In this multi-generational holiday home, Tatum Kendrick has taken every Hamptons decor cliché and innovatively subverted it.

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For example, the black and white checkered floor in the entryway isn’t what you’d expect in a coastal farmhouse. But this home marking her fourth project with the owners (and counting—there have been two more since), meant Tatum’s bolder ideas didn’t require much persuasion. Except for the jet-black millwork: “I was like ‘How do I sexy this up without ripping it out?’.” Sharing historical references and images of London townhouses helped reassure the clients, and it proved the most transformative way to overhaul the abundance of developer-spec white: “I think of it as a black-tie suit—it adds a certain crispness.”

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Tatum’s brief was to create a comfortable retreat for the owners, their daughter, and their young grandson to get together. The rambling layout—a maze of backstairs and garages—gave the house a human scale far from the typical oversized new constructions in the area. It instantly appealed to Tatum’s design sensitivities: “It felt old world, like an English manor house peppered with nooks, crannies, and interesting millwork.” No gut renovation was needed, so the designer could immediately shortlist wallpapers, flooring, and paint to breathe fresh life into the existing bones.

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The Expert was guided by the idea that the property was a keeper of the family’s generational story. “I wanted it to unfold cinematically,” she explains. This meant picking out heirloom-worthy pieces that could have been handed down, like the exquisite Guillerme et Chambron sideboard in the dining room and the 1970s Gio Ponti light fixture hanging above the dining table. Blending finds from various eras helped fuel the collected-over-time atmosphere.

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Green is a recurring choice (four tonal paint shades coat the dining room alone) to capture what Tatum calls the “effervescent spring energy” of the Hamptons. Botanical motifs echo the scenes outside, with a textured tapestry wallcovering channeling moody British charm in the powder room.

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The all-white kitchen (a client request) doesn’t deviate too far from the Long Island luxe aesthetic. But Tatum had fun with an unexpected injection of metal: after considering zinc countertops, the island was eventually wrapped in sheets of riveted brass. “A room feels harmonious when there's a good balance of materials, and there was so much floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, it felt too traditional,” she reasons. Swapping the wooden hood for a more seamless finish, replacing the countertops, and adding a textured tile all helped lift the space.

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The property’s segregated floorplan means there is a small, open-plan apartment for the client’s daughter and her toddler. It’s here that the youngest member of the family was indulged with a quirky playroom of his own. From the nature-inspired wallpaper came the baby-blue carpet, and the circular, primary-colored chairs were a vintage score. Tatum designed the modular sofa with fort-building in mind: “he can pull off the cushions and have a wild romper room where nothing is too precious.”

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Even awkward and transitory spaces were an invitation to be creative. Off a landing on the second floor, an oddly positioned living room is now home to a fireplace handsomely wrapped in zellige tiles. An antique Swedish clock, reminiscent of European fireplaces with mounted metal crests, completes the scene. “It’s a beautiful visual to look at while moving through the space,” justifies Tatum.

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Downstairs, the formal living room plays host to a “furniture sculpture garden” with ’70s-style seating. Sinuous and low to the ground, it accentuates the stately volume of the double-height ceiling. A tapestry wall hanging is the ultimate finishing touch: It cements the curated heirlooms as a collection worlds away from the Long Island coastline.

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