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East Hampton Residence

Set within the wooded landscape of East Hampton, this private residence by Helena Clunies-Ross Design reimagines the Hamptons retreat as a place of deep restoration. Conceived as a wellness sanctuary for fashion designer Natalie De Banco, the home was designed to be the inverse of a high profile public life. Where fashion demands spectacle and velocity, this residence offers stillness, texture, and calm.

The transformation integrates architecture and landscape with intention. Expanded glazing frames a preserved cherry tree, allowing the structure to wrap around nature rather than compete with it. Floor to ceiling glass dissolves the boundary between indoors and out, while floating concrete steps create a sculptural yet understated entrance. The pool was refurbished to reinforce this seamless connection, grounding the property within its surroundings.

Inside, Helena Clunies-Ross applies her Calma philosophy, treating light and material as emotional tools. A restrained palette of stone, timber, linen, and muted earth tones replaces gloss with tactility. Custom slatted timber screens soften daylight into a spa like glow, guiding sight lines toward meditation spaces, sculptural bathing areas, and integrated greenery. Surfaces invite touch, aging gracefully over time.

The 3,500 square foot extension unfolds as a sensory journey. Upstairs, open luminous rooms foster clarity and quiet. Downstairs, the atmosphere shifts into deeper retreat. A full spa with sauna and cold plunge, gym, wine room, and a speakeasy style bar that doubles as a cinema create a restorative sanctuary. The darker, enclosed bar offers contrast to the light above, acknowledging that renewal requires both exposure and intimacy.

Bespoke details reinforce the conceptual clarity. A custom kitchen pendant acts as sculptural centerpiece, while reclaimed timber in the wellness zones carries visible grain and weathered character. Throughout the home, millwork, natural materials, and soft lighting unify the experience.

The East Hampton Residence is not simply a minimalist home. It is a choreographed environment designed to recalibrate the senses, where architecture becomes a medium for balance, escape, and creative renewal.




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