BySamantha Weiss-Hills,Photography byCharlie Schuck,Portrait byDani Case
PublishedMay 10, 2026 4:50 AM EDT
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Artists have long been drawn to the ethereal light in Springs, New York, an enclave of East Hampton that has influenced generations of creative luminaries in pursuit of their craft. The sun has dazzledpainters like Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, and Elaine de Kooning—all of whom spent time in this particular corner of the country, presumably arguing about who had the best light. It has also captivated textile designer and artistCaroline Z Hurley, who made the colony her home in 2023 with her husbandAlex Crane, a menswear designer, and their two daughters. "Part of my core identity has been tied to the dunes and ocean vibes of the Northeast coastline; I've always been drawn to it," Hurley, a Rhode Island School of Design grad, muses. "There's something about the quality of light here, and the way it reflects off the ocean that is so magical." Basically, the light in Springs is the main character and everyone else is a supporting actor.
Artists have long been helpless against the ethereal light in Springs, New York, an East Hampton enclave that has seduced generations of creative luminaries into dropping everything and moving there. The sun has worked its magic on painters like Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, and Elaine de Kooning—all of whom spent time soaking up this particular corner of the country. It also captivated textile designer and artist Caroline Z Hurley, who made the colony her home in 2023 with her husband Alex Crane, a menswear designer, and their two daughters. "Part of my core identity has been tied to the dunes and ocean vibes of the Northeast coastline; I've always been drawn to it," Hurley, a Rhode Island School of Design grad, muses. "There's something about the quality of light here, and the way it reflects off the ocean that is so magical." Basically, the light in Springs is the main character and we're all just living in its glow.
Her search in the area started as a business venture. Craving a place for customers or potential clients to experience the ethos of her eponymous brand, Hurley put an offer in on a small bungalow. When that deal fell through (plot twist!), she and Crane decided to pivot to something more personal. Within months, they had closed on a 1,600-square-foot house from the 1960s overlooking Three Mile Harbor. "When you look out the window, any window, it feels like the inside is a frame, and the outside is the painting." Take that, MoMA.
After six months of living in the space as-is, Hurley had cataloged where they spent the most time, which direction the wind blew in, what time of day the trees cast shade, and—crucially—how light moved throughout. That's when the couple turned to their friend Michael Yarinsky, co-founder ofOffice of Tangible Space, who designed Hurley's original store in Greenpoint back in the 2010s. Together, they envisioned a more cohesive layout that would support the family for year-round living rather than short seasonal stints—because commuting to your own vacation home gets old fast.
In the beginning, the main objectives were simple: add extra square footage, eliminate dark dead zones, and integrate a larger kitchen (because isn't that always the dream?). But, in the end, the project ballooned into a nine-month gut renovation, allowing Hurley, Crane, and Yarinsky to really reimagine how they would spend time in the house. To expand the footprint of the three-bedroom, two-bath home, the team tacked on 500 square feet for a new cookspace plus another bathroom and bedroom. "Caroline and Alex just wanted this house to be flooded with light," Yarinsky says, so in came giant skylights in the living room and kitchen. On the second story, the primary suite lost a demi-wall and gained floor-to-ceiling glass panels to let northern rays pour in. "You might as well be outside. You don't even need to have a lightbulb on for the bulk of the day," he adds. Electricity bills: zero. Vibes: immaculate.
In the great room, they took out an X-shaped brick wall—which had been awkwardly dividing a fireplace, den, tiny kitchen, and a wedge of a bathroom—and made way for a single curvaceous pillar that does more than just give off warmth. Plumbing, ductwork, drainage, and electrical for solar panels secretly run through the structure like a design-savvy Swiss Army knife, all wrapped in a stucco and plaster finish that blends seamlessly with the warm white walls. In the new kitchen and dining area, cast concrete countertops lend heft atop custom oak millwork and natural linoleum fronts. Color-blocked concrete tiles feature prominently in all the bathrooms, two out of three designs dreamed up by Hurley herself. Because of course she designed her own tiles.
Hurley took the lead on the decorating while Yarinsky and his team sourced fixtures and manufacturers. "The colors I chose were meant to be a canvas for this light to be poured into," she says, which is the most poetic way we've ever heard someone describe paint swatches. The artist recovered sofas and a lounge chair in her own textiles; sourced vintage fabric on Etsy for headboards and bed frames; and scoured Live Auctioneers and 1stDibs for a credenza near the entry, a coffee table in the family room, and the dining table and chairs. Of course, the project wasn't without its "fun" surprises. The couple had to completely redo the basement, add a new septic system, and use expensive steel beams to support the addition. The fireplace was supposed to be wider, but became more compact in service of better flow. Renovation: where dreams and budgets go to negotiate.
Outside, vertical wood siding and a new metal roof brought the exterior more in line with the region's architectural vernacular—which is fancy talk for "it finally looks like it belongs here." Before, there was no clear entrance to the home, so guests probably wandered around like lost hikers. Yarinsky set about creating a deliberate garden path to the front door. With its two-step stoop, canopy, and porch lights, there's no mistaking the way in now. Come on in, the light's fine.
As for the landscaping, "Alex would go running in the dunes and he'd be like, 'That's what I want our house to feel like,'" Hurley recalls. They swapped boxy, formal hedges and potted plants for some of his native discoveries to complement the towering pines and rare monkey-puzzle tree already on the property (yes, that's a real tree, and no, we don't know why it's called that either). A bluestone patio stretches out toward a grassy patch and swimming pool—where long summer afternoons are spent not answering emails—that looks out onto the bay.
Samantha Weiss-Hills runs the editorial show at Domino. She's the friend whose texts about glasses, couches, and sheets you actually save. Based in Brooklyn with her husband, Alex, and a beagle-corgi named Elsa who runs the household.
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