QUIET TIME

At a historic Southampton estate, Atelier AM and Miranda Brooks Landscape Design deliver a master class on the twin virtues of beauty and restraint

-  MAYER RUS

Calm is a rare commodity these days. Amid the constant barrage of images pulsing from our phones and computers, the cacophony of indignant voices shrieking across social media, and the lingering disquietude of post-pandemic life, peace and quiet have become the new currency of luxury. Alexandra and Michael Misczynski of the AD100 design firm Atelier AM are masters of calm. As standard-bearers of the increasingly superannuated concepts of quality and connoisseurship, they craft homes in which tranquility and serious beauty coexist in happy harmony. Regardless of the specific site or architectural context of their work-landmark estate, modernist gem, highrise penthouse-the pillars of the couple's practice remain unchanged: reverence for history and patina, clarity of form, subtlety of tone and composition, and a subdued yet distinctly contemporary spirit.

The historic Southampton, New York, estate that Atelier AM recently reimagined for longtime clients-a couple active in philanthropic and collecting circles-makes an eloquent case in point. Working in tandem with AD100 landscape designer Miranda Brooks, the Misczynskis have conjured a paragon of sophistication and restraint, chockablock with centuries-spanning decorative treasures and fine works of modern and contemporary art, yet completely amenable to casual, gracious country living. "It feels like a proper beach house, a place to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family," Alexandra says, underscoring her clients' prime directive.