Room recipe: a classic Hamptons outdoor room
Nothing says Hamptons more than outdoor entertaining in luxurious coastal style. A backdrop evocative of a relaxed beach house is the perfect way to enjoy the great outdoors and welcome friends and family to your home year-round. We show you how to create this look and feel with our Room Recipe.
"Nothing says Hamptons like a home clad in weatherboards"
Natalie Bowen
Ingredients
Crisp white paint for trims – try Dulux Vivid White
Exterior paint in sandy grey – try Dulux Tranquil Retreat
Linea Fibre cement weatherboards, James Hardie’s Scyon range
Retractable folding arm awning, Luxaflex
‘Tuscan Path’ 600mm x 300 x 20mm sandstone pavers, $12.95, Bunnings
Method:
1. Choose your backdrop
First impressions are everything. Start with the materials your home is made from and build from there with the right colour palette, furnishings and accessories. An exterior with gabled roof, generous verandahs and weatherboards that wrap around from the front all the way through to the outdoor entertaining area at the back of your home is a great place to start and key to making a strong statement in the Hamptons style. “Create a mood by layering your exterior finishes with furniture and seating,” says Natalee Bowen, Interior Designer and founder of Indah Island. “
2. Create relaxing spaces
Spacious undercover entertaining spaces that flow the indoors outside with French or bi-fold doors opening on to the entertaining area and create areas in your outdoor room for all the trappings of coastal life – be it relaxing with a book, a quiet moment to soak up the sun, or gathering with friends to share a meal.
3. Make it weatherproof
Ample shade is essential, whether you choose a fixed structure or a retractable awning to allow for maximum flexibility, ensure it covers the entire outdoor area.
Weatherboards made from fibre cement rather than timber will stand up to the harsh Australian climate without the maintenance of traditional timber boards. Linea weatherboards create beautiful, crisp horizontal lines essential to the Hamptons look.
"Decorate as you would the interior spaces in fabrics to reflect the Hamptons style"
Natalie Bowen
4. Work to a colour palette
The choice of colours for classic Hamptons style is inspired by the seaside – deep ocean blues through to sea glass and sandy greys. Linea weatherboards create beautiful, horizontal lines to work with that are synonymous with the coastal aesthetic, without the maintenance of traditional timber. Always finish with crisp white for the contrasting trims, doors and window frames.
