Achieving the perfect Hamptons look for your new home. Mastering colours both inside and out.

The Hamptons look is defined by soft coastal colours and natural materials like timber and stone. The popularity and appeal of the Hamptons style lies in it's ability to create calm, relaxed and airy holiday vibes - a true tranquil retreat.

A Hamptons home done right will instantly transport you to thoughts of a glamorous summer beach house and lazy days spent by the water. It’s a sophisticated coastal look that never goes out of style, and while its roots lie in America’s Long Island, it’s the perfect fit for an Australian lifestyle.  

Defining the Hamptons look

The timeless colour palette of the Hamptons style is a harmonious blend of warm whites, neutral greys and blues. As these colours evoke feelings of spaciousness and calm, they are the perfect fit both inside and outside the home. With the right colour palette, architectural features and design choices, you can bring the tranquility of a Hamptons beach house into every corner of your home.

Exterior Colour Scheme - Creating the perfect Hamptons facade

“The Hamptons look is very versatile and as the style is more casual, it suits many types of homes, in particular rendered and weatherboard ones,” says Andrea Lucena-Orr, Dulux® Colour & Communications Manager.

To achieve a classic Hamptons exterior, start by selecting soft coastal paint colours that harmonise with the natural textures included on your facade. "Mid-tone greys, greige and soft blue-greys work beautifully on main walls, while a bright white adds contrast on trims, fascias, fretwork and window frames," says Lucena-Orr. “Simplicity is key – limit your Hamptons exterior colour palette to no more than two to three shades for a cohesive, elegant finish.”

Popular Dulux® shades for exteriors

If you're looking to find the perfect exterior paint for your new home, consider the following Dulux shades.

• Lexicon and Lexicon® Half: The perfect trim colour as it offers a bright and clean crisp white for contrast against more neutral colours. It's also great for highlighting architectural features.
• Tranquil Retreat: A neutral, soft grey that pairs effortlessly with stone and timber
• Casper White: A warm white that reduces the starkness of white and enhances natural light

Add stylish roof tiles

Elevate the exterior of your home by adding key features to your facade. The roof of your home is probably one of the most important as it acts to ‘frame’ the facade.

For roofing, consider Monier Roofing's handcrafted terracotta tiles or durable concrete tiles in shades like shale grey, greige, or even charcoal for a modern edge. These materials not only ‘frame’ the facade but also add depth and texture to the overall design.

You can create a statement look with Monier’s hardwearing standard Concrete roof tiles. Atura concrete tiles evoke the charm and natural beauty of hand-split timber shakes, while the brand’s Horizon tiles deliver a super-flat, streamlined look and can be combined with a sleek A-Line Ridge for modern Hamptons-style homes.

"We’ve designed our facades to perfectly reflect the Hamptons trend, and we’ve partnered with Dulux and Monier to offer you a great selection of colours and tiles.” – John Doulgeridis, Managing Director, Carlisle Homes

Introduce decorative lighting

A pair of beautiful sconces or outdoor lanterns either side of the front door and subtle uplights along the garden path create a warm welcome for guests, and adds interest to the exterior features of your traditional Hamptons home. Choose styles in materials such as brushed steel, brass or wrought iron with a matt finish, and fit them with lightbulbs that emit a soft light to reinforce your home’s casual and inviting vibe.

Finish off with graceful greenery

Complete your Hamptons exterior with classic blooms such as magnolias, star jasmine and wisteria around the front yard. A pair of white-washed timber planters makes an appealing addition to your front entry and are ideal for growing small fruit trees and vines. This will elevate your exterior to a more traditional style while creating a stunning and cohesive look for your home.

Extend the Hamptons colour palette to the inside of your home

Extend the Hamptons look indoors with a harmonious colour palette and natural textures. Your main wall colour could be Dulux Lexicon® or Dulux Tranquil Retreat - which both provide provide a fresh, neutral backdrop throughout the home. These shades are great choices that are essential for a true Hamptons home.

To add the iconic Hamptons blues internally - varying between the many colours of rich navies, duck egg blue, grey blues and soft greens - consider the following Dulux colour options:

• Angora Blue: A soft, muted blue that adds a calming undertone throughout the home
• Ocean Current: A deeper, ocean-inspired blue that adds depth to any room
• Harpoon: A rich, dark and elegant blue, perfect for accents or feature walls

Your choice of colour scheme will also determine things like styling and decor, furniture selections and artwork choices. Blue and white combinations are especially popular as they embody the coastal charm of the Hamptons. For a modern take, you can choose to incorporate greys and charcoals, which pair well with neutrals and natural textures.

Choosing interior walls and trims

When designing your interiors, one thing is essential: selecting the right shades for interior walls and trims. For trims and smaller architectural features, White on White™ is a crisp option that elevates the space, while a slightly neutral white such as Dulux Natural provides a softer, more inviting finish. If you’re looking for a bright white, options like Lexicon® offer versatility and can be easily used to frame doors, windows, and cabinetry.

Creating a Hamptons minimalist interior

A true Hamptons interior should feel open, airy, and relaxed. The use of neutral white on walls and ceilings, complemented by accents in greys and charcoals, enhances the feeling of spaciousness. This minimalist approach allows for natural materials like timber and linen to shine while maintaining the focus on the coastal aesthetic. Accents in blue and white further enhance the timeless appeal, creating a soothing and sophisticated environment.

With careful attention to the undertones of your colours and how they interact with natural light, you can design an interior that feels both luxurious and comfortable. Whether you’re styling outside of your home or indoors, incorporating the right hues is key to creating a Hamptons-inspired retreat.

Incorporating classic and contemporary design elements into a Hamptons home

You can achieve the Hamptons vibe throughout your home. Whether focusing on design features or if you're looking for the perfect decor piece, the right elements can create the sophisticated space that you're envisioning. Here's how to incorporate warmth, texture and luxurious finishes throughout your home will keeping the essence of the Hamptons style alive.

Adding warmth and texture into every space throughout the home

Add depth and interest to your entry, kitchen and main living areas with chevron or herringbone-patterned timber flooring - a hallmark of Hamptons interiors. For a contemporary edge, opt for polished or softly patterned stone-look floor tiles, which pair beautifully with neutral palettes. In bedrooms and study areas, bring a cosy touch with textured loop-pile carpeting in light, coastal tones, creating a serene retreat.

Feature lighting, kitchen and bathroom styling for a Hamptons home

Lighting, kitchen, and bathroom design are key to achieving the Hamptons' elegant yet relaxed aesthetic. For feature lighting, opt for lantern-style pendants in polished chrome, brushed brass, or glass over your kitchen island or dining table, and frame key furniture pieces with wall sconces. Add warmth with table and floor lamps featuring patterned ceramic bases and linen shades.

In the kitchen, Shaker-style cabinetry in crisp white, soft grey, or bold charcoal creates a timeless foundation, enhanced by marble-look benchtops, decorative chrome or brass tapware, and a farmhouse-style ceramic sink. Complete the look with ribbed-glass overhead cabinets and oversized pendant lighting.

For bathrooms, a classic Hamptons style includes Shaker vanities, subway tiles, marble-effect floors, and chrome tapware. Contemporary options include floating vanities, minimalist matt black or brushed gold tapware, and bold accents like pill-shaped mirrors and textured kit-kat tiles. Add personality in a powder room with patterned wallpaper for a striking feature.

Customising your new home at Spectra

When you build with Carlisle, you can create your perfect home and Hamptons-inspired space with finishes and material selections at our industry leading customer showroom Spectra. Neutral tones and crisp whites with coastal undertones can easily be used and selected for your new home. These selections are great neutral choices that complement the key foundation of design within your home. Your choices at Spectra will also determine if the style leans more into traditional or contemporary, ensuring your home perfectly captures the relaxed elegance of the Hamptons look.

Get inspiration before you visit from our online interiors gallery which features a dedicated Hamptons scheme that you can browse.

See it for yourself

Keen to experience a beautifully decorated Hamptons schemes for yourself? Pop along to one of our following display homes:

• Astoria Grand Living 50 at Alamora Estate,Tarneit
• Canterbury Grand 45 at Minta Estate, Berwick
• Domaine Grand 37 at Woodlea Estate, Aintree
• Kensington Grand Deluxe 44 at Olivine Estate, Donnybrook
• Sorrento Grand Retreat 47 at Berwick Waters Estate, Clyde North

And for more inspiration on how to achieve a Hamptons theme for your home - jump on our online visualiser and create the ultimate colour scheme for your dream home.