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Kitchen
Light fronts, a worktop in composite or natural stone, and an island that doubles as a table.
- Frame and panel or flat, always light
- Open shelf instead of wall units
- Island with seating
Long Island style
Light, airy and timeless.
White panelling, blue-grey accents and as much daylight as possible. The coastal variant of country living, built entirely to measure by us.
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How to spot Long Island
It all comes down to light.
Long Island comes from the American east coast: summer houses with white-painted panelling, plenty of windows and furniture you can sit on with sand on your feet. For us it is the lightest variant of country living.
The style sits close to cottage, but looser and far lighter: less dark timber, more white, and vertical panelling instead of heavy wainscoting. We build that look with our own bespoke work, tuned to a Belgian house and to our daylight.
- White and off-white as the base, floor to ceiling
- Vertical panelling, slim battens or beaded boards
- Blue-grey as the only accent colour
- Linen and cotton, generous seating, no taut leather
- Natural materials: timber, rattan, basketwork
The panelling
Four ways to build up a wall.
The panelling makes this style. We draw and make all four types ourselves, at the height that suits your room.
In the spotlight
Work from our own projects.
A cross-section of what we have furnished over the past years, from country house to penthouse. Hover over the series to stop it, or drag it along yourself.
Room by room
Where the style does its work.
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Living room
Generous sofas in linen, a low table and as little closed furniture as possible in front of the windows.
- Sofa in linen or cotton
- Low table in timber
- Nothing tall in front of the window
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Dining area
A long table in light timber, fabric chairs and a chandelier that doesn't look too heavy.
- Table in light or bleached timber
- Chairs in plain fabric
- Chandelier in metal or rattan
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Bedroom
White panelling behind the bed, cabinetry in the same tone as the wall.
- Panelled wall as headboard
- Cabinet in wall colour
- Curtains in linen
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Bathroom
A light vanity with panelled doors, natural stone and plenty of white, as in our project in Meerdonk.
- Vanity with panelled front
- Natural stone or composite
- Mirror with a timber frame
Material and finish
White is not one colour.
The biggest mistake with this style is assuming white is simple. Off-white with a warm undertone makes a room soft; the same white with a cool undertone makes it clinical. So we always lay the samples next to your daylight, in the showroom.
For the panelling we work with solid timber, veneer, melamine or lacquered MDF, depending on the room, the use and the budget. For visible timber parts, such as a tabletop or a beam, you pick the tone from our own finishes.
We keep the accent to a single colour: blue-grey in the textiles or on one wall. Any more accents and the calm image disappears at once.
Apartment in Ghent Light as the starting point. Panelling, staircase, cabinetry and seating in the same light tone. That is why the apartment looks larger than it is.
From our projects
Our lightest work.
Honestly speaking
We don't photograph beach houses.
In Belgium, Long Island is not an architectural style but an interior style. We have no villa on the American east coast in our portfolio, and we would rather show our own work than mood images from the internet.
So what you see above are our own projects that come closest to this style: the light apartment in Ghent, the house in Meerdonk with white panelling, and the lightest rooms from Overijse. If you want to go further in that direction, we draw it fully to measure: panelled walls, cabinetry, kitchen, textiles and lighting.
Where it goes wrong
Four mistakes that make it cold.
01
Cold white
White with a blue undertone makes the room clinical. Off-white with a warm undertone keeps it soft.
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Too much blue
Blue on the wall, the sofa, the cushions and the rug becomes a theme instead of an accent. One carrier is enough.
03
Everything smooth
Without rattan, basketwork or brushed oak, light quickly falls flat. Texture keeps it alive.
04
Heavy curtains
Velvet and dense fabrics swallow the light. Linen that lets the daylight through belongs to this style.
This style stands or falls on the right white. Never choose it on a screen.
Long Island or something else
The difference with the neighbouring styles.
These four sit close together. Briefly compared:
- Long Island is the lightest: white panelling, blue-grey accent, plenty of daylight. Suits generous windows and houses near the sea.
- Cottage is warmer and more enclosed: darker timber, panelling, more textiles.
- Country is sturdier: heavier furniture, natural stone, exposed beams.
- Contemporary country keeps the materials but drops the ornament.
How it works
From first meeting to fitted interior.
01
First meeting
At your home or in the showroom. We measure up and give a first guide price. That meeting costs nothing.
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Design in 3D
You see the panelling and the whites on screen before anything is made.
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Choosing materials
Whites, timber and fabric side by side, in daylight and not on a screen.
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Our own workshop
Panelled walls, cabinets and kitchen come from in house, with continuous dimensions.
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Fitting
Our own team fits everything, including lighting, curtains and furniture.
Why Marcottestyle
Why this style calls for bespoke.
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01
We think along with you
We don't just carry out orders. We question your layout, measure up and find the solution you hadn't seen.
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A complete plan
You don't get a sketch but a dossier: survey drawing, layout plan, bespoke drawings, electrical and lighting plan, material schedule and a detailed quotation per item.
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Everything in 3D first
Panel layout and whites are visible on screen before anything is ordered.
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Our own workshop
Panelled walls made to your ceiling height, with battens the same width throughout.
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Our own fitters
Our own team fits, adjusts and finishes. No arguments between designer, supplier and fitter.
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First meeting free
Introduction, survey and an honest guide price cost you nothing.
Related styles
Other directions we work in.
Frequently asked questions
About Long Island style.
What does such an interior cost?
A fully furnished room usually lands between 15,000 and 21,000 euros, including panelling, furniture, lighting and textiles. The panelling weighs more than a plain wall, because it is bespoke. At the first meeting you receive a guide price free of charge.
Does this work without a sea view?
Yes. The style is about light and about panelling, not about the surroundings. In an apartment or an ordinary terraced house it works just as well, and it makes smaller rooms feel more spacious.
Which white should I choose?
Never a white you have only seen on a screen. We lay the samples at your home or in the showroom next to your daylight: the same white reads warm facing south and cool facing north.
Isn't that panelling expensive?
It is bespoke, so more expensive than painting. But you gain relief, protection and coherence, and it lasts for decades. Often we panel one or two walls rather than everything.
Can the kitchen follow this style?
Yes. Light fronts, an island with seating and a worktop in composite or natural stone. We draw the kitchen into the same design.
How do I maintain white panelling?
A matt lacquer cleans and touches up well. In places that take a beating, such as a hallway, we use a harder finish.
What is the difference with cottage?
Cottage is warmer, darker and more enclosed. Long Island is lighter, looser and airier, with vertical panelling instead of heavy wainscoting.
Can I see it somewhere?
Our showrooms hold settings with panelling, whites and fabrics you can lay side by side.
25years of experience
1500designs drawn
0 %fee on the design
4,7out of five on Google
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