Joan Enger fondly refers to her vacation house in the idyllic hamlet of Amagansett as her ‘decompression zone’.

​

The principal of J.Patryce Design spends most weekends at the 1920s, Dutch colonial-style home in the Hamptons, enjoying nothing more taxing than veg-picking, flower-arranging, and cooking. “The minute we pull in the driveway, my husband says that I'm a different person—and it's true,” says the Expert.

​

Joan, who lives and works just over two hours away in New Jersey, bought the shingle-clad cottage in 2020 after admiring it for over a year. Built on what are thought to be former strawberry fields, the property has a magical feel, enhanced by the century-old trees that line the road and kiss in the middle to create a canopy overhead. “Our street still has some old gems on it, so it's a little more in keeping with what the Hamptons once were,” she explains.

​

The house itself, however, wasn’t so well preserved. The previous contractor had renovated the house in a way she found austere. “It was too modern and lacked the warmth we were envisioning,” she says diplomatically, remembering the white-lacquered bathroom vanities and abundance of recessed lighting.

​

Instinctively, she set about injecting her own style through a more considered palette and vintage finds. The bathrooms were given a simple upgrade with custom oak vanities, while wall paneling and millwork throughout proved the most transformative addition. “Everything was Sheetrock before, and there wasn't one piece of molding,” she explains.

​

When Joan stumbled across left-behind paint cans, she wasn’t surprised to discover the shade she inherited was ‘spec white’: “One of the biggest changes we made was repainting from top to bottom in shades of off-whites, creams, clays, and deep blues,” she says. The front door, painted in Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue, sets the tone from the moment visitors arrive.

​

A clever paint trick also changed Joan’s opinion on the windows. “I didn’t love the divided panes because they looked a little busy when they were pure white,” she says. She solved the problem by painting the trim, doors, and window frames in a shade darker than the walls. The magic color? Shaded White by Farrow & Ball.

​

The cosmetic nip-tuck continued in the kitchen, when a leak forced a large cabinet to be replaced and paved the way for new door fronts with a Shaker-style finish. “Then we changed the hardware, lighting, and just last month we added shiplap to the ceiling,” says Joan. “It looks so much better.” The generous footprint made her desire for a dining table that seats 14 a reality. A mix of banquette seating and wooden dining chairs means hosting Thanksgiving or welcoming her three grown-up children’s friends is a breeze.

​

Joan has a soft spot for ceramics and saved some of her most treasured pieces for the coastal retreat. Between beach walks and antique hunting, she's constantly gathering inspiration. “I do a lot of sourcing for projects here. I'm not technically working on the weekend, but my creative juices are constantly flowing. Even the beautiful coastal nature inspires great color palettes,” she says. Thanks largely to Covid, there is a vibrancy year-round to Amagansett and a strong design community. "My cup is filled here," Joan reflects. "The inspiration is really boundless—it's always around me."

​