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Sasha Bikoff's Hamptons Barnhouse

The Celebrated Designer Channels Her Inner Surfer Girl
Location
East Hampton, NY
Interior Design
Custom Integration

Background

Born and raised in New York City, Sasha Bikoff has made a name for herself as the decorator of choice for Manhattan's glitterati. With features in Architectural Digest, Vogue, Interior Design, Elle Décor, and other top tier design publications, she’s become a voice of influence and inspiration throughout the industry. Her colorful maximalist designs are famously infused with the vibrant multiculturalism of her hometown.

But when it came to creating her own East Hampton dream house from the ground up, she wanted something more laid-back: a calm, relaxing oasis that captured her surfer girl spirit. That said, she didn’t want to abandon the verve and vibrance that’s so core to her work and personality. With Lutron and Ketra’s help, she found a way to bring both aesthetics together in a space that’s truly one of a kind.

Design Goals

  1. Create a sense of flow between the space and its seaside surroundings
  2. Reflect Sasha’s organic, relaxed lifestyle with fresh, minimal design
  3. Craft a flexible environment that doubles as a space for entertaining

 

Video by Edwards Media.

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“The amazing thing about Ketra is that the light just lives with you throughout the day, elevating whatever moment you're in.”

- Sasha Bikoff, CEO, Sasha Bikoff Interior Design

Challenges

To capture her vision for a calming zen oasis, Sasha wanted to start with a neutral and minimalistic palette. At the same time, she didn’t want to completely abandon her maximalist sensibilities. Finding ways to add pops of color to the natural-feeling space was a primary design challenge.

Additionally, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a close proximity to the beach, the home boasts stunning views, but being so immersed in nature could create dissonance between electric light and daylight if not blended properly.

Finally, an open floor plan meant Sasha needed a way to create meaningful contrast between the kitchen, dining area, and living room. As a celebrated host, she also needed the ability to tailor the space for a variety of events, from intimate gatherings with close friends to large, festive celebrations, and everything in between.

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Photography: Magda Biernat

The Solution

Light that lives with you 

Creating an environment that ebbs and flows with Sasha’s daily activities was one of the top design priorities. Now, from the moment she rises in the morning, Ketra’s Natural Show keeps her in tune with the daylight outdoors. The color temperature of the light automatically shifts throughout the day to stay in sync with the sun, making it feel like she’s basking in the beautiful scenery—even when she’s inside her home.

This dynamic indoor-outdoor interplay was enhanced by integrating Lutron’s motorized roller shades into the space. The combination of Ketra light and Lutron shades makes the transition from indoors to outdoors visually seamless—creating a truly natural-feeling environment. Powered by the HomeWorks QSX control system, Sasha now enjoys total light control throughout her home with the touch of a button.

If she needs a change of pace mid-day, Sasha can activate “Energize” to make her space feel fresh and cool, giving her a boost of focus and clarity. When the evening comes around, Ketra light automatically dims to a warm glow, bringing a welcome peace following a day of design work. And when it’s time to hit the hay, the Lutron blackout shades in each bedroom ensure that Sasha and her guests won’t be awakened by the ultra-bright Hamptons sun—unless they want to be, in which case the shades can be programmed to rise right on time.

Peace with pops of color

For Bikoff’s modern barnhouse, the inspiration was nature, pure and simple. She wanted a relaxed vibe—a casual, zen sanctuary that felt fresh and lived and breathed with its surrounding environment. Collaborating with veteran A/V consultant and Lutron dealer Rob Davis of Audio Interiors, Bikoff choreographed lights, shades, and controls to bring her vision to life.

To create a sense of boundless flow, Bikoff used Ketra’s Natural Show to blend indoor light with natural light, keep her close to nature, and make the spaces feel airy and bright. For controls, Bikoff got early access to Lutron’s newest Alisse keypads and had them installed in a stunning Aged Bronze shade. The hand-finished, ultra-luxe materials lend themselves to her elevated aesthetic—and hers was the first home to have them installed worldwide.

When it’s time to host a party, Ketra’s tunable color enables Bikoff to incorporate her signature boldness into the space at will. Each Ketra fixture produces full spectrum color from 1,400K to 10,000K, allowing her to create vibrant, colorful atmospheres for entertaining that easily revert back to the space’s foundational serenity. “Sasha was happy to reintroduce color to the space with Ketra, with pastels and saturated colors,” says Davis. “She custom designed some of the light fixtures and the standout mosaic bath; it’s really such a personal space.”

Throughout the home, Ketra is used to bring out the magic in a variety of unique furnishings and finishes. “Sasha picked this beautiful slab of Afghani granite for the kitchen counters that has unique turquoise veins,” says Davis. “We set up some Vibrancy scenes to pop that color out.” At the same time, Lutron’s shades protect Sasha’s designer furnishings from harmful UV rays—while preserving the beachfront views.

In the end, Sasha got the calm she needed—and the color she wanted.

Distinct spaces and signature shows

Open floor plans have been popular for many years for good reason: They make homes feel big, spacious, and modern, but it’s easy to lose the definition of each room and more difficult to tailor the space for different needs. To solve this challenge, Davis tapped into Lutron’s easy programming and custom settings to carve out distinctions between the kitchen, dining area, and living room—creating three distinct areas, each with a vibe of their own.

In addition, Ketra’s infinitely customizable color palette enabled Bikoff to let her imagination run free, working with Davis to sculpt scenes that reflect her unique tastes and influences. “We made lots of different colored light shows,” says Davis. “We did a whole palette just for her wedding, whose reception she hosted at the house— I remember one in particular we called ‘La Vie en Rose’ that’s these beautiful layers of soft, rosy pinks.”

“I'm a stickler for aesthetics and wanted to hide as much technology as possible. When customers invest so much in a project, it blows my mind when things don't match, or stand out in an unwanted way.” 

-Rob Davis, Lighting Control Director, Audio Interiors

Results

For many, the Hamptons represent an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Now Bikoff can leave the demands of her job behind—and bring her signature panache along for the ride. Uniting gorgeous light, intelligent shades, simple controls, and precise personalization, she created an environment suited to reflection and repose—while still allowing for lush, sumptuous bursts of colorful light at a moment’s notice.

In our digital age, people are craving a stronger connection with the outdoors, and Bikoff’s barnhouse is a place where she can nurture that natural connection—while still staying a true maximalist at heart.

Are you a designer looking to level-up lighting and shades on a luxury project? Our dedicated team of A&D consultants and custom integrators are here to help. Start exploring our endless palette of fabrics, finishes, and luxury residential solutions at luxury.lutron.com

Products Used

D3 Downlights
A20 Lamp
S30 Track Luminaire
Lutron Palladiom Keypad
Lutron Alisse Keypad
Lutron Palladiom Shades
Lutron HomeWorks QSX Processor

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