Long Island Escape

A project culminated after four years of inspiration and design, Long Island resident Stephanie Sack set out to create a home that adhered to "timeless appeal over committing to the same tired trends." This mantra creates a home that uses its environment to paint its canvas rather than over emphasizing the human element of design. "Comfortable and calming", describes Stephanie, "I want to feel great at home. If I do what every one else wants then I won't feel comfortable."

Before the construction of their ocean oasis, the lot held an outdated 1960s, midcentury ranch home. According to Stephanie, the origins of the lot only helped her achieve her final vision. "I knew right away that this was the space we were looking for... I couldn't wait to get started". The Sack's original intent was to utilize the property as their home away from home, retreating to the rocky shoreline and blazing sunsets when the bustle of the city proved too much. With the help of her design firm (Barnes Coy), however, this house quickly turned into a forever home, and the Sacks moved in permanently.

Armed with a fierce desire to create and design, Stephanie owes many of her creative initiatives to her late father. "As a child, my sisters and I were encouraged to create at any opportunity... interprative dances to classical music, futuristic puppet shows, I wanted this project to be in homage to my father and a manifestation of my life goals and experiences, a canvas on which to paint my thoughts."

The lighting design of the home was formulated with two main concepts as the highest priority: creating warm, ambient light that matched the varied hues of the ocean and allowing the natural light of the environment to light the home in concert with curated, designer lighting. A similar ideology was employed when choosing the materials to cover the walls, floors, and ceiling: "the out blends with the in" Stephanie explains "organic vibes relax my mood and by extending the beauty of the exterior to the interior, I am at peace with home and nature."