The couple, partners in business and in life, were longtime clients of architects Brittney Hart and Justin Capuco, who are also married with children, and who call their firm Husband Wife. When it came time for them to buy a country retreat, they knew they wanted anything but a fixer-upper but felt they’d like to infuse it with the sense of modern glamour that Hart and Capuco had instilled in their city place and Dumbo showroom.
“It was for the most part original and refinished by the prior owner,” Hart says, “but we added a lot of subtle details, and then in a lot of places we amplified the existing details.” They also made it a mission to hire local artisans and were lucky to find the contractor who had worked with the previous owner. “Our clients wanted to have a certain type of sophistication that was comfortable for them,” Capuco says. “They wanted a fresh, pop-infused space that didn’t feel too divorced from their New York life. We decided to look at this home like a ‘resort’ collection in fashion. A comfortable but elevated feel that embraces a bit of juxtaposition and whimsy.”
Their design moves played off the existing architecture in myriad ways, without undue reverence for it.
“This is our third project with them,” Hart says. “It’s funny: They own their own business as well — it started in Dumbo, but now it’s global — they have four kids; their last kids were twins, and we have twins. So we have a lot of weird synergy.”
Staircase and Hall Walls
“There were existing parchment wall coverings,” Capuco says. “The client hated them and wanted them removed, and we thought, Let’s test out some ideas first.” They ended up working off the faint grid pattern coming through the paper and hired a local artist to hand paint the lines over the parchment. “It added this crazy dynamic to the space and brought it to life, and our clients loved it.”
Living Room
The architects added to the already existing wood paneling and put in the stainless-steel commercial lights to offset the formality of the room. They also worked with artist David Silverstein to create Op Art paintings. “We went through a ton of iterations,” Capuco says. “But we really felt that this Op Art sensibility would completely break the sense of formalism. Then we did foamcore mock-ups of the shapes on the wall.” The décor is a mix of vintage ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s finds.
The Dining Room
Husband Wife added wood slates to the existing plaster walls of the room to relate to the grid pattern established beyond and give the room some weight. The 1964 Massimo Vignelli fringe pendant lamp for ArteLuce anchors the room. The 1980s dining chairs are Piero Sartogo’s Toscana for Saporiti.
Main Bedroom
The bedroom evokes ’40s movie glamour with the combination of the mint-green custom-designed headboard that incorporates the side tables, designed by Husband Wife and fabricated by Paul Poggi; the Gae Aulenti Pipistrello table lamp, and bedding from Frette. The oil painting is a family heirloom.
The Den
“The prior owner had one section of this room painted in this deep rust. We loved it and wanted to put it everywhere,” Capuco says. To offset the dark palette, they had a custom-made sofa and club chair (not shown) covered in vibrant blue upholstery. The room is narrow, so they wanted a coffee table that would disappear; they used their client’s 1970s Lucite table. Also from the 1970s: the aluminum table lamp, one of a pair by Max Suaze.
The Family Room
Husband Wife painted the original shiplap wood paneling in this room white and reinforced the pattern by continuing it within the mirror above the green custom sofa. The custom floral painting is by David Silverstein. The floor covering is commercial sisal so the kids can run around in wet bare feet, and should anything spill, it can be cleaned up easily.
Kitchen Breakfast Area
The wall paneling and floor in the breakfast area of the kitchen are original. The vintage Polynesian painting was found in a local market, and the 1950 Shovel dining chairs are by Paul McCobb.
Staircase and Hall Walls
“There were existing parchment wall coverings,” Capuco says. “The client hated them and wanted them removed, and we thought, Let’s test out some ideas first.” They ended up working off the faint grid pattern coming through the paper and hired a local artist to hand paint the lines over the parchment. “It added this crazy dynamic to the space and brought it to life, and our clients loved it.”
Living Room
The architects added to the already existing wood paneling and put in the stainless-steel commercial lights to offset the formality of the room. They also worked with artist David Silverstein to create Op Art paintings. “We went through a ton of iterations,” Capuco says. “But we really felt that this Op Art sensibility would completely break the sense of formalism. Then we did foamcore mock-ups of the shapes on the wall.” The décor is a mix of vintage ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s finds.
The Dining Room
Husband Wife added wood slates to the existing plaster walls of the room to relate to the grid pattern established beyond and give the room some weight. The 1964 Massimo Vignelli fringe pendant lamp for ArteLuce anchors the room. The 1980s dining chairs are Piero Sartogo’s Toscana for Saporiti.
Main Bedroom
The bedroom evokes ’40s movie glamour with the combination of the mint-green custom-designed headboard that incorporates the side tables, designed by Husband Wife and fabricated by Paul Poggi; the Gae Aulenti Pipistrello table lamp, and bedding from Frette. The oil painting is a family heirloom.
The Den
“The prior owner had one section of this room painted in this deep rust. We loved it and wanted to put it everywhere,” Capuco says. To offset the dark palette, they had a custom-made sofa and club chair (not shown) covered in vibrant blue upholstery. The room is narrow, so they wanted a coffee table that would disappear; they used their client’s 1970s Lucite table. Also from the 1970s: the aluminum table lamp, one of a pair by Max Suaze.
The Family Room
Husband Wife painted the original shiplap wood paneling in this room white and reinforced the pattern by continuing it within the mirror above the green custom sofa. The custom floral painting is by David Silverstein. The floor covering is commercial sisal so the kids can run around in wet bare feet, and should anything spill, it can be cleaned up easily.
Kitchen Breakfast Area
The wall paneling and floor in the breakfast area of the kitchen are original. The vintage Polynesian painting was found in a local market, and the 1950 Shovel dining chairs are by Paul McCobb.