Top 5 Must-Haves to Warm Your Hamptons Home

While the winter weather continues to confine Hamptonites to the indoors, make the most of it by spending some time re-decorating. Check out the below tips for interior must-haves:

1. Lighting

The right lighting can change your life, and there’s nothing like the shorter daylight hours to make you realize it. From everyday lighting in your home office or all-purpose living area to special dim lighting for evening entertaining, there is a bulb and a lamp to serve the purpose. “One of the most important aspects of lighting is dimmers. Not only do dimmers save energy, but they create a more inviting, welcoming and relaxing mood,” says Corinne Haley, who works in lighting and sales at Revco Light + Electrical Supply. Revco has locations in East Hampton, Southampton, Riverhead and Southold and offers dimmers, bulbs and all types of lamps, sconces, chandeliers and more—along with expertise to assist in your lighting needs. For winter lighting, Haley says, “The newer LED bulbs are energy efficient and now also available in different temperatures—so you can choose a warmer one.”

2. Accent Pieces

End tables, consoles, book shelves, coffee tables, decorative vases, wing chairs and more add both comfort and style while serving utilitarian purposes in any room. At English Country Antiques in Southampton and Bridgehampton, these items are plentiful. “[For] winter, it’s all about grays, blacks, navy blues,” says James Seckey, the junior manager at the Southampton location. Nailhead accents in sofas, chairs and sectionals lend a polished look, appropriate for winter, and come in different metals. “Right now polished nickel is the most popular,” Seckey says. A black-and-white chagrin cabinet, with chrome-finished legs, completes a modern wintertime look for the modern Hamptons home. A buffet table in a pewter finish with antiqued mirror is also a trendy pick—and pairs well with those wintertime charcoals.

3. Throws

It’s winter, it’s cold, but we might as well make the best of it and create a cozy nook for ourselves. Whether you’re in front of a fireplace or nestled on an oversized couch in front of a television (or both!), the season will start to feel a whole lot warmer with a throw blanket. Wrap yourself or someone you love in super-luxurious, cozy and decadent blankets and throws by Bemboka, available at English Country Antiques. They’re washable, tumble-dry friendly and available in all the right colors for the season. A perfect balance of superb natural fibers, super 100s Australian fine merino wool and a rare quality of angora carefully selected for its similarity to cashmere. These angora and fine merino blend blankets are light, luxurious and very warm​.

4. Rugs

While hardwood floors look great left bare during the warmer months, winter calls for some padding underfoot, both to keep warm and to prevent slipping when walking around in socks. Neutral sisal rugs are a popular Hamptons choice—casual and functional—and can be layered with cowhides for added wintertime style. Small sheepskin throw rugs are perfect for bedside, hallways and hearthside. Wool rugs in latticework patterns are also a classic-meets-contemporary option. Luckily for East Enders, there’s a West Elm in Water Mill and West Elm Warehouse at Tanger Outlet Center in Riverhead, where you can find these and more. For custom sisal rugs, visit Pottery Barn in Southampton.  For a softer version of sisal, with just as much texture and pattern, try a chunky braided twist rug from Restoration Hardware in East Hampton.

5. Vintage

Most designers will tell you that mixing and matching old and new is key in interior design. Being selective, though, will help keep your living room from looking too much like a hodgepodge of tag sale take-homes. Choose your vintage and antique pieces very carefully. It generally works well to make a particularly special or unique piece the focus of a room, and use simpler pieces to fill in around it. If you’re unsure of what exactly you need, a visit to Antiques by James Maguire in Hampton Bays is in order, where you’ll find a vast selection of vintage indoor and outdoor furniture at a wide range of prices.