Sophisticated, serene, yet kid-friendly, the weekend home of interior designer Victoria Hagan doesn't sacrifice a bit of style.

Exterior of Hamptons Home

The well-manicured homes and sparkling beaches of the Hampton's make it the summer community of choice for many New York City dwellers. It's also where Victoria Hagan met her husband, Michael Berman. Soon after their wedding, they began looking for a house, preferably an old one, to buy. "Then we came across this piece of land with beautiful farm views," says Victoria. They decided to build a new house in the style of the traditional saltboxes that Victoria has always loved, but "to make the interiors a little more open and light," she says. The house reflects Victoria's talent for mixing an intriguing range of furnishings, from antique finds to clean-lined pieces of her own design, and conjuring the oft-desired but hard-to-achieve effect of relaxed elegance and sophistication that is still family welcoming. "Soon after we moved in, I found out I was having twins," she recalls (sons Harry and Alex are now 10), "so this house is very special to us because I've watched my boys grow up here."


Family Room Ceiling Beams

"We designed the family room to look like an addition to the 'old' house, with a peaked ceiling framed in antique beams," says Victoria. "It's our favourite part of the house." Unadorned windows welcome in light and views of the surrounding fields. Sea-grass matting, a linen-slipcovered sofa, and a coffee table of Victoria's own design have stood the test of toddlers and time.



Dining Room

The dining room is lit by candlelight from a silver fixture that probably once hung in a church and an antique carriage lantern. "This isn't a large room, so it feels intimate, but we can still squeeze in 12 for dinner," says Victoria. "I like upholstered chairs for dining," she notes, and these old bobbin-turned chairs covered in wool felt set up an intriguing contrast with the cross-braced Porter dining table of her own design.



Black Sofa Throw Pillows

"I wanted this to have the soul of an old house, but also to reflect us and our lifestyle on the weekends."



Horse Statue Mirror

"When you begin a project," says Victoria, "I believe the most important thing is to look outside to the views, then echo what you see outside in the palette you use inside."



White Living Room

"The living room, which incorporates creamy fabrics and is painted in Pratt & Lambert's Ancestral, has a very golden feel when the sun hits the fields. And the bedroom, which is painted a very subtle lavender-grey - Pratt & Lambert's Arrowroot - has the feel of twilight. I also sometimes use a historic color, such as a sage, on the ceiling, to add warmth. If you pick the right shade, it seems to 'lift' the ceiling," says Victoria.



Entryway Panelling

Panelling in the entry adds texture without clutter.



White Lamp and White Flowers in Vase

Vases and a faux-shagreen lamp are from Victoria Hagan's "Perfect Pieces" launch collection for Target; her line changes seasonally.



High Backed Chair

"I collect chairs: They have such interesting personalities," says Victoria, like this high-backed example in the dining room.



Photographs Above Vintage Chair

Photographs by Don Freeman crown a ladylike vintage Lloyd Loom chair in the bedroom.



Hydrangeas Inside Vase on Top of Stump

Hydrangeas ring the house and often come inside.



Vase on Pedestal Table

The statuesque vase on the white Swedish pedestal table is also from Victoria Hagan's



Bedroom

Hints of pale pink and lilac bring "the colours of twilight" into the bedroom. Victoria's fabric designs - "Four Seasons" on the pillows and "Halex" on the slipper chairs - bring a touch of femininity to the dark woods of a carved tester bed and side tables. A flat-weave wool carpet and painted floors keep the effect soft and light.




Text: Kelly Smith

photo credit: Don Freeman