Statement Style

A historic farmhouse in the Hamptons channels new energy thanks to an infusion of classic midcentury Italian design.

- KELLY RYAN KEGANS

The color scheme of the entire house is inspired by the iconic Josef Frank Citrus Garden fabric that covers the back of a crescentshape sofa. The custom piece anchors one of two conversation areas that interior designer Allison Babcock created in this long and narrow room. The other centers around an armoire that conceals a TV.

It’s not every day that an interior designer gets asked to blend coastal American farmhouse style with Italian midcentury design. But Allison Babcock was up for it.

“Our goal here was to maintain the character and the architectural elements of the farmhouse while infusing it with the homeowner’s love of Italy,” she says. “It’s playful and clean and colorful.”

The 1890s house was once part of a family farm near Mecox Beach in Bridgehampton, NY, and its current resident is only the third owner. While the home has been renovated over the years, its architectural quirks remain, right down to irregular ceiling lines upstairs, a steep back staircase, and some of the original floorboards.

A series of curves and circles loosens up the farmhouse architecture, above. The arcs appear on the base of the built-in window seats, the blue sofa, the round tables, and the saffron-color chair made out of rattan. "That's what I like to call a personality chair," Babcock says.

The dining room, right, plays up natural textures and tones with a wood table and rattan chairs. Abstract art adds a jolt of pure cobalt blue to the symphony of browns.