This Long Island Home Is an Entertainer's Dream
"We had to reimagine the entire house,” says Aamir Khandwala of the Bellport, New York, getaway that he transformed for his close friends in just a year. For Khandwala, who established his own firm in 2014 after more than a decade under Robert Couturier, the project was a reinvention in more ways than one. “After working for Robert, I had to come from his mindset into the mindset of: This is Aamir Khandwala Interior Design. What do you want to do under your own name?” he muses.
The metaphors came fast and furious for Khandwala as he completely rethought a home designed for an era and lifestyle that didn’t fit its new owners, Maneesh Goyal and Andrew Wingrove, avid hosts and art collectors—and Khandwala’s first official clients. The designer says the home pre-renovation was “more for a maximalist, which is not where my clients and I are.”
Indeed, it’s difficult to look at this sun-drenched, art-filled house and imagine the earlier scene Khandwala recalls: “a living room covered in velvet, overstuffed sofas, and a dark, carved wood fireplace.” For Goyal and Wingrove, he wanted to create a space that would be as welcoming for 300 guests as it would for the couple alone. First up: adjusting the flow. Where once there were narrow doorways between rooms, Khandwala opened up walls and added windows (often leaving them unadorned to maximize views, as seen in the living room) to bring light into the home and make better use of all of its square footage.
Next he layered in an array of rich textures and colors and a healthy mix of furnishings—from rustic to modern—for a space that’s “sophisticated but unfussy.”
The final element was the art. While Khandwala found places for many pieces from the couple’s collection, the most noticeable item might be one made right on-site: a mural in the round by Shantell Martin, the renowned English artist and a friend of the Wingrove and Goyal. “We knew we wanted to incorporate some work by Shantell but didn’t know where,” Khandwala recalls. “And I thought, Why limit ourselves? We aren’t doing just one wall; we are doing an entire room.” They gave the artist free rein, and she covered the dining room in her graphic, gestural lines in a single day, while Khandwala and his team were installing elsewhere in the house. Modern, bold, and original, it’s an apt addition to the revived home.
Living Room
Khandwala created new windows, a minimal fireplace, and the semicircle sofa, which was inspired by Milo Baughman. Light: custom wrought iron from ALT for Living. Floor lamps: vintage from Pamela Lerner. Armchairs: Angela Brown Ltd., covered in outdoor fabric.
Breakfast Area
Khandwala grounded the home with notes of rich color visible between rooms, as with this cerulean rug. Table: RH. Chairs: Moroso. Floors: Ann Sacks and Popham Design.
Powder Room
The ceramic tiles here are “the one and only detail we kept” from the original house, Khandwala says. Wallpaper: Fornasetti. Sconces: Schoolhouse Electric. Sink: Kohler.
Main Bedroom
“It’s all sunny and bright downstairs, but in the bedrooms I wanted it to feel moody and masculine,” Khandwala says. Paint: Cabot Trail by Benjamin Moore. Painting: Anne Neukamp. Bed: Desiron. Nightstands: vintage from 1stdibs. Lamp: vintage from Bailey House Auction. Rug: custom from Dhoku. Bookshelves: Room Interiors.
Pool
The outdoor patios and pool area were designed for entertaining. Furniture: assorted pieces from CB2, RH, Janus et Cie, and Dedon. The pool is gunite and bluestone.
Guest Room
The designer’s sister, Iram Khandwala, designed this wallpaper, produced by Studio Printworks. Bed: Blu Dot. Posters: vintage. Nightstand: ABC Carpet & Home.
Dining Room
A mural by Shantell Martin, a friend of the couple’s, watches from every wall. Table: Mecox. Chairs: McGuire. Chandelier: Roll & Hill.
More Inspo...
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
You Might Also Like
