One of Slavin’s favorite pieces in the living room is the Jacques Adnet end table, whose tartan plays off the plaid of the Gucci pillows.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS Written by Jessen O’Brien / Photography by Alise O’Brien
Shake siding, a sloped roofline, and an asymmetrical layout may put you in mind of the Hamptons upon arriving at the Slavin residence. But there’s a saying about first impressions -- and there’s far more to discover here than can be revealed at first glance. “I’d been wanting to do a shake house for a long time,” says homeowner Bobby Slavin. A desire for a new style and a slightly smaller home had him transforming a spec house into a space that would be just right for his family of four. Typically, Slavin builds and designs homes for others in his role as owner of Slavin Homes and Slavin Realty -- homes which are quickly snatched up by fans of his signature style, which is anything but cookie cutter. “I try to do something different, that’s very specific to the lot with every house I work on,” Slavin says. “This house was originally a bit more of a Craftsman home than the style I really 14 slmag.net
wanted. So my wife and I went to Southampton multiple times that summer, toured houses, and took a million pictures. I then hand drew the details that I think make the house very special -like a true shake house that would be seen in Southampton.” While the entryway -- with its shiplap walls, transitional light fixtures, and octagonal tile floor -- feels in keeping with the Hamptons’ aesthetic outside, that impression doesn’t last. “You’re not surprised when you walk in the front door. But then, you walk onto the wood, and things take a dramatic turn,” Slavin says. Classic shake elements quickly give way to a much more modern interior, beginning with a hallway lined with an abstract, hand-painted silver-and-white wallpaper by Porter Tello. In the living room to the immediate right, a vintage French light fixture bursts like champagne bubbles from the blue-lacquered ceiling.
