We all love seeing the insides of other people’s beautiful homes, but in the world of design, there’s only one thing more interesting than a designer’s own home. It is the designer’s own villa.
This beach cottage-style getaway in Manasquan, New Jersey, is the weekend retreat and vacation home for Manhattan-based interior designer Laura Clay, her husband, and their young son. Laura knew and accepted that the cottage had been virtually rebuilt from its 1950s foundations in 2014, and could not justify tearing everything down when everything still looked relatively new. says. So how did she manage to make this special family home look so great?
Laura explains how creative thinking from the whole family and some serious compromises were key to the sustainable redesign and the home’s warm and inviting atmosphere. Take a tour.
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
Laura, a Manhattan-based interior designer, had been looking for a weekend home for her family on the Jersey Shore for a long time, hoping it would lead to a larger project.
But here’s the first compromise. “I treated my husband as a design client, and I couldn’t sell him a property that needed a complete renovation, so we compromised when we found a house,” says Laura. “It was built in 2014, so it was still relatively new,” Laura says. “As a supporter of sustainable design, I couldn’t justify tearing everything down. So I had to make what I touched count.”
With that in mind, Laura’s redesigned living room needed to work with the space and layout she inherited, but was missing an existing signature feature, from updating the fireplace to For the first time, I decided to layer some elements. “We completely redid the fireplace using a Chesneys surround and added a custom woodworking library,” says Laura. “Our evenings are spent with our feet up on a custom ottoman covered in Schumacher’s Annabelle warp print fabric. The armchair was purchased from O’Henry House via John Rosselli.
The room will have a warm and cozy feel, making it the perfect space to transition into fall and cooler weather. “This is the room where we spend a lot of time, no matter the season,” says Laura. “Cafe curtain window treatments are a great accent. They provide ground-level privacy, but we still enjoy the light. Every room needs a pedestal. This one from Atelier Vime The pieces really complete the space.”
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
Laura’s dining room idea needed to work in the context of an open plan dining, family room and kitchen. Her starting point to give the space the refresh it needed without destroying it was to replace the existing sliding doors in the garden.
This was an easy switch as our old door had broken down and was completely unusable. “I installed steel doors from Atelier Domingue, a now trendy yet always timeless favorite,” says the designer. “This was a difficult room to design as it is very linear and needed to function both as a main dining area and as a place to relax when entertaining others. Custom banquette, stucco chandelier. , with an oval terrazzo table for entertaining large groups. I worked with craftsman Robert Scratchand to create the terrazzo tabletop, which is made from a single piece of terrazzo. It took four people to install it.
The effort was well worth it, and the warm tones of the dining chairs with wicker backs helped add even more texture to the space.
Laura Clay
Social link navigation
Creative Director Laura Clay Design
Laura Krey Design is a Manhattan-based boutique interior design firm specializing in creating livable, art-like living spaces. Because this is the creative director’s personal weekend home, LKD is able to practice what they do for their clients, creating often custom objects created by highly specialized artisans. , furniture and features were sourced to create a unique site-specific interior.
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
Opposite the open plan family room is a relaxing living area.
“As we use this house year-round, we didn’t want it to resemble a beach house, but instead wanted a fun, subtle nod to the ocean world and coastal living. ” says Laura. She decided to keep the existing shiplap, which matched the beach cottage aesthetic, but refreshed it with a soft gray-white paint. Warm, earthy tones and graphic contrasts are featured in wooden surfboards, patterned stools, and striking artwork by artist Margot Bergman. “Before my design training, I was an art historian, and art has always been central to my designs,” says Laura. “I especially love art that challenges aesthetic notions of what beauty is.”
Custom sectionals, ottomans, and stools are from Konekt Studio with fabrics from Zak and Fox. The console table is from Casa Midy. Laura pasted Maya Romanoff wallpaper on the other walls.
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
Designer Laura couldn’t do anything about the house’s footprint on a long, narrow lot, but she figured out a way to work around it and lean into it. “This house feels a bit like a brownstone to me in that it’s quite set back relative to its width,” she says. “This allows for many small design moments as we move forward with the linear layout. For example, we created a home bar and buffet area on an antique 15th-century Spanish table in the hallway.”
To distinguish the staircase idea from the first floor, the stucco/limewash textured finish is extended to double height in the stairwell and second floor landing.
Another great tip to update and personalize your space without changing the structure is to use artwork. Here, Laura purchased works by various artists from a non-profit organization called Pokoapoko.
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
As Laura explains, most of the changes inside the house were more decorative than structural, but the backyard landscaping and pool house/garage were completely overhauled.
“The previous garage structure was not winterized, so we ended up increasing the footprint by a total of 9 feet,” she says. “The town permitting department said we had to demolish it, but I decided to do it in a more difficult but slightly more environmentally friendly way. We now have a variety of entertainment areas in the backyard, lots of seating. , which has a large table for outdoor dining, which is my favorite!”
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
This is an area where designer Laura was actually able to create whatever she chose. “The renovation created more practical space in the outdoor shower and garage, but also included a studio,” she says. “This space is small, but serves as a pool cabana, an additional guest room, and an art studio for the projects my son and I create. I didn’t want to design a typical pool cabana. Instead, we wanted something quirky yet sophisticated.”
To achieve just that look, Laura covered the walls in whitewashed pine and used Rose Uniacke stucco wall sconces. The subtle glow on the ceiling comes from Callidus Guild wallpaper, and the stools and fabrics come from Soane. The rug is custom by Shore and the floor tiles are Concrete Collaborative. The counter skirt is Alice Sergeant via Temple Studio.
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
Other than the pool cabana and studio, the only area that underwent major construction was on the second floor of the main house. It originally had only five bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which was an en suite bathroom in the master bedroom. “We needed more bathrooms,” Laura says. “We had to be very creative with the design to ensure that anything that could affect the structure made the most sense in terms of the overall use of the space. We combined a small bedroom and added a bathroom and two walk-in closets to create a junior suite.”
Laura adds that the main idea of the bedroom is “a relaxation exercise”. Although the decor is simple and calm, Laura brought an element of Manhattan sophistication to the room. The textured wallpaper also adds warmth to the scheme with a hint of pink.
“I’ve always wanted a canopy bed, so I customized the Curtain Work Room and Michael Dawkins Running Line Bed. The wallpaper and sconces are some of my favorite elements in this space.”
The wallpaper is Aux Abris grasscloth by John Roselli, the sconces and shades are Soane, the nightstands are Chelsea Textiles, and the rug is Merida.
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
Why stick to neutral room ideas when you can really use your imagination? That’s certainly designer Laura’s point of view, especially as she wanted to introduce more personality throughout the home. Because it was. Various blues and reds make this space even more cozy and warm.
“I love pampering my guests and I love having fun in the guest room,” says Laura, who chose quadrille wallpaper and Elizabeth Eakins curtains.
The rug and bed are from Serena & Lily. The nightstand is from Made Goods and comes with a Vaughan lamp and tribal shades. Bedding is by Matouk and features John Robshaw’s Vintage Sally pillows, further enhancing the curated look.
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez)
Laura wants everyone to be involved when designing her home, including her children and dog. “I love letting my clients design their children’s rooms, including myself,” she says. “My 13-year-old son’s request was for Mets colors.” We didn’t feel like incorporating exact Mets blue, but the custom bookshelf has a pop of orange!”
It’s a noble and stylish compromise, if any at all.
Interior design: Laura Clay Design
Photo: Manuel Rodriguez
Styling: Benjamin Reinert
