Easy Elegance

Libby Langdon brings her signature blend of elegance and ease to every space she touches

Libby Langdon’s love of interior design reaches into her roots. The designer was raised in High Point, North Carolina, known as the “Furniture Capital of the World.” 

“I feel like I literally grew up in the home furnishings industry,” she said of her childhood.

Her father was in the textiles business, while her mother frequently redecorated their home for the pleasure of the many guests they hosted during Langdon’s childhood.

“I loved watching her create beautiful environments people loved spending time in,” Langdon said.

After moving to New York City to study fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Langdon got her start in interior design with an eight-month role for the Fox network show “Design Invasion.” She traveled the country working in “real people’s” homes and problem-solving in real time to meet each episode’s daily deadline, she said. Through the role, Langdon found her calling.

“It was truly incredible when the homeowners would come in and see their space completely transformed,” Langdon said. “I still love experiencing that magic today when my clients see their homes come together.”

A Designer of Many Trades
Throughout her career, Langdon’s worn a range of professional outfits.

She’s been a journalist, with a two-year column in House Beautiful magazine entitled “Libby’s Makeover,” and appeared on HGTV’s “Small Space, Big Style” for five seasons.

Langdon designed the golf pro shop and clothing store of the Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, along with several restaurants in New York City, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Florida, and, in 2009, authored her book, “Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions.”

Not stopping there, Langdon also designed and licensed collections of furniture, lighting, wall décor and home accessories that are sold by retailers across the country, both online and in-store. 

Perhaps her most rewarding endeavor, however, is her volunteer work, Langon said. Notably, she led the redesign of a community center with the nonprofit She Builds, which brings together top women in New York City real estate to tackle community service projects.

“It was wonderful to see the reactions of the people who spend time there, knowing how much they would enjoy the brand new, bright and bold look of their community center,” Langdon recalled.

‘Easy’ living in the Hamptons
Over the years, Langdon has described her design approach as “easy, elegant, everyday style.”

The “easy” refers to the lack of stress her clients feel working with her, while the “elegant, everyday style” is about having a beautiful home that still accommodates the owner’s “real life,” she said. With its laid-back, coastal vibe, Langdon finds the Hamptons to be the perfect canvas. 

“Design projects in the Hamptons are some of my favorites because there is a wonderful balance between beautiful, stylish spaces that are also incredibly comfortable and livable,” she said.

The designer first visited the Hamptons in 1992 and “absolutely fell in love with the beaches, bays and small-town feel of the villages,” she recalled.

In 2003, Langdon gave in to her love of the Hamptons and bought a five-bed, seven-bath cedar shingle in Sag Harbor, which she still owns today.

“Sag Harbor is very special because we have so many wonderful restaurants on the water, the theaters, shops and businesses, but everything is in close proximity and is pretty much in walking distance,” Langdon explained. “It still feels like a small town to me.”

Classic meets modern in Bridgehampton
Among her recent Hamptons projects, Langdon teamed up with architect Eric Woodward to design a seven-bed, nine-bath new construction in Bridgehampton.

Langdon weighed in on the initial drawings, helping Woodward accommodate how the clients would live and entertain in the home, down to the smallest details.

Elements like floor outlets, wall sconces and picture lights “are imperative for an electrical plan, and it costs nothing to make note of that before the house is built,” Langdon said. “It gets expensive when you need to change things.”

Sleek materials and polished finishes in the kitchen, designed and built by Ciuffo Cabinetry, “make it a showstopper in the great room,” she added.

While the architecture of the 11,000-square-foot home is a classic Hamptons style, the clients wanted some unexpected and contemporary elements in the design, inspiring Langdon to paint the dining room ceiling cobalt blue and include an angular chandelier.

Dramatic chandeliers with drops extending from the second to the first floor accentuate the double-height ceiling in the entryway staircase, she said.

The fixtures are mixed with dim recessed lighting and table lamps throughout the home to keep it cozy and inviting.

“Lighting is one of the most important elements in any interior design,” Langdon said, “and this large project was no exception!”