5 Tips when planning your Contemporary Hamptons home build or renovation

Dreaming of a Hamptons-style home but want to give it a contemporary edge? We call it Restrained or Contemporary Hamptons, and it incorporates traditional Hamptons features paired with modern elements for a contemporary home with classic touches throughout. Keep reading for our 5 tips when planning your contemporary Hamptons build or renovation.

1. Selecting Traditional Elements

Wainscoting wall panelling is a decorative wall panelling created using timber mouldings and is a must-have feature when designing your Contemporary Hamptons home. It’s the perfect way to add a sense of luxury, character and depth to your walls while protecting them from knocks and scuffs. There is a wide range of profiles and heights available so you can achieve the exact style you’re after. In our Hamptons Project, we used Intrim’s timber mouldings in the entrance, stairwell and living areas. These areas help set the tone of the home, experience the most traffic and are visited by guests, so are a great starting point for introducing traditional touches. For a contemporary Hamptons look, pair your wainscoting with square set cornices to keep your home feeling light and modern.

2. Circle Architraves

In our Hampton Project, we incorporated round windows for their classic appeal. A porthole-style window creates an instant ‘wow’ factor in any space and breaks up straight lines for a casual, contemporary Hamptons look. We used Intrim’s Curved Architrave Moulding to add a traditional touch to round windows and conceal the join between the tiles and window frame.

3. Shaker Style

Another great way to incorporate traditional elements is by adding shaker-style doors and panels to joinery. Shaker-style doors are a must-have in Hamptons-style homes and they add depth and interest in a simple, stylish way. Opting for a slim profile on your shaker doors such as we have done in our Hampton’s Project will give your design a contemporary edge.

4. Selecting the right timber moulding profile for your home style

When adding timber mouldings to your home interior, the profile you select will help dictate your home’s style. A great starting point in the design process is to visit Intrim’s website and search under the style you are trying to achieve, such as Hamptons or French Provincial. Here you can view images of profiles installed or visit Intrim’s Inspiration page for more completed project inspo. Once you have narrowed down the options, you can order a sample of your favourite profiles, to help you make your decision. You will need to select the height, thickness and profile of any skirting boards, architraves, chair rails and inlay moulds.

5. Planning your Wainscoting Design

Once you have decided where you will add wainscoting, it’s simply a matter of measuring these walls and deciding how many boxes you will incorporate, ensuring they are evenly spaced. In our Hampton’s project, we added a chair rail above and below the inlay boxes, as an extra level of detail. See the Wainscoting plan Zephyr + Stone used here.

You can also find plenty of helpful information, resources and guides on Intrim’s website to help you plan, design and install your wainscoting.