When a young family acquired the lot next to their historic home in Sag Harbor, they commissioned Sydney Maag to create a guest cottage that could hold up to kids, guests, and pets alike without losing its sense of style.
Since the main house leans historically formal, Sydney wanted the guest house to be a complete departure. She turned to iconic East Hampton architect Alfred Scheffer for inspiration. Starting in the early 1940s, Scheffer helped define the Hamptons beach cottage, refining the Cape Cod style to suit the Hamptons’ dune landscape. He focused on a low profile space, combining traditional with modern aesthetics and an overall informality. His beach cottages were rich in their simplicity, and Sydney used that same understated luxury as the guiding spirit for the guest home.
In practice, that meant traditional materials like wood shingles and shutters paired with more unexpected finds, like reclaimed beams from a ranch in Montana. By mixing those special, authentic elements with modern lighting and elevated tile, Sydney achieved a space distinct from the main house but still unmistakably Hamptons.
Sydney Maag worked closely with the client to use items from their existing furniture and collections while also placing an emphasis on sourcing locally. Sydney pulled much of the decor directly from what the family already owned, reimagining for the new space. She also partnered closely with the contractor and landscapers to ensure the home was built for all of the client’s needs now and in the future, including a seamless indoor / outdoor flow, new gardens, and a pergola to complement both the new guest house and the existing main home.
