How a Surfside Stair Completely Transformed a Traditional Hamptons Home
A floating staircase seems to gently fall out of the ceiling, creating a dramatic entryway that steals the show.
A floating staircase seems to gently fall out of the ceiling, creating a dramatic entryway that steals the show.
When the Studio 3H team took on a renovation of a traditional Gambrel-style Hamptons home, the design brief was both clear and complex: to completely transform the existing house inside and out into something much more contemporary.
What began as an open-ended exploration with the clients and David Bennett Construction evolved into "one of the projects that we are most proud of," according to Studio 3H founder and lead architect Mike Hill.
"We framed it conceptually as Tulum and Ibiza meets the Hamptons," explains Hill. The clients ultimately wanted the renovation to have a modern, awe-inspiring touch to it, while still maintaining the calm feel of a beach-adjacent residence.
"As an escape from the energy of the city, we deployed a pared-down aesthetic inspired by nature and the coast." This reimagination included rearticulating the facade and incorporating natural sun-bleached oak, soft limewash walls, and organic shapes and materials into the home’s architectural features and furniture. "This was a massive contrast to the heavy trim, molding, and decorative wall panels that were there when we started," Hill adds.
"The daybed in the foyer was the client’s idea, and we conceived this concept that blends functions in a seamless way," says lead architect Mike Hill. The daybed invokes the same color scheme as the rest of the home, but the subtle texture changes allows it to stand out. It makes a comfy seating area for additional guests, but also provides a cozy nook for solo reading or relaxing.
Courtesy of Viewrail
Since the main tone of a home is set the minute you walk through the door, special emphasis was placed on the entryway—and, more specifically, a statement staircase boasting the same clean, natural aesthetic.
Viewrail’s FLIGHT Stack system is warm and timeless, incorporating stacked wooden treads to maintain a free-flowing feel throughout the home. Here, the staircase and wall match in color to create an airy flow from floor to floor.
Courtesy of Viewrail
For this particular home, Hill opted for Viewrail’s FLIGHT Stack system, having implemented it before in a previous home to much success. Viewrail is a one-stop shop specializing in the floating stair aesthetic, and they handle everything from the construction to the installation of these statement staircases, along with the integrated modern railing. "What I like most about this particular system is the ‘simple magic’ it seems to express," adds Hill. "There is no visible structure or hardware; just elemental blocks stacked on top of one another." This creates the optical illusion that the staircase is dangling unassisted in mid-air.
The glass guardrails on the staircase bring a sleek simplicity to the look, since the staircase isn’t hidden from view in any way. This allows for the FLIGHT Stack stair to look like it’s weightlessly floating across the interior, creating sculptural interest throughout.
Courtesy of Viewrail
See the full story on Dwell.com: How a Surfside Stair Completely Transformed a Traditional Hamptons Home
