Art Space: Frampton Co Brings Art and Design into View at The Barn in Bridgehampton

By Grace Cassidy Long before interior designer Elena Frampton acquired it in 2018, The Barn was just a barn. Located at 141 Maple Lane, just a short walk from the shops and restaurants of Bridgehampton, N.Y., the building evolved over the past century from humble barn to auto garage to art studio before arriving at its latest incarnation as an art exhibition space and the home of the Frampton Co design studio and art advisory . Elena Frampton “We wanted to show how bold design can still be very livable,” Frampton said, “while also displaying the work of emerging artists that we work with and expose clients to a wide range of art and design.” Originally open only for the summer season, Exhibition The Barn , as it’s formally known, became a year-round destination for discovering envelope-pushing and under-the-radar works of art, collectible design and furniture, all within a living context. “Art has always been at the center of the design vision and how we think about space — from color palettes to experience of interior projects,” said Frampton, whose studio has designed residential and commercial spaces in New York City and The Hamptons since 2015. “We always put the spirit of the space first. We ask, ‘What do we want to feel when we enter?’” Currently, the gallery space is occupied by the exhibition Dual Natures , which brings together the work of six women artists: Christine Keefe, Elizabeth Karsch, Lori Hawkins, Marianna Peragallo, Mia Fonssagrives Solow and Beau Bree Rhee. “The work, and the artists, in this show embody a range of contrasts—in feeling, style, medium and concept,” Frampton said. “That counterbalance and mix of mediums is what we seek to bring to our client’s collections and to the way we showcase art in our interior projects.” On June 3, Frampton Co kicks off its monthly First Saturdays open-house series at Exhibition The Barn, where you can enjoy “an afternoon of art and design,” catch Dual Natures before it closes on June 9—and even “test-drive” pieces from Frampton Co’s F Collection ). The next exhibition, Optic Garden , in collaboration with The Rug Company, is set to open on June 24.