Nestled along the southern tine of the fork that is New York’s Long Island, the Hamptons are synonymous with a design aesthetic that is equal parts beachy, casual, and American – executed on a sliding scale from saltbox to McMansion. This summer brings a shot of Scandinavian cool to the East End with the debut of Austere c/o The Maidstone, a 'retail experience' that is right at home inside the Scandi-inspired boutique hotel.
'Jenny Ljungberg [owner of c/o The Maidstone] has created a little oasis, where community, food and comfort come together,' says fellow Stockholm native Fredrik Carlström, who founded Austere as a hybrid store, showroom, and event space in downtown Los Angeles in 2014. 'It is luxurious without being stiff, which is kind of the Scandinavian way. The first time I set foot in there I knew we had to do something together.'
That something looks back to the origins of the historic East Hampton property, a Greek revival structure constructed just before the Civil War and acquired by Ljungberg in 2008. 'For much of the 19th century, the building that now houses the hotel was used as a tannery, and first took in overnight guests while their saddles were being repaired, which if you think about it, is a really unique retail experience,' says Carlström. 'We are trying to create new ways to experience design, so we feel we are continuing what started years ago.'
The design on offer at Austere c/o The Maidstone ranges from Alvar Aalto classics (Artek stools in Finnish birch wood, curvy Iittala vases made from mouth-blown glass) and iconic Louis Poulsen lighting, to contemporary pieces including Lars Hofsjö’s numbered tables made from Swedish rag rugs and monumental handmade candlesticks by Anki Gneib. Other crowd-pleasers include Fika coffee, Sockerbit candy, and an LED-studded swing designed by Alexander Lervik in collaboration with Finnish lighting company Saas Instruments. 'It’s a big favourite with kids,' says Carlström of the glowing porch perch.
Guests that can manage to part ways with their Hästens beds and Røros Tweed blankets can borrow one of the hotel’s fleet of Austere-provided BikeID cycles, take a Point 65° kayak out for a test paddle, or enjoy the grounds, scattered with seating from Skargaarden. 'Most outdoor furniture is really ugly, but Skargaarden’s pieces live somewhere in between outdoor and indoor,' says Carlström.
And take heed, pessimistic design enthusiasts, Austere c/o The Maidstone really has thought of everything: with rugged Stutterheim raincoats, even the dreaded rainy Hamptons weekend is no match for Swedish ingenuity.
The collaboration looks back to the origins of the historic East Hampton property, a Greek revival structure constructed just before the Civil War
As well as home furnishings and design items, the store stocks more unusual products such as kayaks, bike accessories and, in the form of Stockholm startup Teenage Engineering's OP-1, synthesisers
The hotel has its very own fleet of Austere-provided Swedish BikeID cycles
'It’s a big favourite with kids': an LED-studded swing designed by Alexander Lervik in collaboration with Finnish lighting company Saas Instruments
Guests and visitors can wander the grounds, which are scattered with seating from Skargaarden
'Most outdoor furniture is really ugly, but Skargaarden’s pieces live somewhere in between outdoor and indoor,' says Carlström
Austere c/o The Maidstone's stock even stretches to wearables, including shirts by Schnayderman's, and belts, aprons and bags by the historic Böle Tannery
ADDRESS
Austere c/o The Maidstone Hotel
207 Main Street
East Hampton, NY 11937
-
One to watch: Chiara Lionello’s practice finds beauty in simple gesturesThe Milan-based designer and architect works across multiple disciplines to create objects and spaces that are shaped by experiences and memories
-
Saint Laurent's Anthony Vaccarello curates four rare Charlotte Perriand reissuesThese lesser-seen Charlotte Perriand furniture designs are reissued in a limited edition and on display at Paris' Galerie Patrick Seguin (until 22 November 2025)
-
Viewers are cast as voyeurs in Tai Shani’s crimson-hued London exhibitionBritish artist Tai Shani creates mystical other worlds through sculpture, performance and film. Step inside at Gathering
-
Meet Goodesign, the modular furniture studio with big dreamsWallpaper* speaks to Emmanuel Popoteur, the self-taught designer behind New York’s Goodesign, a studio creating intuitive, adaptable furniture for modern living
-
New furniture from Maiden Home elevates elemental materials through unique designFinely crafted and exquisitely formed, the New York furniture brand’s latest designs find their perfect showcase at a modernist Californian home
-
Wallpaper* USA 400: The people shaping Creative America in 2025Our annual look at the talents defining the country’s creative landscape right now
-
Workstead's lanterns combine the richness of silk with a warm glowAn otherworldly lamp collection, the Lantern series by Workstead features raw silk shades and nostalgic silhouettes in three designs
-
Can creativity survive in the United States?We asked three design powerhouses to weigh in on this political moment
-
Murray Moss: 'We must stop the erosion of our 250-year-old American culture'Murray Moss, the founder of design gallery Moss and consultancy Moss Bureau, warns of cultural trauma in an authoritarian state
-
‘You can feel their presence’: step inside the Eameses’ Pacific Palisades residenceCharles and Ray Eames’ descendants are exploring new ways to preserve the designers’ legacy, as the couple’s masterpiece Pacific Palisades residence reopens following the recent LA fires
-
2025’s Wallpaper* US issue is on sale now, celebrating creative spirit in turbulent timesFrom a glitterball stilt suit to the Eames House, contemporary design to a century-old cocktail glass – the August 2025 US issue of Wallpaper* honours creativity that shines and endures. On newsstands now
