tours
Coco Comfort: Heiberg Cummings At Home
In the heart of Sag Harbor, William Cummings and Bernt Heiberg transform an unassuming beach shack into a midcentury modernized home with Scandinavian flair.
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DELIGHTS / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
B
oating, beaching, sunset: That trio of elements is poetry to designers Bernt Heiberg and William Cummings. About a year-and-a-half ago, the partners in life and in their New York-based Heiberg Cummings Design firm, set out to find an “extremely charming beach shack,” says Heiberg, and voilà! The mid-1930s home they now call “Coco House”—after Coco Cabana, not Coco Chanel—represents what the duo do best: “super comfortable living spaces with all the whistles you can imagine.” If the word “whistles” conjures up gold faucets, chintz couches or a lavishly appointed interior, you’re not tuned into the pair’s signature Scandinavian style, which is both rustic and chic. Known for their spare-but-not-spartan interiors, they initially focused on adding space, not stuff, working with Southampton architect Shawn Leonard and contractor Bill Flanzer to judiciously maintain the scale of the property while making it taller. The addition of two floors allowed for four bedrooms and four full baths, as well as an airy, spacious living room and a large open kitchen with a massive center island. Amenities such as a steam shower, an outdoor bathtub and floor-tobasement laundry chutes show the practical and intelligent mindset behind the simply curated spaces, inside and out.
Wishbone chairs and cushy canvas ones create an inviting setting for dining. Photography by Marili Forastieri
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