Due to our enviable climate, Australia is no doubt a beach-loving nation, with many residents insistent on living an outdoor lifestyle and embracing everything it has to offer us.
On the home front, this lifestyle started with the sprawling Queenslander that easily transitioned between indoor and outdoor living with a wraparound verandah. The cladded exterior walls with pops of white trim and beautiful balustrades have often been given the moniker of classic Hamptons.
We have embraced the Hamptons look fiercely here in Australia, in coastal, country and suburban areas. I believe this surge in popularity is due to a number of reasons. First, we have coastlines that scream for a Hamptons-style home to be built upon them. Second, our climate allows us to entertain both inside and out almost all year. Third, as a culture, we are very house proud. A Hamptons home has become known as an icon of personal achievement and status — it’s the “I’ve made it” home.
It wasn’t long before we started to see these homes appear on ocean-front properties and in the most affluent of suburbs. One by one, this style began to dominate the real estate market and may soon even outnumber the brick and tile homes so common in Australia. Once the consumer became educated on the value of a weatherboard home, we came to realise that not only are they beautiful, but they are also incredibly practical to create. The standout features of a Hamptons home are profound, and no one is identical to another, however their signature style is easy to identify while driving past.
The homes themselves are a masterpiece of craftsmanship, from the external layered detail of the architraves and trims, beaded windows and balustrades, the likes of which had never been seen in Australia. Gone are the days of a straight spindle railing, in its place we find the dramatic Chippendale detail, which is a real showstopper. The proportions of the home took a gigantic leap forward as we saw owners investing in larger spaces, not smaller as we have in the past. Great rooms with roaring fireplaces and grand mantles are the centrepiece of the home. The grand staircase identifies itself with a bulging newel post and gorgeous black and white steps. Detailed walls of wainscoting were a rarity in Australian homes until the Hamptons look became popular. Bathrooms took on a hotel-esque style, adorned with statement mirrors, wall sconces and feature wallpaper.
Long gone is the hidden-away kitchen, now it stands proudly centre stage, having become the beating heart of the family home. A butler’s pantry is now a must-have and these areas are carefully designed to integrate around the living and entertaining spaces. Huge windows lead your eye outwards to the expansive backyard complete with a pool house and flowering arbours. In appropriate climates, the hydrangea is an eye-catching beauty, with hedges of magnolia and lush lawns adorning the landscape. Every detail of a Hamptons home speaks to your soul and beckons you inside — and out.
Through these pages, you will be able to see how you can design your own Hamptons-style home in the suburbs, by the ocean or in the country with a few simple must-haves.
This article originally appeared in Hamptons Living #1