The Long Island hamlet of Springs is one of the only places out East that might still feel undiscovered. The farmland turned working-class suburb turned artists’ haven is known for shingle-style homes on modest wooded lots, where savvy weekenders now go to escape not only the hustle of New York City, but also the rest of the Hamptons summer crowd.

Before: Exterior

After: Exterior

“It’s this little enclave where you’re immune from the traffic, chaos, and pretentiousness of the rest of the Hamptons,” says lawyer Gianni Servodidio, who first visited the area on a summer timeshare in his twenties. In 2002, Gianni decided that if he couldn’t yet afford to buy a home in Manhattan, he’d invest in one where he could get away from its rat race. “I landed on this quaint little house, way out deep in a rural part of the Springs, and bought it for not a lot of money,” he says. Two decades later, it needed a refresh, so Gianni called his neighbor.

Before: Dining Room

After: Dining Room

Architect Matthew Bremer, founder of New York–based studio Architecture in Formation, also has a small cottage in Springs—one that he rents out on Airbnb during the weeks of the year he is not in town. Gianni saw Bremer’s online listing, thought “he did an amazing job with his house,” and hired the architect to transform his own.

Before: Bathroom

After: Primary Bathroom

After: Guest Bathroom

With dated ’90s finishes and no air conditioning, the interior of Gianni’s home was a warren of enclosed spaces, including a small living room interrupted by the garage. “The impetus of the project was refreshing the house and adding an additional bathroom for the three upstairs bedrooms,” he explains. However, the scope quickly expanded to include a full gut renovation with a $1,000,000 budget.

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

First, Bremer demolished the garage to open the living room up to backyard pool access. “The other architectural move we made is that we flipped the two guest rooms and the primary bedroom upstairs,” says the architect. The revised layout gives the latter a view of the treetops through a new corner window instead of overlooking the street as before.

$20,000 Landscaping	$15,976 Kitchen & Bath Fixtures	$16,831 Lighting
$104,177 Carpentry	$38,075 Countertops	$18,529 Appliances
$30,999 Windows & Glazing	$28,748 Doors	$26,600 Millwork
$30,500 Reform Kitchen Cabinetry	$20,254 Tile	$67,379 Furnishings & Decor
$5,000 Permitting	$16,837 Miscellaneous	$90,950 General Contractor Fee
$135,183 Architect/Design Fee	$15,000 Demolition	$5,615 Waste/Debris Removal
$30,346 Septic	$6,100 Site Work	$64,020 Structural
$53,008 Wall Finishes	$43,860 Flooring	$2,143 Hardware
$46,068 Electrical	$31,785 Plumbing	$40,451 HVAC Equipment
Grand Total: $1,004,434

The new en suite primary bath is clad in terrazzo, and the kitchen has an eat-in Calacutta gold countertop—one of the project’s splurges, along with European oak floors throughout. Elsewhere, clever material choices helped keep costs down.

Before: Office

After: Office

Moses, perches on the bespoke daybed. A Corncob table by Vibey XO from Coming Soon NYC stands atop the Tibetan rug from Tai Ping NYC." layout="bleed" credit="Photo by Eric Petschek" photoUserId="6256592318939648000"/>

“Color is relatively cost effective,” says Bremer, who specified pistachio-hued Reform cabinetry, a pop of sea blue paint in the stairwell, and fire-engine red doors to Gianni’s office, which now has a custom daybed that can be used for an additional guest stay. Furnishings from Blu Dot and Design Within Reach, alongside custom and vintage pieces, echo the vibrant palette.

Before: Primary Bedroom

After: Primary Bedroom

“We wanted to bounce as much light around as possible so you’ve got a lot of white sheetrock,” Bremer adds. The biggest material gesture yields one of the project’s most subtle effects. In the living room, the architect introduced integrated wood cabinetry and covered the surrounding wall—including an uninspired brick fireplace—in a single plane of lime plaster. “It was the simplest, most cost-effective material that gave such rich texture,” says the architect.

After: Living Area

Before: Stairwell

After: Stairwell

“The things we really prioritized were quality of light and connections from one space to another,” Bremer says. At the rear of the 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath residence, large sliding glass doors and windows create seamless indoor/outdoor flow while maintaining a sense of privacy.

For Gianni, who stays at the home most of the summer and year-round on weekends, and entertains friends and family there often, the transformation is massive. “It's so much more tranquil,” he says. “People who hadn’t been to the house for years are shocked. It really does feel like an entirely different space.”

The changes, however, were all made within the original footprint. “It’s not a house that has any giant design moves,” says Bremer. “It’s a series of micro tweaks that simply make a nice beach house.”

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Architecture in Formation / @aif_ny

Builder/General Contractor: Solo Construction

Structural Engineer: Martos Engineering / @martoseng

Civil Engineer: Bridgewater Environmental Services / @bridgewaterenvironmental

Landscape Contractor: Vista Morales, Inc., Luis Morales / @vistamorales

Landscape Design: Architecture in Formation

Interior Design: Architecture in Formation

Cabinetry Design: New York Fine Interiors, Damian Cernog

Kitchen Cabinetry: Reform Kitchens / @reformcph

Correction on 7/14/26: Matthew Bremer’s dog, Moses, is a saluki, not a greyhound.