views of beauty and shelter that stirs imagination; that delights and inspires homeowners as well as art and design doyens. Collaborating with emergent and eminent architects, artisans, designers, developers and tastemakers, aspire creates captivating content that savors the subjects and transports with stunning imagery and clever, thought-provoking writing. Through lush and unique visuals and a fresh editorial lens, aspire explores what is new and undiscovered in art, interiors, design, culture, real estate, travel and more. aspire design and home is an international narrative and resource for all seeking the sublime.