Pista House Haleem
Buy HALEEM Online @ (Available only on Ramzaan-1st to 31st August, 2011)
The first stop in the Hamptons was the very tip of Long Island (to avoid traffic) - fabled Montauk.
An old surf town, Montauk has really become the 'cool' young hang-out of the Hamptons with the best beaches and a laid back feeling in contrast to the other areas.
The coolest place to hang out is the charming 'Surf Lodge'. The vibe here reminded me a lot of the Soho Beach house we stayed in in Miami - old school, perfect and trendy: sort of like a photoshoot from the store anthropologie come to life.
Full of cool spots to hang out, such as the sunken living room filled with books and records, or the bar with fun game tables, this is where you want to spend the heat of the day while not eating in the chic restaurant or relaxing on the adjacent lake.
We were there early in the morning to avoid crowds so I was able to snap these pictures to give you a feel for the space.
Adjacent to the main building is the block of hotel rooms facing the lake. I love the private decks on each room with individual hammocks!
An outdoor shower is the perfect place to rinse off before heading into the restaurant.
The bucolic lake really was tempting though: inside or outside, that is the problem.
Even the transportation was stylish: I loved this coral painted retro bicycle outside.
The small beach town has a lot of restaurants, one of which had this sign which caught my eye. Now, do you think the piano player has to be able to multitask or hopefully, these functions would be done seperately!
On the way into East Hampton from Montauk is the oldest horse breeder in the country, dating back to the 17th century. What a perfect place to learn how to ride, right on the beach too! In the next few posts I'll show my highlights from the towns in the Hamptons, including the Hamptons Designer showhouse which was the start of the whole trip to begin with. Stay tuned!












The original 185 foot tall steeple blew down in the hurricane of 1938 but they hope to rebuild it at some point. I saw this church on a small street in the center of town and it literally took my breath away! Can you blame me?
Another showroom I visited at Highpoint Market was Hooker furniture.
They offer more contemporary lines as well. I loved the cerused oak finishes and the streamlined form of this armchair.
Small details always make such a huge difference to turn a piece of furniture into something special. The turned edge on the painted wood headboard above starts to create a cozy space.
I love a good nightstand (maybe because I don't really have one in my tiny apartment) and this one had a large top but also a great shelf for books. Notice the great hardware too.
The side of this accent table was adorned with an oversized postage stamp and postmarks - a painterly touch great for an informal den; especially for someone who likes to travel.
What I love about Century, other than their great quality, is that they span Classic to modern and everything in between as evidenced by these pictures.
Growing up, my grandparents had a lot of furniture from Century (albeit their more modern collections) and so it's a brand I return to over and over again.
I'll start with Century's newest collection: Archive Home. This line is based a lot on the current trends for light, bleached and natural woods: think Belgian style and reclaimed woods.
I loved that they included a lot of the designer's sketches -such as the one of the table base seen above.
This little quatrefoil side table is just the perfect spot for a drink beside a chair.
The arms of this linen sofa looked very Axel Vervoordt inspired to me; so elegant.
Many of the finishes were rustic, but you needn't worry about splinters; they know what they're doing.
Another favorite line of mine was the Oscar de la Renta Collection. I especially loved this parchment game table; perfect for the corner of any stylish living room.
This tortoise and parchment side table reminded me a lot of something my grandparents would have had (in a good way!).
This x bookcase from the Oscar de la Renta collection would be perfect for any room of the house. I could especially see it in a bedroom or den.
As I mentioned in my previous post, my favorite collection was the grand tour. The quality was outstanding and some of the pieces could fit into not only very traditional settings, but also more contemporary.
The top of this handsome accent table is almost too pretty to cover up with anything!