"Soft Brutalism" Meets the ’80s at This Renovated Hamptons House

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Project Details:

Location: East Hampton, New York

Designer: Office of Tangible Space / @tangible.space

Footprint: 2,600 square feet

Photographer: Charlie Schuck / @charlieschuck

From the Architect: "Approaching the renovation of this 1980s East Hampton house, Office of Tangible Space aimed to reference the original building’s design era while creating a new vocabulary. Many concepts core to the original house and the early postmodern architecture movement were a helpful guide for the Brooklyn- and San Francisco–based interdisciplinary design studio. The idea that function follows form and that material, shape, and color are signifiers for how to move through the space were concepts the studio wanted to honor and build upon.

"In order to create an experience that was warm and inviting, a new language of ‘soft brutalism’ was introduced. Soft brutalism might be defined as the use of strong, bold material and form while always referencing the approachability, scale, and tactility of human interactions. A floor-to-ceiling wall of custom glass block invites you inside immediately upon entry, guiding visitors into the home. The dining room is framed by the plane of glass and a raw terra-cotta floor that is mirrored by the tone of the ceiling, creating a distinct space from the open living area. The large, custom oak dining table is grand but intimate—a nod to the meeting tables at the United Nations. The black steel-and-pine chairs are playful but hefty—demarcating this space as a destination within the home.

"The kitchen plays upon using heavy architectural materials (primarily concrete and raw aluminum) as millwork detail. These details are meant to feel new and fresh but also inscrutable to the era—a possible product of the 1980s, 2020s, or 1930s. The bedrooms introduce a warm oak floor to delineate private spaces within the home and are accessed via a staircase with a custom milled oak handle. The bedrooms are simple and spare, but with a few key grounding details. Each has a custom-milled walnut headboard and rug, simple bedside lighting, and a grand piece of art that frames the room. The bathrooms are a grounded but lively complement to the minimal bedrooms. Each has a related but unique tile tone and reeded glass, but all are meant (much like the kitchen) to feel classic and not tied to one design era or another."