A Day in the Life at Style and Space Interiors: Southampton Site Days
There’s nothing like a Hamptons day to make a project move.
When I head out to Southampton, I bundle as much as possible—measurements, walkthroughs, deliveries, wallpaper progress, window treatments—so we can turn decisions into momentum.
7:00 AM — Coffee, car, inbox
Micaela swings by with coffee in hand. She drives; I triage email on the two-hour ride out—confirming deliveries, re-routing a lamp that decided to tour the tri-state, and tightening the day’s run-of-show.
9:15 AM — Wheels down, boxes in
We pull up and get to it. Micaela starts unboxing everything that’s arrived since our last visit—checking condition, logging SKUs, and staging returns if needed. I shake hands with the contractor and house manager and head straight to the spaces we need to review.
9:30 AM — Contractor walkthrough
We walk the plan: what’s being demo’d, the finish quality I’m expecting, and the design details that make the room sing. We talk thresholds, tile terminations, and millwork reveals—the small things that add up to “wow.”
From downstairs I hear Jerry—our wallpaper whisperer—calling up with a question, which is perfect timing.
10:15 AM — Wallpaper check-in
Quick huddle with Jerry and his partner, Arthur. We set stopping points, confirm pattern alignment, and decide whether we need to order an extra roll for the odd corner that never shows up on a floor plan. Tape measures, blue tape, and a lot of “hold it right there.”
11:00 AM — Window treatments arrive
The workroom rolls in. We head to the bedrooms and get detailed:
Can we remove the blackout cassette so the valance hugs the wall?
Do the drapes overlap the casings by 2" or 4"?
Clearance for hardware, stack-back, and light gaps?
While I dial those in, Micaela is a force—following loose ends, note-taking, and organizing every delivery so install day is a glide path, not a juggling act.
12:30 PM — House Two
We hop to the next project. First up: measurements. Even if the final concepts are still evolving, we capture every window, odd angle, and return so we can engineer later without another drive.
1:30 PM — Floor plan, proven
Micaela and I pull out the tape measure and reality-check the furniture layout against the actual space: traffic flow, door swings, sightlines to the fireplace, outlet locations. We adjust a few dimensions, take photos, and note updates for vendors.
2:30 PM — Button up, debrief, head home
We lock up, call out a quick debrief in the car—what’s approved, what’s pending, who needs what by when—and send a couple of “you’ll have this by morning” emails.
5:30 PM — Home, kids, exhale
We roll back into Westchester, and I make it in time for dinner with the kids and Brian. Tired in the best way—projects pushed forward, questions answered, details decided.
Why it works
Bundled decisions: Everyone’s on site, so answers are immediate.
Eyes on craft: We calibrate quality where it matters—at the wall, at the window, at the seam.
Future-proofing: We measure once (okay, twice) so the next steps move fast.
