- Location
- Southport, CT
- project type
- Residential
- square footage
- 6,500 sq. ft.
- timeline
- 2.5 years
- moodboard
- A layered blend of patina and polish, with subtle nods to nautical craftsmanship.
- the challenge
- Create an entirely new upstairs primary suite
Blair Moore loves a haunted house—but that’s a story for another time. It’s just that she senses the long history and the big personalities that linger in hundred-year-old frames. For this 18th-century Southport, Connecticut home that was once a ship captain’s cottage, she channeled the gritty spirit of the captain who brushes his boots off before he enters his wood-paneled smoking room, ready to unwind. The captain’s swagger and sophistication echo through the remarkably renovated walls—can you even tell it’s been renovated?—now home to a family of four New Yorkers. Moore grew up on a cattle farm in Australia that was constantly being overhauled by her father, an expert builder. His lessons on fine craftsmanship layer into her patina-rich, playfully distinct style.
Inside Moore House Design's Project
Loloi – You worked in the fashion industry—designing shoes!—before founding Moore House Design. What pulled you to interiors?
Blair – Yes, I tried very hard not to be an interior designer [laughs]. My dad is an incredible millworker, and my grandmother was a well-known interior designer in New York City, but I went to Parsons and got into fashion. [After a few years] everything kept pulling me back to my roots and my heritage, and that was really designing homes.
Loloi – What was the ship captain’s cottage like when you first visited the project?
Blair – The exterior was unassuming and really lovely, but the interior had been layered over for generations and things had been stripped back from the house. The clients brought us on to bring that historic importance back into the building. The house has its own story and personality, and then the clients have their own personality. So, this is like joining the two people together.
Loloi – Tell us about that hidden smoking room…
Blair – Not that they’re smokers, but the client’s vibe felt very Don Draper, Mad Men-esque, so I wanted that vibe to be in there like an old lounge. I really wanted it to be a closed-off space that was hidden, and somewhere that the clients could sneak away from the kids, crack a bottle of whiskey, and have a great time. We paired the Sterling Collection in the room because it’s very lush and supple, so there’s a blend between the modernity of the rug and the historic provenance of the architecture.
Explore the Full Gallery
Loloi – What makes a Moore House Design a Moore House Design, exactly?
Blair – I always want our houses to look beautiful and stunning, but almost like they've got a little bit of dirt sprinkled on them, so they feel loved, and they feel used. In this house, you might notice the human hand a lot. I love those imperfections. In the plaster work, you’ll see some softness in the hand strokes.
Loloi – Why is something like custom millwork so important to you?
Blair – We're only put on this earth for so many years, but a house? It outlasts generations. And I think I was truly put on this earth to add that history and add that love back into our houses.
For more inspiration – @moorehousedesign – Follow Moore House Design on Instagram
moorehousedesign.com – See the complete portfolio
About the Designer
Moore House Design is an interior design firm based in New York and Rhode Island, led by principal and founder Blair Moore. Her philosophy is rooted in the authenticity of craft, with an approach that embraces interior architecture, history, and handmade furnishings. Her designs have been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more.
