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Lauren Santo Domingo’s Southampton Retreat

by habituallychic

08 . 13 . 19

I ordered the September 2019 issue of Vogue from Amazon last week and was rewarded with a feature of Moda Operandi co-founder Lauren Santo Domingo’s house in Southampton, New York. Well, it’s not actually the whole house. The gardens designed by Miranda Brooks, which were probably photographed at their height last summer, take center stage along with a few photos of the main house designed by architect Gil Schafer and a barn decorated by Virginia Tupker. This leads me to speculate that the main house interiors might be saved for another magazine feature or will remain private forever. Fingers crossed that it’s the former and not the latter since Lauren’s style is impeccable.

Two adjoining properties were combined to create the family estate since the original 1790s cottage on one of the lots was not allowed to be altered. That house was converted to the guest house which allowed the new house to be designed by Gil Schafer along with a garage, entertaining barn, greenhouse, pool house, oval pool, and a badminton court, all connected by the landscape design by Miranda Brooks. The result looks like it has always been there but with the benefits of new construction, except for air conditioning. Lauren instead opted for screens and screen doors to take advantage of the ocean breeze. I’m not sure if Lauren will inspire this trend but I’m sure the rest of the decor will definitely be added to many inspiration folders.

To read the entire story and find credits, pick up the September 2019 issue of Vogue or click here.

A view of the Southampton house not included in Vogue via @thelsd.

A view of the interior via @remy_renzullo.

Lauren’s children “Beatrice and her older brother, Nico, sit in the light-flooded breakfast nook.”

Another view of the breakfast nook via @remy_renzullo.

Easter meal during quarantine in 2020.

Lauren’s Easter table for 2021.

An 18th-century Italian mantle topped with antique Italian vases.

Lauren Santo Domingo, wearing an Oscar de la Renta coat, and her daughter, Beatrice, snuggled up on the sunporch with its Lilou Marquand rattan shades. It doubles as a cozy dining room in inclement weather.

“Santo Domingo’s dressing room–bathroom was originally conceived as a suite of three rooms, until an image in the 1970 tome David Hicks on Bathrooms inspired her to combine them into one. Virginia Tupker sourced the Cogolin carpet; the Josef Frank chaise is upholstered in custom Le Manach fabric.”

Artwork is Kay Sage from 1941 with a vase of muscari.

“A brilliantly patterned Billy Baldwin Studio sofa is at the center of the living area in the party barn, hung with Alexander Calder gouaches.”

“Calder’s 1971 tapestry Les Vers Noirs, a work by Alberto Burri, and a bas-relief albatross by Alberto Giacometti hang in the barn.”

A look at one of Lauren’s famous Badminton tournaments via Guest of a Guest.

A view of the allée to the oval pool.

“Gil Schafer designed a cabana-style pavilion in a nod to a garden folly at the Chateau de Groussay. “

A photo of Lauren and her children by the pool from Mother and Child by Claiborne Swanson Frank.

A view of the path to the garage via @thelsd.

A outtake of the photo shoot via @miranda.brooks.gardens.

Another view of the garden via @miranda.brooks.gardens.

“A thicket of daisies surrounds a garden wall anchored by a shingle-roofed turret.”

A view of the property via @miranda.brooks.gardens.

“In the lush walled garden stands a pergola with white wisteria.”

A view of the property via @thelsd.

“Clipped boxwoods border a garden path.”

I was surprised that Vogue didn’t feature a table set by Lauren since the ones she sets outside at her Southampton house are legendary. This once was posted on her Instagram account @thelsd.

A view of one of her tables via @remy_renzullo.

Lauren finds many of the table linens, china, flatware, and glasses for her table along her travels and many make their way to Moda Operandi. Photo via @thelsd.

Another one of Lauren’s tables last summer via @remy_renzullo.

Via @thelsd.

Image via @miranda.brooks.gardens.

One last table via @thelsd.

An overview of the property via G.P. Schafer Architect.

Photos by Ricardo Labougle for Vogue and Instagram where noted.