While some may head out to the Hamptons on a summer weekend for a little R&R, for the DLN, no trip is complete without a packed schedule of style inspiration, community gathering, and design education. This weekend, our members flocked from near (Amagansett, Southampton, New York City) and far (Dallas!) to convene in the Hamptons, where we traversed picturesque hamlets to take in some of the best art, design, and nature on the Eastern Seaboard. The weekend began with a Friday tour at the Peter Marino Art Foundation, the erstwhile library that the renowned architect renovated and fitted with his own wide-ranging collection two years ago. Marino oversaw every detail of the 8,000 square-foot space, resulting in a museum experience that’s at once personal and wildly diverse. Along our private tour, DLN Members were especially enchanted by an original fireplace in the building which Marino had restored to its 1895 finish as well as the second floor office-like space where he hung a collection of Old Masters paintings. Marino, who is highly involved in the operations at the Museum, greeted our group after the tour in the Foundation’s garden, where he was hosting a reception for an exhibiting artist.
After getting a few books signed, Members headed down Jobs Lane to the charming brick pathway beside the Ralph Lauren store that leads to the Ralph Lauren Home Cottage, the Southampton outpost of the brand’s home division since 2021. In true Ralph Lauren fashion, no detail was overlooked, with polo-clad waiters handing out glasses of champagne and miniature canapés amidst the latest RLH collections and vases of fresh hydrangeas. Finally, the group headed to Le Bilboquet in Sag Harbor for a community dinner overlooking the harbor.
Saturday’s sunny weather made the perfect backdrop for a home Home and Garden Tour at a property in Easthampton lovingly decorated by Mark Cunningham with landscape designs by Michael Derrig of Landscape Details. We explored the thoughtfully-arranged grounds—which include a tree-covered outdoor dining area, cocktail courtyard, pool area, hydrangea-lined allée, cutting garden, and graceful sloping yards—and toured the guest house and party barn, which Cunningham designed in collaboration with architect Mike Gilmore of Weddle Gilmore.
Later that evening, we boarded ferries bound for Shelter Island, where we made our way to Marie Eiffel’s charming French-inspired market. In celebration of its iconic Walter Lamb Collection, Brown Jordan has outfitted the market’s back terrace with tables and chairs from the collection, and DLN Members and local friends were treated to a dinner cooked by Marie overlooking the Shelter Island harbor—and a spectacularly colored sunset.
Early risers the next morning convened for brunch at Sisi in East Hampton before heading back into Sag Harbor to the historic Custom House for a tour with Preservation Long Island. The 18th-century building is one of the oldest homes in the Hamptons, and a treasure trove of early American design and history. Once a customs office, post office, and private quarters, the Custom House holds treasures like original furniture from the famous Dominy family of craftsmen, historic kitchen tools, and painstakingly restored stenciling. It made the perfect finale to a weekend full of beauty and community.
