Time to put on a showhouse

Drawing inspiration from the local landscape, interior designers and decorative artists have been busy completing the final touches on this year’s Hampton Designer Showhouse in Sagaponack.

Now in its eighth year, the Designer Showhouse opens with a gala preview party on Saturday, July 19, and will run daily tours through August 31.

This year’s showhouse showcases the talents of 25 designers and artists whose work is on display throughout the 7,500-square-foot shingle style home. The $12.5 million, 6 bedroom and 6 1/2 bath house at 59 Farm Court in Sagaponack was provided by Sand Dollar Development Corporation and was built using renewable energy components.

Approximately 20 rooms and interior spaces will be on view in the showhouse. Proceeds from the gala and tours will benefit Southampton Hospital.

Mary Lynch, who is on the Southampton Hospital benefit committee and is the showhouse manager, estimated on Friday that nearly 7,000 visitors will come through the Designer Showhouse this year, if last year’s numbers are a good indicator. She added that she is excited for the success of the tour, but expressed concern that her group still needs volunteers for the scheduled daily tours.

Several local interior designers will present their visions at the Designer Showhouse, including Bob Bakes from Bakes and Company in Sag Harbor, who designed the kitchen; Robert Stilin of East Hampton, who designed the family room; Jennifer Mabley of Mabley Handler in Water Mill, who designed one of the bedrooms and Kevin Hart of East Hampton, who designed another. Jan Milne of Whitmores Landscape Services in East Hampton also contributed.

The Designer Showhouse, which boasts a pool and tennis court, is being sponsored by Prudential Douglas Elliman and Electrolux.

Many new faces will be seen at this year’s Designer Showhouse as well. For Douglas Graneto from Douglas Graneto Design in Greenwich, Connecticut, it will be his first showhouse ever. He said on Friday that he was thrilled to be asked to participate.

“It’s a very prestigious showhouse to be involved with,” he said, noting that since he already has clients in the Hamptons, coming here was a natural fit.

Mr. Graneto described the upstairs guest bedroom he designed as having a “very beachy, Hamptons feel.”

Though not his first showhouse, this year is the first time at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse for Christopher Maya, from Christopher Maya, Inc. in Manhattan. Mr. Maya was charged with decorating the living room just to the left of the front entrance. He said he wanted to keep the space simple, comfortable and elegant so he blended modern pieces with antiques and kept his focus on accents that suggest the ocean.

Working for an event that benefits a good cause, such as Southampton Hospital, was important for Mr. Maya, he said on Friday.

“It’s nice to contribute in some way, which is nice,” he said. “If the cause is good, then it’s a good feeling.”

Just past Mr. Maya’s space is the intended library designed by Gail Shields of Shields and Company Interiors in Manhattan. Ms. Shields redesigned the library space into a “collectors room,” complete with a purple couch, furry white chair, tango-themed glossy poster-sized art prints and a video installation of mini monitors by artist Sondra Llano Mejia.

There are no books or traditional televisions in the room, according to Ms. Shields, because she wanted an air of whimsy and fun. “This room has a lot of energy,” she said on Friday. “Everything has its own personality and it puts a smile on my face.”

Utility and service were important to Regina Kraft, however, in decorating the downstairs mudroom. Ms. Kraft, who is from Cold Spring Harbor, said the mudroom was “not simply a repository for sporting equipment, but a triple duty space.” The designer said her vision for the small area was instead one of foyer to the guest suite, entrance to the pool area and a traditional, yet more sophisticated mudroom. Personalizing the room with articles of her own clothing and sporting gear, Ms. Kraft also included a “doggie” theme in some of the accessories and wall art for the space.

For the downstairs study, the colors of the sky, sea, sand and surf inspired Kate Singer of Huntington, New York. “All these beautiful colors and textures that exist in nature are what I used ... it’s a soothing palette,” Ms. Singer said. A self-proclaimed “beach girl,” Ms. Singer said she was excited to have the opportunity to show off her design skills in the Hamptons, even if it did mean a long stretch sitting in her car to get here.

“Even with the traffic, if you have to work on a showhouse in the summertime, this is the place to come,” she said.

The Gala Preview party will be held on Saturday, July 19, at 6 p.m. and tickets are $250. Daily tour admission, from Sunday, July 20, through Sunday, August 31, is $30. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Tickets can be purchased only at the showhouse. For more information, call 537-0455.