JUST BREATHE

A MIX OF SILHOUETTES IN A MEDLEY OF WARM WHITES MAKES FOR A BEACH HOUSE INTERIOR THAT'S SUPREMELY PEACEFUL BUT FAR FROM PLAIN.

- MARNI ELYSE KATZ

Having recently completed renovations, the owners of this Southampton, New York, summer home presented Elizabeth Gill with a beautiful, blank canvas to decorate. Taking cues from the contemporary architecture and dazzling water view, Gill created a modern retreat that invites relaxation. The vibe is both sophisticated and comfortable. "It's an elevated take on a family home," the designer says.

The house captivates from the first step into the foyer, which stretches straight back to the beach. Above, the barrel-vaulted, double-height wood ceiling adds a churchlike aura. "The space is grand but spiritual," Gill says. A Belgian, looped wool sisal runner leads the eye past a mature fiddle leaf fig, through tall glass doors, to the water. A bench with a rush seat and a sculptural, black iron console anchor the front of the hall, providing practicality without distraction.

An expansive, two-story living space with slanted ceilings punctuated by rustic wood beams runs along the back of the house. A double row of oversize, plate-glass windows offers a seamless connection to the outdoors, where a sun-bleached wood deck and rosa rugosa run parallel to the house, just a few steps from the beach. Gill's monochromatic scheme, like the landscape, is tranquil, textural, and timeless. "The design stems from the property itself," Gill explains.