SPARE TIME

With 1100 Architect—and her own unerring eye— Kelly Klein conceives a minimalist marvel in the Hamptons

- CALVIN KLEIN

LAST SUMMER, Kelly invited me to dinner at her new home in North Haven, New York.

The sunset was hitting the back of the building in the most magical way, highlighting this extraordinarily simple house on the water. My jaw dropped. That was literally my reaction. I was taken, so wildly impressed. I marveled over every detail, every choice she made, outside to inside. I could live in this house, which, if you know me, is the ultimate compliment.

I’m rather particular when it comes to matters of taste and design. I’m also no stranger to building my own homes. It’s a passion of mine—I would have loved to have been an architect. Anyone who has embarked on building a home well knows the excitement...and frustration. To have the reality live up to the dream is quite the accomplishment. Kelly achieved exactly that.

Kelly has created modern loft living on the water. Imagine the expanse of one of the horse barns she grew up with, combined with the open air of an African shed, where nothing is walled in. This is chic, minimal, and spare as can be. The luxury lies in the sense of space, as afforded by double-height ceilings and enormous windows. The main building’s ceiling-to-floor wall of glass is 40 feet wide, inviting the vastness of the sky and the serenity of the bay. The feeling is indoor-outdoor, where one blends organically into the other. Like me, Kelly is not a color person, so the subtle shades of white, creams, and neutrals throughout the interior frame the greens and blues of the landscape. To be in this space is to experience nature first and foremost.