There’s no place like home...in Sag Harbor for interior designer, book author, owner of Libby Interiors Inc., TV makeover personality, furniture designer~ and longtime Hamptonite, Libby Langdon.

“My brand is all about easy, elegant, everyday style,” shares Libby. “When I design homes for clients, I want to create the same stylish and comfortable spaces that I create for myself.   I believe everyone should have somewhere to sit, a place to put a drink and a spot to put their feet up.  I don’t love interiors that are too precious or fussy.  I love creating warm, inviting homes that that have a casual elegance but still work for peoples’ everyday lifestyles,”  Known for her innovative and inexpensive design tips, Langdon’s first book~ Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions~ helps small space dwellers live large. Her designs have been featured on magazine covers of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens, New England Home and Decorating Spaces.

Don’t you always want to know what top designers personal homes look like? We do! KDHamptons asks our pal Libby to give our readers a tour of her beautiful Sag Harbor home in this KDHamptons Design Diary below:

Libby says, “I adore our house and have a visceral reaction when I walk up the stairs; it’s as if the weight of my NYC work world, and all the daily stresses just melt away….It’s incredible that a place can soothe my soul as much as this place does.  I also love the light in the Hamptons.  Because our home is surrounded by water on three sides, I believe that creates a special quality of daylight and sunsets that are beyond compare!” Libby loves to incorporate new pieces from her own collection of furniture, lighting, wallpaper, and rugs as they become available to the market. To see all go here.

“Our house~as we would say in the South~is an “upside-down” house, meaning the main living area is up on the third floor, guest rooms and our office are on the second and my design studio is on the first.   It was built this way high up on a hill so we can see Sag Harbor bay from our top floor — it’s filled with light and we are up above the treetops.  It feels like a big tree house to me!  Plus, we are at the end of a dead-end street and backed by preserved land, so we have lots of wild turkeys, deer, rabbits, red fox and hawks.….we love watching all the wildlife!”

“There are so many design elements that I really love about our home. The long decks on the front of the house are definitely amongst my top five.  We’ve got some great outdoor furniture and since the grill is also on the third floor off the kitchen, we live out there when the weather is nice.  We have some really special nights out there with the people we love the most,” shares the designer.

Wondering what is the trend in Hamptons design right now? Libby says, “Design in the Hamptons transcends trends.  Most of my clients want a space that announces their own personal style and really speaks to their aesthetic.  It’s interesting because I don’t feel like I’ve ever repeated the same design or look on a project; each client is so different and, although there are common threads in what people are looking for, they want their individual spin on it.  It should feel like THEIR home and not a carbon copy of someone else’s.”

Libby launched her own line of furniture to fulfill a need she identified: “When I started noticing the common threads in what clients were asking for over and over again, and not always being able to find that perfect piece, I was inspired to design my own line, Libby Langdon Upholstery for Braxton Culler. We offer lots of fabric/trim options for personalization.   People want clean, sleek lines in their furniture, without it feeling cold or too modern.  They want comfort, but not cushions that collapse with too much down filler. We all have so many guests, but who wants to spend the weekend fluffing cushions? Clients want spaces that feel clutter-free but that still feel finished and complete.” [see very top photo for one of Libby’s sofa designs]

KDHamptons readers are always share their love of blue and white design. Libby say,   “The color of the Hamptons summer season is typically all shades of blue, as the perennial favorite of my Hamptons clients [and actually everywhere for that matter].  Blue is livable, timeless and looks fantastic with so many other colors, and it’s also easy to mix multiple shades of blue and have them work beautifully together. Pale blue, navy and turquoise look super stylish when mixed together. When you combine the colors of the coastline; tan, blue and white, you’ll have a perfect palette that you will love living in for a long time…”

The designer feels creating a stylish home is all about the mix of old & new. “My favorite Hamptons design resource is English Country Antiques in Bridgehampton. I buy a lot of new pieces for projects, and also sell clients from my own upholstery furniture line, but I have to be careful not to make their homes look like showrooms with all brand new furniture.  It’s imperative to mix in some carefully chosen older items with nice patina, adding dimension to the overall design.  There is wonderful history out here in the Hamptons and I think by incorporating pieces here or there from English Country Antiques is a great place to start staying true to the stylish past.”

Want to see more of Libby’s work?

*Rachael Ray often features her as her interior design “buddy” for makeover segments. Watch them here: www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/categories/libby-langdon .

*Her first book, Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions, is sold at 1,600 Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores, as well all major book stores.

*Libby often pops up doing makeovers on shows such as The View, The Early Show, BetterTV, and is a regular contributor and small space expert to Woman’s Day, Budget Decorating, Better Homes and Gardens, Hamptons.com and Glamour with her design, entertaining and food ideas.

*Or go to her website at: www.libbylangdon.com