Above: In a Hamptons cottage, Peter B. Staples upholstered the living room’s bespoke sofa in Dedar fabric and Rietveld-inspired armchairs in a custom Le Manach textile from Pierre Frey. The cocktail table is by Roger Capron, and the Floris Wubben side table is from The Future Perfect. A Palm floor lamp by Blue Green Works sits in the corner, while a spherical Noguchi lantern hangs overhead.
While Peter B. Staples of Blue Green Works specializes in crafting poetic lighting collections, the self-taught designer rarely turns down the chance to flex his other creative muscles. One of his earliest projects after founding his New York–based design studio in 2021 extended far beyond illumination. It was a total reimagining of a timeworn but charming cottage that a young Manhattan couple purchased in the Springs, a quiet corner of the Hamptons.
It all started when Staples, who serves as the firm’s creative director, was vacationing with the couple when they told him they were looking for a weekend retreat and asked for his input on location. “There’s something about the Springs that feels beachy,” he says. “It doesn’t feel as urban or overhyped as some of the other parts of the Hamptons.”
Amid their search, the couple came across a gabled, shingle-clad residence originally built in the 1700s that had been awkwardly enlarged in the late 1990s. They let Staples tour the property virtually, via a five-minute FaceTime call, seeking his opinion. After getting his endorsement, they moved forward with an offer. But once the sale closed, the true extent of the renovation came into sharp relief.