Melanie, Ryan and Kyle with their pups

This week KDHamptons catches up 19-year old North Fork resident, Melanie Sperin, founder of Hampton Ivy, a family owned company launched this past summer. “I launched the Hampton Ivy brand with the help and guidance of my mom Cynthia, dad Sean, my brother Ryan, 29, and Kyle, who’s 23. We live on the north shore of Long Island in Huntington with our beautiful lab, Sierra, and a crazy sweet little Yorkie named Levi. Building the Hampton Ivy brand was a dream of mine since I was a little girl. My mother is an interior designer I have learned a lot being able to help her, so I fell in love with design as a whole.” Learn more about Melanie in this new KDHamptons Fashion Diary below:

KDHamptons:  What do you love most about the Hamptons?

Melanie Sperin: Although we live on the North Fork, I love visiting the Hamptons often. It’s easy to love the Hamptons! Being surrounded by the beautiful beaches, the charm of each Main Street and little lane makes you feel as if you’ve been transported back in time to a simpler era. I love to bring my dog for a walk, grab a table outside at Village Cheese Shop, have a coffee and say hello to friendly people stopping by. I love shopping in Ralph Lauren and Hildreths in Southampton where I can spend hours browsing, looking for the perfect item. To me, the Hamptons has everything.  Even though it’s famous for also being a haven for celebrities, the best thing about it is it’s casual charm. It’s luxurious yet laid back.

KDHamptons: Please tell our readers about the Hampton Ivy brand?
Melanie: My career right now is two-fold. I’m a sophomore at FIT in New York City, so I’m a student, and I also work on Hampton Ivy full time. It’s a balancing act for sure. I live in NYC four days out of the week and come home for three day weekends to work.  Hampton Ivy is just a baby of a company and therefore requires a lot of work. Currently, it is just a blog, and we will be opening an online shop at the beginning of 2015. Right now we are working on our accessories first, developing a social media following and working all hours on the future website ourselves.

KDHamptons: What types of products will you offer from Hampton Ivy?

Melanie: Hampton Ivy will start as a preppy accessory line. I’ve designed a series of bracelets around the vintage feel of “classic preppy”. We’ll be designing other fashion accessories,  clothing, and items for the home eventually. We’re creating the first shop online, and we’re also working on creating pop-up shops too.  My goal is to open in a tiny ivy covered shop in one of the Hamptons hamlets.  My brothers have business backgrounds and love design just as much as me.

Here is a tartan plaid enamel bracelet that will be available in our line in early 2015.

KDHamptons: How is it to work with your siblings?

Melanie: Being raised in a house where old school manners are expected, and hard work is part of our heritage, it’s natural that we all do this together. My brothers love fashion and only want the best. My brother Ryan is an amazing artist, so he works on putting my designs to paper and Kyle handles the business end of things. Hampton Ivy involves everyone in the family which is such a blessing to us and we want to share that with everyone.

KDHamptons: Describe your perfect day in the Hamptons?

Melanie: My favorite day in the Hamptons is definitely one that begins just as the
leaves are full color in the fall, and the summer crowds are gone.  It has to include a couple hours set aside for shopping of course. A morning antique fair with coffee or hot cocoa in hand is a lovely way to begin the day. Then certainly an hour to go through Hildreths, one of my favorite spots! Where else could you pick up hardware and a new sofa at the same time? Then I’d pop into a few little boutiques on Jobs Lane for inspiration. I’d end the day with an early dinner at 75 Main, and on the way back to Huntington I love to stop at a farmstand and bring home a fresh baked pie. That’s a perfect day!

KDHamptons: Please describe your home decor style?

Melanie: My favorite decorating style is the same as my fashion style. I enjoy having
a home that is simply designed and organized. I lean more toward the Americana decor, Ralph Lauren inspired, with rich leathers, exposed wood, and equestrian pieces. I also love having colorful, pastel accents in my rooms, that pop against the white walls and other neutral colors. I love changing my decor for each season. In the spring and summer it’s more light and Lilly Pulitzer, and then fall and winter it’s warmer.

KDHamptons: Do you like to cook at home?

Melanie: Yes I do like having my family and friends for dinner at home. My mother and I cook up a storm and love every minute of it. We’ve been doing that since I was old enough stir pancake batter. Now it’s much more elaborate sometimes, but I love cooking and baking. A go-to dinner plan would be an antipasto platter with water crackers with sopressata, olive tapenade, and manchego cheese. Then for dinner, pasta with homemade tomato sauce and garlic bread. Dessert is usually homemade pie.

KDHamptons: If you could invite any three people for dinner, whom would you choose?

Melanie: The three people I’d invite are: the Duchess Kate Middleton, Ralph Lauren, and my Grandfather who passed away a few years ago. I’d invite the Duchess because she’s my style muse, Ralph Lauren has been my favorite designer since I knew what labels were. The aesthetics of his company, his road to success, and he himself have all inspired me. My grandfather I miss everyday – he always brought the party.

* Check out Hampton Ivy HERE, and follow Melanie @HamptonIvy on Instagram