2007 HC&G IDEA HOUSE TOUR

The gentleman's study is "an unstudied study," designer Jeffrey McCullough says. "It's a refuge, a lair—hardly your grandfather's library but a great place to read, converse, sip a highball, play a hand or catch 40 winks." Nevertheless, McCullough has included practical but luxurious furnishings to make reading, writing or daytrading on the laptop a pleasurable affair—or as pleasurable as work could be while summering in the Hamptons.

Opposite the entrance, a leather-topped pedestal desk stained in a rich brown stands next to a custom ebonized bookcase with gold accents. Across the room a distinctive contemporary étagere with a metal frame and glass shelving can hold books, objets or artworks.

Awash in cream, tan, russet and umber, the room is grounded by a large sage green and orange F.J. Hakimian Oriental rug complemented by plain kraft wallpaper. The ceiling, too, is covered with a kraft wallpaper but with a subtle amber pattern for texture. A generous array of abstract and figurative artworks in complementary colors enliven the décor without overwhelming it.

At the center of the room, a fine wool sofa and club chair with haberdashery-worthy tailoring along with an orange leather armchair and a pair of black leather armless chairs comprise a seating area appropriate for an impromptu meeting or a place to catch those 40 winks.