Element Of Surprise

Referencing the architectural heritage of the Hamptons, the exterior of this new-build home hides a contemporary interior of pared-back simplicity and understated elegance.

- Dominic Bradbury

When tenor David Frye and his husband, theatre director, Walter Bobbie, decided to create a rural retreat for themselves on Long Island, the choice of designer was obvious. David, who is a company member with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, went to high school in Syracuse with interior and furniture designer James Huniford, known as Ford, and the two have stayed in touch ever since. Ford has a weekend house in the Hamptons, which David and Walter – director of Broadway hits such as Chicago, Footloose and Bright Star – have long admired. Putting any reservations about working with good friends to one side, they enlisted Ford’s help after finding the perfect spot to build a house on the edge of the picturesque village of Water Mill.

“We didn’t think about any other designers because Ford is such a good friend of ours and offered advice all along the way, which we trusted,” says David. “We knew his house very well and it’s so beautiful. He has a talent for knowing the difference between making something look too fancy and creating something functional, real and natural.”