"I've long been a lover of Hamptons style and have followed the US influence of the trend for well over ten years," says Wendy. "I grew up loving the look and blue and white interiors!"
But with 360-degree views of the countryside, it made sense for Wendy and Richard's original Hampton's plans to evolve into a coastal meets country fusion.
"Our style is part classic coastal Hamptons, part modern farmhouse, which works so well in the Highlands," explains Wendy.
Now happily settled in their new abode, Wendy shares her top tips for building a Hamptons style home.
1. Key ingredients
Having the right ingredients is a must for building a Hamptons-style home. When planning your exterior, a timber façade is essential. But after a bad experience, Wendy says they were keen to avoid natural timber.
"Timber weatherboards are such an intrinsic Hamptons style look. We had a timber exterior on our home in Newcastle and swore we'd never go with natural timber again because of the cost and upkeep," explains Wendy.
Instead, the couple used Linea™ Weatherboard for the entire exterior of their house and never looked back.
"Linea™ Weatherboard was the best choice to create the timber-look exterior we wanted. Linea Weatherboard also has excellent insulation, which is vital in the Highlands," Wendy explained.
2. Creative lighting
A Hamptons-style home would not be complete without light - and lots of it. To cover all of your bases, make sure you layer your lights from the ground up. Not only that, Wendy says it's here that you can really express your creativity.
"Don't be afraid to get creative with your interior lighting," tips Wendy. "Rustic pendants and glass lanterns work well to bring in a country/farmhouse vibe."
3. Interiors
Choose your colour palette and run with it from the inside to out. A classic colour palette of whites, greys and blues features strongly in Wendy's interior décor, fabrics, light fittings and furniture. The crisp colours have also been contrasted beautifully against dark engineered floorboards for a classic farmhouse finish.
Additionally, mixing strong textures - such as brick and stone – has also played a big part in pulling off this look, especially in The Highlands room.
"The Highlands Room is really quite special. We have the high raked ceilings, the Travertine™ stone floors, two large pendant lights and of course the brick fireplace," says Wendy.
Now that Wendy and Richard are well and truly settled in their Highlands hideaway, the couple says they're looking forward to making new memories in their forever home.
