A Picturesque Retreat in Southampton

This article originally appeared in the July 2014 issue of Architectural Digest.

How many times have you sat on a pristine stretch of beach and thought to yourself, If only I could have this year-round? Now imagine you’ve actually achieved that dream, relocating your family and work to a place most people only experience for a week or two at a time. Would that put an end to your vacation-home fantasies? In the case of Helen and Jeremy Parfit, a couple in the enviable position of calling Bermuda home, the answer was a resoundingno.Helen had grown up on the island, and they decided to move there from London in 1997. But a few years ago, the Parfits (who also spend part of each spring in southern Spain) began looking for a base in the U.S., or, as Jeremy puts it, "a new adventure."

There were practical motivations, too. With business regularly bringing the pair to Manhattan (both work in the investment industry), and with one son already attending college in the States and the other soon to do the same, having a home convenient to New York City’s airports made a lot of sense. Given the Parfits’ desire to be close to the sea, along with their passion for gardens, it’s hardly surprising that they focused their search on Long Island, quickly zeroing in on the picturesque Village of Southampton. "It reminds me of certain parts of England," says Jeremy, who grew up in Dorset.

After visiting a number of properties over several months, the couple came across a 1990s residence on a one-acre parcel just a few blocks from the ocean. While the house wasn’t quite what they wanted, its location, the abundance of light afforded by the corner lot, and the mature plane trees and privet hedges lining the perimeter were simply too appealing to pass up. They immediately felt this was the perfect place to fashion the home they’d been dreaming of. Explains Jeremy, "We basically looked at it as, What can we do with this site?"

To help resolve that question, the Parfits turned to Brian Sawyer and John Berson, principals of the New York City architecture, landscape architecture, and interiors firm Sawyer | Berson. Jeremy had greatly admired one of their Hamptons projects published years earlier, and he and Helen were seeking the same qualities he saw in that house, in particular, gracefully proportioned architecture that is sympathetic to the local vernacular and natural environment.

The firm devised a two-story Colonial Revival structure clad in white shingles, accented with black shutters and featuring a railing on the front roof inspired by Chinese Chippendale fretwork. "A very tidy, sort of Yankee-looking place," Sawyer says. The façade, whose palette recalls the black tie–white dinner jacket combo that was once de rigueur in this seaside community, projects a crisp formality that’s reinforced by clipped hedges and an entry court covered with crushed oyster shells.

While the Parfits insisted on a traditional exterior, inside they wanted rooms that were modern. "The concept," Sawyer says, "was that we would create a house that looked historic within the context of Southampton village, but whose interiors would be younger and more contemporary, reflecting a modern lifestyle. We wanted it to appear as if we’d lovingly refurbished a beautiful old home for the next generation." To evoke that feeling, the designers employed generous ceiling heights, light-oak floors, and ample windows that ensure the whole place shimmers on even the grayest of days. Adding to the vibe are details such as the living room’s blackened-steel fireplace surround and the kitchen’s gleaming white surfaces.

The furniture follows a similar tack, with simple upholstered seating joined by lean, muscular tables in wood and steel—all chosen for their clean lines and durability. The curtains are minimalist linen sheers, while the carpets are primarily elegant yet practical flat weaves. "We wanted an urban spin on things," Jeremy explains.

Still, thanks in part to a variety of well-chosen finishes—including Moroccan-styletadelaktplaster in the bathrooms and a richly textured grass-cloth wall covering in the TV room (nicknamed the Snug)—the rambling seven-bedroom home maintains an intimate, even cozy air. "There can be just a couple of us rattling around, or every room can be full," Jeremy notes, "but it never feels like a big house." Helping to keep the sense of scale in check is the fact that the dwelling is mostly one room deep throughout, maximizing light and air flow as well as views of the enticing gardens, a central focus of the plans from the outset.

In composing the outdoor spaces, Sawyer crafted several distinct zones, among them an elliptical garden, a grassy lawn, and a dining allée outfitted with three teak tables that, placed end to end, stretch nearly 20 feet. Each area is delineated by various plantings—linden trees, flowering shrubs, and an array of hedges—with everything connected by well-groomed pathways covered in crushed oyster shells. And at the center of all this, running like a spine toward the rear of the property, is a dramatic swimming pool that extends more than 60 feet. Engineered so the water spills continuously across the coping, the design not only offers an inviting place to take a dip but also creates the impression of a vast reflecting pool.

It’s little wonder that the garden spaces are where the family and their guests invariably gather. "Probably my favorite moment at the house," Jeremy says, "is early dusk, with candles all atop the long outdoor table and just a sea of people sitting around it." That image is the perfect emblem for this elegant, easygoing home, which is all about bringing people together.

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