Hampton Designer Showhouse Returns July 25
For those who are itching to know what the interior of a Hamptons mansion looks like, look no further than the Hampton Designer Showhouse, returning for its 15th year. Featuring America’s premier design talent—25 top interior designers and decorative artists—the Showhouse will take place in Bridgehampton this summer, and will open with a Gala Preview Cocktail Party on Saturday, July 25. As in years past, proceeds will benefit Southampton Hospital.
“Time goes fast,” says Hampton Designer Showhouse producer Tony Manning of the showhouse’s milestone 15th anniversary. “[The Showhouse has] become a Hamptons institution. It’s a really big part of the design community [nationally, and] in the Hamptons. We have decorators from all over the nation coming to participate.” The designers are each tasked with decorating one room or a portion of the home.
Though house size and the feasibility of parking play huge roles in selecting the Showhouse each year, Bridgehampton is a popular location, as it’s a good middle ground between Southampton, East Hampton and Sag Harbor. This year’s home is slightly more modern than homes chosen in years past, reflecting the diverse architectural landscape of the East End and the growing popularly of modern and transitional homes in the area.
“It’s a modern barn style, as opposed to the traditional shingle gambrel roof style, so the house itself will have a slightly different feel [when compared to last year’s home],” says Manning of this year’s home. “It’ll be more contemporary.”
Like the 2014 Showhouse, the 2015 Showhouse will have QR codes in each room, allowing visitors to hear about the inspiration and process of creating the room from the designers themselves.
However, Manning confirms that a lot of the designers spend time in the rooms throughout the summer, opening the floor up to questions from patrons. Though the designers essentially work in a vacuum to create their unique spaces, the rooms often really work together to make a home. “[The design] is usually very much dictated by the architecture of the house,” Manning says.
“And then, of course, a lot of the designers are inspired by the location of the Hamptons—beach, casual, summer.”
The Hampton Designer Showhouse opens with a Gala Preview Cocktail Party at the Showhouse on Saturday, July 25, from 6–8:30 p.m. and will be open to the public Sunday, July 26, through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. Showhouse hours will be Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Children under 6 years old, infants, strollers and pets are not allowed in the Showhouse. Admission to the Showhouse is $35 and includes the Showhouse Journal. Gala tickets are $225 each. This year, Mario Buatta is the Honorary Showhouse Chairman. Jamie Drake and Alexa Hampton are the Honorary Design Co-Chairmen. The Showhouse has been provided by Christopher Tufo Design & Build. For more information about the Hampton Designer Showhouse, visit hamptondesignershowhouse.com.