Riding the Waves - Part 4

Dining Room

Still, sophistication was never sacrificed. The floors are elegant French white oak and limestone, and the restrained modern art is by the likes of Robert Motherwell and Andy Warhol. The decorators took a playful route in the master bath, selecting four color lots of marble and then laying them in a random pattern, what Carson calls a "non-checkerboard checkerboard." The walls throughout the house are hand-troweled plaster, emphasis on the "hand." "Those old buildings in Provence aren't perfect," White says, and it was those tiny imperfections he was after. "I would go to the guys doing the work and say, 'I want to see your hands.' "

The table and cabinet in the dining room are custom made, the chairs are by Berkshire Home & Antiques, and the 18th-century Italian chandelier is from Lucca Antiques.

Master Bedroom

The wife loves to cook for her big family, and the team warmed up the large kitchen with a buttery limestone wall and a ceiling covered in reclaimed barn wood. The island is topped with an enormous slab of Calacatta marble. The client says she had to let go of her fear of staining it and come to terms with the fact that "these are old materials out of the earth. I don't think we should be too worried about it."

The landscaping reflects the interior's palette, with olive trees, lavender, and succulents. "It's soothing, like the inside," says the client.

In the master bedroom, the headboard is custom made, the linens are by Frette, and the 17th-century bench is Swedish, as are the circa-1880 bedside tables; the armchair is by Holly Hunt, and the rug is by Country Swedish.

Bunk Room

Concerned that the flip side of having a lot of big windows to grab the views would mean a hot, glary interior, White designed two shady spots. Outside the master bedroom, a trellis of woven willow branches filters the light into graceful shadows. A pergola with retractable canvas panels softens the sun pouring into the living room. "When the wind is moving, you get a slight clattering of canvas and all the fittings," White says. "It sounds like you're on a sailboat."

The bunk room's beds and cabinetry are custom made, and the oak floors are by Exquisite Surfaces.

Dining Terrace

The clients are so happy with the outcome that the wife is even nostalgic for the weekly design meetings. It's no wonder that the once-obstructionist neighbors now leave notes telling the couple theirs is the most beautiful house around. The most important critics are on board, too: Awed by the setting, one granddaughter asked if it was even legal to live there. "I wonder sometimes if it is," admits her grandmother.

Armchairs by Gloster surround a wrought-iron table by C.J. Peters on the dining terrace; the pergola is made of iron and willow-branch panels.

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Riding the Waves - Part 3

Kitchen Cabinetry

The result blends old-world rustic charm—a whitewash-and-stone exterior, wood beams, shutters—with California beach house cool. "The home is long and linear, so it embraces the coastline," says Carson. "We wanted to make sure the house embraced you as well. We wanted it to be calming."

The kitchen cabinetry and island are custom made, and the antique light fixtures are Belgian.

Hall

Set just 12 feet from the cliff's edge, the one-story house feels, Turner says, like it is floating on the sea's waves, and the decorators capitalized on that sensation with a palette of serene blues, greens, grays, and creams. For the living room sofa, they turned a Loro Piana stripe inside out to subdue the vibrant hues. This is SoCal, after all, so the decorators also took their cue from the wife's favorite "house movies": The ebonized dining chairs are a nod to Meryl Streep's in It's Complicated, while a striped runner down the long central hall echoes Diane Keaton's living room rug in Something's Gotta Give.

Custom-made light fixtures, a runner by Ruby Beets, and a work by Robert Motherwell in the entry.

Pergola

The couple are doting grandparents, and making the house welcoming to their four grown children and 13 grandchildren—who range in age from two to 20—was of paramount importance. "She wanted this casual California elegance. She didn't want anything to be too precious," says Carson of the wife, adding that there were also practical concerns. "She was like, 'We need more beds!' " Amazingly, Carson and Turner managed to configure one of the bedrooms to sleep six, fitting in a queen-size bed and two sets of custom bunks.

An iron pergola with retractable canvas shades provides protection from the sun on a terrace facing the ocean; armchairs by Michael Taylor Designs have cushions covered in a Perennials fabric, and the flooring is reclaimed terra-cotta pavers.

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Riding the Waves - Part 2

Study

When the couple bought it, they "inherited" the sellers' architect, Bob White of Forest Studio. White had also designed decorator Mary Lynn Turner's house in Ketchum, Idaho, which appeared on the cover of ELLE DECOR in December 2010. Coincidentally, the couple owned a vacation home in Sun Valley. They went to see Turner's place, fell in love with it, and hired Turner and her daughter/partner at M. Elle Design, Marie Turner Carson, to handle the decor of the new house.

In the study, the custom-made club chairs and ottoman are upholstered in an Ashbury Hides leather, the side table is by Jayson Home, and the copper lanterns are from Lucca Antiques; a flea-market armchair covered in a Holly Hunt leather sits beside a circa-1840 gueridon, and the vintage rug is Turkish.

Entry

But first came three years of haggling about the height of the roof. Even White, whose mellow designs reflect his personality, was reaching his limit. At one review-board meeting, he recalls, "I wanted so much to stand up and say, 'Unless you pay a front-row price, you don't get a front-row view.'"

A pair of 1950s chests by Baker flank a custom-made cedar door in the entry.

Kitchen Banquette

The couple were drawn to Mediterranean architecture—their travels have taken them from Dubrovnik to the clifftop village of Èze on the French Riviera—and after what seemed like umpteen trips back to the drawing board, White's eureka moment came when he saw photos of a flat-roofed house in yet another Mediterranean locale: Ibiza. He persuaded the clients to abandon their quest for a pitched red-tile roof, and the design finally passed muster.

The kitchen banquette is covered in a Holly Hunt linen, the table is custom made, and the armchairs are by Lucca Studio; the chandelier is from Kristen Buckingham, the shades are of a linen by Raoul Textiles, and the beams and ceiling are reclaimed barn wood.

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Riding the Waves

To make the most of a stunning setting high above the Pacific Ocean, a couple put a fresh California spin on the ideal of Mediterranean seaside living.

Terrace View

It all started with a good day at the office. The way the wife tells it, her husband came home from work one day in 2006 in a particularly buoyant mood. The epitome of a self-made man, he had started as a box boy at a major supermarket chain, worked his way up to vice president in charge of its largest division, and then left to form his own sales and marketing company. Soon, with the help of his wife, the firm grew to employ 30,000 people. Now, having just sealed an especially big deal, he blurted out, "Do you want to move?" "No," was her quick reply, before she surprised herself by adding, "Unless it's on the water." He told her to go ahead and look.

The terrace, which is shielded by canopies of woven willow and canvas panels, overlooks Salt Creek Beach and the Pacific Ocean.

Exterior

She is a native Californian, and he had moved west as a child. For 30 years they lived happily about a mile inland from Monarch Bay, in Laguna Niguel, a hilly town in California's Orange County. Still, the Pacific had always beckoned. When she started house hunting, it wasn't hard for her to find, if not her dream house, her dream location: a sheer bluff directly above Salt Creek Beach, a legendary surfing haven in nearby Dana Point.

The front steps are limestone, and the plantings include aeonium, lavender, and clipped mounds of westringia fruticosa and pittosporum.

Great Room

The view was jaw-dropping, which, in effect, was why the property and the gutted house on it were for sale in the first place: With scenery this stunning at stake, neighbors can get prickly about construction projects and preserving their own expensive views, and local review boards have been known to drag out the approval process in the hopes of wearing down would-be builders. That's exactly what had happened with this property. The exhausted owners finally surrendered and put the place on the market.

In the great room of a Dana Point, California, home, which was designed by Bob White of Forest Studio and decorated by M. Elle Design, the chandelier and wing chair upholstered in Belgian linen are by Lucca Studio, and the cocktail table and sofa in a Loro Piana linen are custom made; the walls and fireplace are of marmorino plaster, the painting is by Victor Hugo Zayas, the abaca-fiber rug is from FJ Hakimian, and the flooring is French white oak by Exquisite Surfaces.

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The Long View - Part 5

Master Bedroom

The custom-made bed and side tables in the master bedroom are bleached walnut, the artwork is by Derrick Velasquez, and the rug is goatskin.

Library

Behun designed the library's sofa, upholstered in a Rose Tarlow leather, and the desk, whose stainless steel top was the prototype for the property's retaining walls; the sculpture is by Mario Dal Fabbro, the stool is by Robert Brou, the vintage chair is by Arne Jacobsen, and the rug is Moroccan.

Master Bath

"When it works, there's this great balance between space and objects," Behun says. "I wish I had a formula. I know I can stand here in this room and see how everything works together, see the sand and the ocean beyond, and it's just right."

In Behun's bath, the tub is French limestone, the stool is by Marc Bankowsky, and the rug is by ABC Carpet & Home.

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The Long View - Part 4

Pool

In the crook of a curving white plaster staircase is a 10-foot sculpture that is also pure Behun. "I found this five-foot rattan vase at a local store," she explains. "I painted it black, figuring I'd like it against the white of the staircase. But it didn't work, so I got another one and stacked it upside down on the first one. And then I coiled rope around it and painted the whole thing white."

Sons Miles (left) and Arno in the pool, which is visible from the gym.

Cabana Dining Area

Behun's aesthetic relies more on visual appeal than provenance. She loves almost anything rope-wrapped, as well as the neutral geometrics of African decoration. Two favorite pieces are the Campana brothers–inspired chair she created for one son's room (made from hundreds of small plush toy sharks), and her husband's desk in the library, the top of which was originally the prototype for the property's metal retaining walls.

In the pool cabana, the teak table and chairs were designed by Bonetti Kozerski Studio; Zambian baskets and staghorn ferns hang on the wall, and the rug is Moroccan.

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The Long View - Part 3

Limestone Steps

The elongated site dictated a long, narrow structure, but the couple didn't want it to feel like a giant, glass-sided pencil box. Sawyer and Berson would have to be clever with elevations and radically vary the scale of the rooms to break up the vast space. And, of course, the couple wanted to maximize the incomparable views. "They really were comfortable and confident with their plan," says Berson. "Her husband knew exactly what elevation he wanted from his study, and the angle from which he wanted to see all the way down the beach."

Cabana
The house is a series of connected pavilions, explains Sawyer, influenced by the designs of Paul Rudolph and Philip Johnson. To maintain serenity, the palette was limited; much of the interior is sheathed in French Luget limestone, which has a warm glow like beach sand. The windows and movable glass panels seamlessly meld inside with outside. In addition to the array of living areas, the house contains seven bedrooms (including a three-bedroom guest wing), a screening room, a gym, and an infinity pool. The couple insisted that the whole space be profoundly livable, full of deft, whimsical touches and sly humor. "In the end," says Behun, "a home has to reflect who you are. I think you can have airiness and still a huge amount of character."

The cabana's limestone seating has cushions covered in a Sunbrella fabric, and the whirlpool is lined with mosaic tiles by Sicis.

Reflecting Pool

As the decor makes clear, Behun is a pro at mixing high and low. The first thing that greets visitors as they sweep up the long, low stone steps through the front door is a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, in front of which sit half a dozen colorful wicker stools from IKEA. "They cost me $69 each," she says. "No one does wicker better than IKEA."

A 2007 bronze sculpture by Joel Shapiro in a reflecting pool outside the entry.

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The Long View - Part 2

View From Lawn

Several years later, the answer to that rhetorical question is this: Behun has created one of the East End's most admired dwellings, a graceful, low-slung, nearly endless expanse of limestone and glass that elegantly mirrors the ocean it faces. "People tell me it's surprisingly warm and peaceful," she says, standing in one of the huge, sun-soaked living areas. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls open, turning the space into a loggia with the Atlantic spread beyond the dunes. "You think it will be overwhelming, but it's really calming instead."

Entry

The challenge was molding the luxurious minimalism that she and her financier husband love into a family home. The couple, who have known each other since high school and have two sons and a dog, relish having guests and multigenerational gatherings. When they bought the property, there was another modern house on the site, but it just didn't work for them. They decided to build from scratch and went all in. With a project of such scope, it made sense to create a significant addition to Southampton's architectural landscape, not just another big edifice on the beach. So they turned to architects Brian Sawyer and John Berson, of the firm Sawyer / Berson.

In the entry, the plaster staircase and the sculpture are custom designs, and the floors are walnut.

Kitchen

Rope-wrapped stools and an Oggetti chair surround a Behun-designed walnut table in the kitchen, the walnut-slab bar is custom made, the 1930s stools are French, and the "hand" barstools came from West Palm Beach; the French metal-and-wicker light fixture is vintage, and the rugs are Moroccan.

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The Long View

For designer Kelly Behun, creating a weekend house in Long Island for her family was no small matter. The result is a stunning series of glass-and-stone pavilions by the sea that mixes the austere with the playful.

Exterior

A protégé of Philippe Starck when he was collaborating with hotelier Ian Schrager, designer Kelly Behun knows all about creating comfort amid splendor. She is a master of materials and scale, crafting sleek yet inviting spaces for projects ranging from the Delano in Miami to the Manhattan apartment of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

The Southampton, New York, home of designer Kelly Behun and her family; the architecture is by Brian Sawyer and John Berson of Sawyer / Berson. The façade is stucco, the pool is lined with Indiana limestone, and the boulders on the lawn are from a local quarry.

Kelly Behun

But midway through building a weekend getaway for her own family in the Hamptons, an ultramodern house nearly as large and ambitious as a five-star boutique hotel, she began to question her sanity. "I looked at the construction, at all those steel beams shooting up through the ground," she says, shuddering slightly at the memory, "and I thought, What have I done?"

Loggia

Behun designed the loggia's table, which has a base of hand-cut ceramic mosaic tiles and a Macassar ebony top; the Living Divani sofas are upholstered in a Holly Hunt linen, the wicker stools are by IKEA, the rope stool and blue chair are by Christian Astuguevieille, and the custom rugs are made from African raffia ceremonial cloths.

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The Top 10 Bedside Tables - Part 3

ENFIELD NIGHT TABLE BY SHAKER WORKSHOPS

Based on a 19th-century design developed by a community of New Hampshire Shakers, this maple nightstand can be dressed up or down, Carson points out. "Painted, it can add a pop of color," she says, while a stain shows off the wood grain. "The legs taper ever so gracefully," she adds. Henderson also likes the slender proportions. "You can stack books underneath," he says. "It's perfect for a country house or a guest room." Various paint colors, including soldier blue, shown, and stains are available. 23" w. x 15" d. x 26" h.; $465; shakerworkshops.com.

 LOUIS SIDE TABLE BY JOHN REEVES FROM ABC CARPET & HOME

Henderson is a fan of this split-personality table: turned-wood legs on the inside, right angles outside. "It has a Hollywood Regency feel--I imagine it in a teenage girl's room," he adds. Carson is a fan of the glossy black lacquer and seamless design, which includes a hidden drawer. "This is for someone who takes risks," she says. A white version is also offered. 14" w. x 15" d. x 22" h.; $349;abchome.com.

LOFT SIDE TABLE BY CHADHAUS

Handmade from solid poplar, this nightstand is proportioned for a low bed, says Carson. Citing its "relaxed, Zen feel," she pictures it in a white, minimalist room. "The design is simple, so it's all about the natural wood grain." Henderson praises the first-rate craftsmanship and whitewashed finish. Despite its petite size, he adds, "this has a nice weight to it." The table can be ordered in a range of other woods. 16" w. x 16" d. x 18" h.; $1,200; chadhaus.com.

MARSEILLES NIGHT-STAND BY RESTORATION HARDWARE

Covered in a distressed white buffalo leather and accented with brass nailheads, this nightstand is ideal for a rustic lodge, says Henderson. "The finish will take on an interesting patina with age," he adds. Carson describes it as contemporary-meets-vintage and likes its "edgy, Western feel." It's practical too: The drawer provides storage, while the open cubby offers a place to display a basket or books. 27" w. x 18" d. x 27" h.; $895; rh.com

RIGOLETTO TABLE BY ROSE TARLOW MELROSE HOUSE

"This looks like an antique," Carson says of this walnut table (available to the trade). "The designer has paid attention to all the details," she adds, pointing out the drawer, pullout shelf, and turned legs. She would use just one beside a bed: "As a stand-alone piece, it seems like more of a find." Henderson seconds her praise, saying simply, "This is incredibly gorgeous." 24" dia. x 28" h.; $3,980;rosetarlow.com.

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The Top 10 Bedside Tables - Part 2

MING-STYLE SIDE TABLE BY PACIFIC CONNECTIONS

With its clean lines and hand-poured lacquer finish, this is a modern take on a classic Asian design, which Henderson says would work in a range of interiors. "A pair could flank a large-scale bed and carry the room," adds Carson. "And the high gloss is current and fun." Three other colors and custom options are available. 20" w. x 20" d. x 24" h.; $815; pacificconnectionsusa.net.

ARNETT SIDE TABLE BY DWELLSTUDIO

"Goatskin is so chic," says Carson of the parchment paneling on this French oak--veneered table. The door, marked with a brass pull, opens to reveal an interior shelf. "I love the hexagonal design--it's unique and practical," she adds. The luxe materials remind Henderson of high French style, "along the lines of Jean-Michel Frank." He'd showcase a gorgeous object on top, "like a carved alabaster lamp." 18" w. x 16" d. x 24" h.; $1,050; dwellstudio.com.

MIDCENTURY NIGHTSTAND BY WEST ELM

"Fantastic," says Henderson, citing the two drawers and beveled front. "You can't beat this for the price." He envisions the nightstand in an all-modern room or in an eclectic country house, beside an iron bed. "It would be great for a kid's room too," he adds. "This is youthful and retro," Carson says, noting the 1950s look. "I'd use it for a playful client." In addition to white lacquer, acacia veneer is offered. 18" w. x 15" d. x 24" h.; $249; westelm.com.

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The Top 10 Bedside Tables

Rest assured—designers Shawn Henderson and Marie Turner Carson have taken the measure of these nighttime essentials that are crucial for any bedroom.

The Experts
MARIE TURNER CARSON

The decorator joins her mother and sister in running the California firm M. Elle Design. The family's Idaho retreat graced our December 2010/January 2011 cover.

SHAWN HENDERSON

Based in New York, this designer infuses his interiors and furniture line, Amalgam, with modern sophistication. Current projects include a Mississippi estate and a home in Aspen, Colorado.

In 18th-century France, the latest bedroom accessory, the chamber pot, prompted the invention of a new piece of furniture. Early bedside tables--some with legs styled after classical columns--kept the vessels from view by way of a hidden cabinet. Today, nightstands fulfill a different purpose, but one no less important, providing a place for a lamp, reading material, and more.

For designer Shawn Henderson, a drawer or shelf is a plus. "The more storage, the better," he says. Another key element is size: His rule of thumb is to have the nightstand no more than two inches taller than the mattress. If using a mixed set, he says, make sure the heights are consistent. "It's important for lamps to sit at the same level."

Decorator Marie Turner Carson uses both table lamps and wall-mounted ones, which can offer better reading light and free up space for books, flowers, and other objects. "Accessorizing," she says, "makes the bedroom feel finished."

The designers with bedside tables by Rose Tarlow Melrose House and Pacific Connections.

ANGLESEY END TABLE BY RALPH LAUREN HOME

With its candlestick-shaped base and mahogany veneer, this American Empire--style table has a traditional bent, says Shawn Henderson. "This has an amazing sculptural quality," he says, and pictures it topped with a chinoiserie lamp; "It would also be handsome in a masculine room dressed in suiting fabrics." But it does lack a drawer, he points out. To Marie Turner Carson, the round top "can loosen up a space that's too angular--plus, there are no sharp corners." She suggests placing an elegant box on top to hold everyday essentials. 24" dia. x 28" h.; $3,435; ralphlaurenhome.com.

 MANNING SIDE TABLE BY MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS

"I like how the drawer floats," says Carson, praising the table's ultramodern stainless steel frame. The dark ash veneer and opaque glass top create a striking palette, she says, adding, "I'd warm this up with photography books and fresh flowers." The clear glass shelf catches Henderson's eye: "It's light but adds function." A narrower version is also offered. 26" w. x 19" d. x 28" h.; $995;mgbwhome.com.

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