contemporary hamptons – The Interiors Addict

James Hardie has revealed that ‘The Hamptons’ is its most popular search term when people are looking at building new homes or renovating their existing homes, with its second most popular search term being ‘modern coastal’, considered a variation of The Hamptons theme. To help clear up what Hamptons actually is and how we can achieve the aesthetic, is Hamptons expert Natalee Bowen.

What is The Hamptons?

“The Hamptons can have many different variations but at its core is a mix of coastal relaxed sophistication that embodies a high-end layered look,” said Natalee. “Overall, The Hamptons is a classic, traditional style with open plan living and beautiful cabinetry throughout. It should be identifiable from the outset with a weatherboard façade and contrasting trims. While the interiors feature wooden flooring, details of shiplap (horizontal boards) and wainscoting (vertical boards on the lower half or third of a wall) and a neutral palette of layered soft furnishings,” she explains.

Variations on a theme

Increasingly, Australian homeowners are after individuality and diversity, and are reworking the Hamptons look to create architecturally designed, personalised variations. While there are the ubiquitous hallmarks of The Hamptons style, Australian homeowners have taken that style and morphed it into three main sub-categories: Traditional Hamptons, Contemporary Hamptons and Australian Hamptons.

Natalee explains the subtle differences between the three looks:

“Traditional Hamptons is a classic style made obvious with soft grey finishes and detailed white trims. It is full of character and beautiful, heavy detail. Every nook is an opportunity to create a feature and layer to its fullness,” she says.

“Contemporary Hamptons is typically more of a minimalist look, pared back and monotone in colour, using mostly a black and white palette and more masculine touches. Taking design cues from the urban environment such as stone, steel and cement-based cladding, gives a slightly industrial feel. It allows us to still reach out in detail, however when furnishing this look, we stick to more black than white. The use of wrought iron brass also defines Contemporary Hamptons.

“Australian Hamptons is more laidback, with wider verandahs and pared back detail from the inside out. It is less fussy in its approach with a much more casual feel. The colourways are also more defined, using either a darker palette externally of blues and greys, or a white-on-white palate for a distinctly coastal look,” Natalee explains.

According to Natalee, there is no right or wrong take on The Hamptons but it is important to take cues from the surrounding landscape.

“For example, if you are in the suburbs you want to go with a colourway that creates a balance for the streetscape. Darker tones with darker roofs are generally used in dense areas and in leafier suburbs more lighter tones are used, such as grey and white. In rural areas we use grey and whites with lighter roofs that embody a farm style home with wider verandahs,” says Natalee.

Trend watching in 2022 and beyond

As for future trends within The Hamptons genre, Natalee predicts adaptations to the theme with interiors but not exteriors. “What has been interesting is that the external façades still have the same distinct weatherboard and trim. However, internally we are seeing a few very distinctive looks.

“Classic is still very popular but modern coastal, defined as traditional coastal with a tropical twist, modern and country styles are all becoming more prominent and allow you to create your own character within the Hamptons style. I think this flexibility gives longevity to the overall Hamptons theme,” said Natalee.

“Whatever Hamptons style appeals, there is no denying its lasting popularity with Australians. Perhaps it’s our mild climate and love of indoor-outdoor living that makes the Hamptons work so well in any Australian setting.”

For more inspiration, download James Hardie’s Hamptons Look Book

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There’s a new Hamptons on the Aussie block in 2022. Melding classic Hamptons with modern Australian design, the new Contemporary Hamptons is an audacious hybrid which catches the eye and sparks conversations.

Dialling down on the classic Hamptons opulence but increasing the bold colours and lines of modern design, Contemporary Hamptons is delivering a high level of sophistication.

Long considered the domain of beach and waterfront prestige property, classic Hamptons is now being reinterpreted, with this new Hamptons expression expanding to suburbs across Australia. Homeowners are desiring the look’s seamless cohesion that marries the exterior façade with al fresco living areas and striking interiors.

The Contemporay Hamptons look is much more pared back compared to the traditional Hamptons style. Immediately noticable are bold gables, façade articulation, and high contrast trims on dark or white weatherboard exterior walls. Internal colour schemes are more dramatic than classic Hamptons.

“The refined Hamptons look has really taken off, creating a unique modern style which is now popping up in the suburbs and city outskirt areas,” says Hamptons design expert Natalee Bowen of Indah Island. “The elevation of a Contemporary Hamptons home fits well into new suburbs as they tend to be more aligned with newer build homes and a younger demographic. Now more sophisticated builds and designs are coming through with a grander feel even if on a smaller block, but still featuring the modern elements.”

A trademark feature of Contemporary Hamptons is its clean-lined exteriors extending to alfresco living, becoming fuss free and more refined. “Rather than wooden decks we’ll see pavers or a continual concrete indoor outdoor open-plan effect, with slider or bifold doors rather than French doors,” said Natalee. This creates open plan to the next level, feeling like the al fresco is an extension of the space. Modern furniture such as wrought iron works well in these spaces rather than the traditional rattan.

The façade is all about achieving street appeal and colour plays a big part according to Natalee, where a more dramatic use of colour such as darker greys, black, and deep navy create a clean profile on straight-lined balustrades, architraves and windows.

Linea Weatherboards by James Hardie are the perfect exterior cladding solution for this style with their distinctive, sharp, uniform shadowline giving a timber look, a universal trademark of the Hamptons appeal. “I love the clean horizontal lines of Linea Weatherboards as they work beautifully to bring style and individuality to a modern home,” says Natalee. Being fibre cement, the cladding is resistant to fire, impact, termites, rotting and warping while requiring minimal maintenance. Unlike timber, it can be painted dark colours without concerns.

A more modern look inside as well as outside is part of the contemporary trend. Concrete or tile flooring replaces traditional wooden flooring. There’s shiplap instead of wainscoting, and modern furniture such as metal and glass can be seen instead of wooden styles used in the traditional Hamptons look, according to Natalee.

“Instead of the layered look, Contemporary Hamptons is very uncluttered,” she says. “Floors are quite bare with fewer rugs, while lighter fabric colours and textures are preferred for soft furnishings. Contemporary Hamptons also leans a little towards an industrial feel, with signature styles like floating wrought iron or brass shelving in kitchens and visible piping under bathroom vanities, as an example. We’re also seeing encaustic tiles, or patterned tiles being used in wet areas to modernise the flooring and walls. Although the tiles are patterned, they bring a freshness and modernity to the space.”

Al fresco areas take on a new importance as the additional room, with furnishings being an extension of interiors. Exterior wall panelling such as Linea Weatherboards, or Matrix Cladding chosen for its bold industrial architectural aesthetic, provide an interesting textured backdrop for styling, and plants complement the architectural design. Natalee suggests the use of more architectural plants like the yucca. “Succulents and dragon trees all work well with this look. Fiddle Leaf Figs internally are used instead of palm trees.”

Natalee’s top hallmarks of the Contemporary Hamptons look

1. Contemporary Hamptons homes are all about cleaner lines and a pared back look.

2. Use of darker colours on weatherboards set the scene, however, white can still be used with uncluttered detail.

3. High contrast trims create a more modern look. Aim for a bold contrast, such as dark weatherboards with white trims or black trims with white weatherboards.

4. Façade articulation rules for an architect-designed feel. Allow rooms to project, especially cantilevered upper storeys, while others recede, to create interest and individuality.

5. A less is more approach. Less layers, less details inside and out: clean straight balustrades in aluminium with thinner hand rails, no corbel detail, straight architraves and mouldings (if any). Lighting also has a more industrial feel with downlights being seen.

6. Windows with no beading and with thicker more pronounced profiles to enhance the heavier modern look. Sliding doors replace traditional French doors.

7. A black and white interior palette is favoured instead of the mid-blue and white associated with classic Hamptons. Bold colours on walls can be teamed with pastel furnishings for another take on contemporary. Choose black modern hardware for door handles and tapware.

8. When it comes to kitchen cabinetry, statement colour kitchens are on trend, with bold navy or deep green favourites. Cabinetry is pared back with no handles and clean fronts instead of a shaker style. Floating cabinetry in wet areas is also a defined look and means there’s no protruding kickboards on kitchen islands.

Download the Hamptons Look Book

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