design studio: thomas hamel & associates
photography: Anson Smart
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Our designer series begins by the sea, in a home conceived with the cultivated ease of Cap d’Antibes. Rather than surrendering everything to the view, the rooms are richly layered with art, textiles, antiques, and sculptural forms. GP pieces give the house its backbone while allowing each space to keep its own character.
What was the first decision that set the vision for the entire project?
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The first decision was that we were not going to design a conventional beach house. This was to be a sophisticated home by the sea: cultivated, layered and glamorous, but relaxed enough that bare feet and open doors remained the norm.
From the client, the spirit of Cap d’Antibes gave us our touchstone. It allowed us to pursue elegance without formality and a sense of permanence without losing the lightness and ease of Palm Beach.
“The Gregorius Pineo pieces gave the rooms backbone.”
How did the Gregorius Pineo pieces enter the conversation, and what did they bring to the space that you were looking for?
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This house needed furniture with pedigree, but not furniture that “behaved” too well.
There is a classical intelligence to the collection, coupled with sculptural strength and just enough eccentricity. That allowed the pieces to sit naturally between the architecture, contemporary art and the informality of life by the water. Using them throughout the house created a subtle family resemblance between the rooms, without ever feeling like a matching suite
“This house needed furniture with pedigree, but not furniture that ‘behaved’ too well.”
Was there a GP piece you used in an unexpected way?
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In the glass dining pavilion, we treated the Gustave tabletop as the beginning of an idea rather than a finished recipe. We paired it with a custom stone pedestal base, bringing together two pieces with quite distinct characters.
The refinement of the top against the graphic strength of the base created something entirely singular. Set within glass, charred timber and landscape, and paired with the Corradini chairs, the table became almost architectural in its own right. It feels as though it could only belong to this house.
Which element quietly does the most work in the room?
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The textiles do the diplomacy.
They reconcile furniture from different periods, temper the architecture and carry the colours of the surrounding foliage, water and sky through the house without resorting to a literal coastal palette. They bring softness to the more sculptural pieces and make even the grandest rooms feel touchable.
The luxury here is not formality or shine. It is texture, comfort and the pleasure of living among beautiful things.
“We furnished the view.”
What is a detail in this project that might be easy to miss, but says the most about the way you design?
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We furnished the view.
The obvious response to such an extraordinary setting would have been to empty the rooms and direct everything towards the water. Instead, we layered curtains, screens, lighting, antiques and sculptural furniture into the sightlines. Those apparent interruptions frame the landscape, create depth and make the eventual reveal far more powerful.
That says a great deal about how we design.
“A room should reveal itself gradually, not give everything away at once.”
