By Donna Bulseco
Sometimes the best friendships happen in the least expected moments. That’s what you might say about the bond formed on the set of a Pizza Hut commercial in Montclair, New Jersey, over 20 years ago, when Elyse Ressler and Lisa Connolly, the duo behind the New York design studio Deuxellis, met while watching their kids (a random occurrence—the women were “not stage moms!” Ressler insists). They have partnered on many projects since then, their most recent—a 7,200-square-foot family home, on a former horse farm in East Hampton— reflects the same talents, vision and strengths they discovered in each other so many years ago.
Ressler, who has a background in art and strong relationships in the art world, brings her eye for color, arresting imagery and curation to the design partnership, while Connolly knows textiles and furniture design, having learned the art of sourcing fabrics when she worked for a privately held, family-run sportswear manufacturer in the Garment District. “We share the vision that design is what creates a home with atmosphere, character and that intangible feeling of comfort,” says Ressler. “Great design is about anticipating, planning and making conscious choices, and then being prepared to pivot at a moment’s notice when those choices lead to an entirely different outcome.”
Often, the choice of art is the starting point of a project for Deuxellis—and that was true for the East Hampton house. Finding what works within a space and suits the client’s tastes and interests is like a puzzle, albeit a creative one, that can set the tone and palette used for an interior. In the great room, for example, the deep earth tones, burnt orange, grayish blues, mustard and red shades in artist Jim Dine’s 2021 work “Venus by My Hand (and Watercolor)” are echoed in the custom blue-gray chairs upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric. All this, under a symphony of light with an elegant fixture (West Essex Lighting Studio). The sleek lines of the furniture fill the space without distracting from the views (“The house is very ‘indoor-outdoor’—you can see the landscape right outside,” says Ressler), and the commanding presence of Dine’s large-scale piece anchors the interior without dominating it.
Tucked away at the end of a long dirt road on 2 acres, the net-zero house has interiors blessed with large windows that afford the natural light that is part of the Hamptons’ allure. “What often gives us the most inspiration is the lighting in a space,” says Connolly. “Natural light is one of our greatest pleasures, and we’re always chasing ways to highlight lighting in our home design.
“What was challenging here was that the rooms were large—cavernous—and we had to split them up to create more of a feeling of comfort,” Connolly says. Huge volumes of space don’t feel intimate, and one of the asks from the client was for the house to have “a casual formality.”
The pair captured that look and attitude through the use of textural wallpaper, contemporary art by John Baldessari, Harland Miller and others, and lighting designed to bring soul, emotion and warmth. Sometimes the work holds narrative elements, such as Mel Bochner’s monoprint “Thank You,” 2023, which deepens the visual intensity of a hallway. Throughout the house, elegant, yet unfussy, custom furniture upholstered in fabrics by Pierre Frey, Kravet, Lee Jofa, Great Plains, Nobilis and Garrett Leather keeps the overall mood refined and relaxed. All of the lighting in the house is by West Essex Lighting Studio. The balance of these elements achieves the casual formality for a “flowy feel-good” comfort, says Connolly, throughout the spacious home.
When the day begins—or the project is done and the final painting is in its place—the work-focused duo shares more than great taste in design—they enjoy the egg-white Cali-style wrap or banana bread from Joni’s in Montauk or anything from Carissa’s—and love the inspiring peace of the beaches nearby (Ditch Plains, Maidstone, Two Mile Hollow). In the Hamptons, a trip to a beautiful beach feels like the best reward. deuxellis.com