Inside Claxton House: A Sag Harbor Waterfront Home Tour

Perched on the edge of Sag Harbor Cove, Claxton House is the work of interior designer Bryan Graybill, his husband Daniel Dokos, and the architecture firm Historical Concepts, who together reimagined a modest 1950s structure into a home that feels both timeless and theatrical. Their shared vision transformed the property into a residence that reads like a layered story of American history—equal parts Georgian charm, industrial character, and coastal retreat—all while framing sweeping water views.

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A Story of Place & Time

Claxton House is guided by an invented narrative: the imagined life of Ensign Claxton, a British naval officer from the War of 1812 who settled along this shoreline. Graybill used this fictional past to drive authentic design choices, creating a home that looks as if it has evolved over centuries.

The lot itself once held a utilitarian warehouse, and later a plain 1950s house with low ceilings and piecemeal additions. Rather than simply renovate, Graybill and Historical Concepts rebuilt on the existing foundation and layered in architectural gestures that recall the area’s working waterfront—historic carriage-style windows, glazed interior walls, and timber details that suggest a house added onto over generations.

Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of Claxton House, and it feels less like a glossy showpiece than a working room that belongs in an old family home. Large windows inspired by carriage-house doors flood the space with light, while glazed interior partitions allow sunshine to filter deeper into adjoining rooms. Instead of built-ins from wall to wall, Graybill chose furniture-like cabinetry and open shelving, layering in reclaimed cement tiles and wide-plank oak floors to ground the room in history. There’s even a secondary “cutting room” tucked toward the garden, designed to handle prep work and keep the main kitchen photo-ready. The effect is practical and romantic at once—a reminder that true elegance comes from usability. For inspiration, think about how daylight can be borrowed through glass walls, or how mixing freestanding furniture with cabinetry can make a new kitchen feel collected rather than showroom-new.

 

 

Living Room

The living room is where Claxton House leans into drama. A mahogany and marble fireplace commands the space, giving it a sense of age and permanence. Low-hung windows frame sweeping views of the cove, pulling the landscape directly into the room. Seating is layered and intimate, with a curved banquette that feels as inviting as a favorite corner in a café. Finishes are deliberately varied—high-gloss ceilings here, pared-back mouldings there—so the space reads as though it has grown and changed over generations. The idea worth borrowing is that contrast tells a story: combining polished and simple, ornate and pared-back, can make even a new room feel storied and lived-in.

 

 

Sunroom

The sunroom at Claxton House is a study in light. Oversized windows frame the water, but what makes the space so memorable is how Graybill layered comfort into a room that could have easily felt stark. Casual seating mixes with café-style touches, and the finishes are deliberately relaxed—plaster walls softened with age, wood surfaces that look as though they’ve weathered in the salt air. It’s a place that blurs indoors and out, meant as much for lingering with morning coffee as for cocktails at sunset. The quiet lesson here is that a sunroom doesn’t need to be a showpiece of glass and gloss; it can be a lived-in transition, a bridge between landscape and interior that feels welcoming at any hour.

 

Mudroom

The mudroom takes a completely different approach. Instead of trying to disguise utility, Graybill and Historical Concepts leaned into it. One wall is clad in the same siding material used on the exterior, as if the space had been tacked on as a later addition. Radiant heat runs under the stone floor, making it practical year-round. Hooks, benches, and storage are straightforward, but the room feels intentional—another chapter in the house’s imagined evolution. The inspiration to take away is that mudrooms can be more than storage corridors; by embracing honest materials and even repeating exterior finishes inside, you can make a hardworking space feel like part of the story.

 

 

Primary Suite

Upstairs, the primary suite feels both intimate and indulgent. A fireplace anchors the bedroom, its scale lending a sense of permanence, while tall windows frame long views of Sag Harbor Cove. The adjoining bath is lined in marble, with a double vanity and soaking tub that feel luxurious without veering into excess. A custom dressing room sits just beyond, finished with tailored millwork that recalls a gentleman’s study. Perhaps the most charming detail is the private sleeping porch—a throwback to coastal homes of another era, where summer nights were spent in the open air. The takeaway is that luxury doesn’t always come from more square footage; it comes from thoughtful layering. By adding a fireplace to a bedroom, a private nook for morning air, or cabinetry designed for daily ritual, the room becomes more than a place to sleep—it becomes a retreat.

 

Guest Rooms

The guest rooms at Claxton House carry a quieter elegance than the primary suite, each designed with a sense of restraint that feels intentional. Walls are painted in softened tones, ceilings kept lower, and the trim more minimal—details chosen to suggest that these were spaces added or remodeled over time. Each bedroom has its own bath, giving privacy without excess. What makes them striking isn’t grandeur, but intimacy: the rooms feel collected rather than staged. The inspiration here is subtle—guest spaces don’t have to be ornate to be memorable. By paring back the finishes, choosing a slightly different palette, or scaling the ceiling height, you can create the feeling of a home that has evolved naturally, with layers of history even in its newest corners.

 

 

 

Exterior

From the street, Claxton House looks as though it has stood for generations. Historical Concepts shaped the architecture to recall a converted waterfront warehouse, with carriage-style windows and a massing that suggests additions layered on over time. The siding is painted in muted tones that weather gracefully against the salt air, while the roofline shifts subtly, echoing the irregularity of historic Sag Harbor homes. Around back, terraces and porches spill toward the water, and the pool nestles into stonework and gardens that feel as considered as the interiors. The takeaway is clear: authenticity comes from imperfection. By letting rooflines vary, by mixing materials, or by finishing surfaces in colors that soften with the elements, even new construction can carry the soul of a house that belongs to its place.

Photography by Douglas Friedman for Architectural Digest. Design by Bryan Graybill and Daniel Dokos, in collaboration with Historical Concepts.