A midcentury dwelling in East Hampton gets a nature-inspired makeover.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THEIR FRIENDS, ARIANE AND MAX GOLDMAN TRANSFORMED AN EXTRAORDINARY MIDCENTURY DWELLING INTO A NATURE-INSPIRED WONDERLAND. BY JEAN NAYAR

If anyone proves the old adage that persistence pays, it’s Ariane and Max Goldman. Case in point: the hunt for their East Hampton home. “It was the 40th house we’d seen in our search, and we’d just lost a deal on another house, so our hopes were pretty humble,” says Ariane. “We were looking in January, with three feet of snow on the ground, and it was the last house we saw that day. But as soon as we walked in, we knew this would be our Shangri-la.”

Instinctively attuned to artful living, both Ariane, a designer, and Max, a cinematographer, knew they wanted a unique property. “We were looking for this home with soul,” she explains. “We wanted something with a point of view that felt different from the turnkey Mcmansions you often find in the Hamptons.” And this house fit the bill: Designed and built in 1969 by New York architect Alfredo De Vido as a home

for himself and situated on a beautifully landscaped two-acre site near the northwest woods, the house blends Midcentury Modern style with a classic symmetrical layout, lodge-inspired materials, and barnlike details to create an enchanting dwelling unlike any other in the area. The house had had only one owner since the architect sold it decades ago, and its original design integrity remained intact. “I knew with a little refreshing, the place would just come to life,” Ariane says.

Respecting its original bones, the Goldmans, who were expecting the first of their two daughters at the time, simply brightened the dark wood-paneled walls with a coat of white paint but retained the dark ceiling beams and window moldings. Since the pair frequently entertain, they also opened the dining room onto the kitchen, linking the two spaces with a large new island.

With stairs leading to a loftlike perch, the Goldmans' multistory home in East Hampton, originally built in 1969, allows family members to gather in the expansive living room or retreat to their own hideaways as the mood strikes.

clockwise from left: Pink chairs and a wood slab table add a playful touch to the dining area; curios and art left by grateful guests contribute to the décor; an original built-in bed in one of the daughters' rooms is topped with linens by John Robshaw.