Delia Kenza, the New Yorkbased lawyer turned interior designer, started going to Sag Harbor as a child. Her aunt was one of a small group of Black homeowners from New York City who built bungalows in Ninevah Beach, an enclave developed by two sisters in the 1950s. Kenza has spent weekends and summers there since she was nine years old. Now, with the help of local architect Anne Sherry, she has built a new home on the property, which Kenza shares with her husband and their daughters. The project, the first she has designed from the ground up, reflects her and her familys prioritiesexploration, enjoyment, and ease, as well as the designers longtime appreciation for African modernism. The quiet concrete masterpiece is much like its owner: exceptionally calm, extremely cool, and expertly collected.Camille Okhio: What is your personal history with this property in Sag Harbor?Delia Kenza: The women in my family have always been about real estate. My grandmother instilled that. My aunt had a summer house on this small plot of land, and I would come visit. At the time, no matter how successful you were, Black people could not buy homes or live wherever they wanted. This area was developed by two sisters so that Black people could own vacation houses near the water. The air is different here. It is quiet. There is a peacefulness to it. I can see the stars. My cell doesnt work so well here, and Im okay with that.CO: What was your aunts house like, and why did you recently replace it with a new structure?DK: Often the families who bought the plots of land would camp out and build the houses themselves. There are second- and third-generation folks in the neighborhood who will tell you wonderful stories about what it was like building together and the sense of community here. My aunts house was a five-minute walk from the beach. It eventually transitioned to me, more than 10 years ago. We enjoyed it for many summers, but it had no proper insulation. The houses here werent built to live in all year. In March or April we would come up, open the house, turn the water back on, do a deep clean, and enjoy the house for summer. Every year it just got hotter and hotter. I had to go to a neighbors house just to get some central air! I tend to gravitate toward preservation, but around 2016 I remember saying enough is enough. We broke ground then, finished the house five years later, and moved in in 2021.I was thinking about Brutalism and African modernism, but I was more focused on the feeling of the house, versus the look.Kelly MarshallA sectional by Area Portugal anchors a downstairs living area. Cocktail table by Sancal; stool from Angola; floor lamp by Lambert & Fils.CO: What were your reference points as you designed the house? DK: This was the first home I built from the ground up. I was thinking about brutalism and African modernism, but I was more focused on the feeling of the house versus the look of it. The exterior is concrete, and inside we used plaster on the walls, brass, and tiles from Portugal, where we spend much of our time. I like the architecture of Francis Kr, but I also like mud houses built by African women. And those thatched roofs! The shapes of these houses are so clean, and the one commonality in my work is clean lines. People dont realize it, but theres a minimalism to much African architecture. I have only what I need, and that is reflected in this house. Im the queen of quiet luxury.Kelly MarshallIn the dining room, artworks by Joseph Eze (center) and Kenzas daughter (right) hang behind a custom white oak dining table with chairs from Hay.CO: Your work always has a sense of subtlety and intention. How did you imbue those qualities in this space? DK: I worked with Anne Sherry to build the house. I wanted someone who is based locally, as the rules here in the Hamptons are very strict. The process was very collaborative. I wanted the house to have a feeling of ease. I wanted to walk through the door and decompress. I want guests to respect the space, but I also want them to put their feet up. I dont like waking up andboom!before I brush my teeth Im looking at a person. So the layout allows for privacy. All five bedrooms have their own bathrooms. There is a clear separation between private and public spaces.Kelly MarshallIn this sitting room, Kenza arranged paintings and sculpture from Angola around Maiden Homes Jones Sofa and a sofa Kenza purchsed 15 years ago and reupholstered for this home. The coffee table is vintage with a stainless steel top. Custom forest green paint covers the walls and the pendant light is from Area Store in Portugal.On the ground floor we have an open plan living room, dining room, and kitchen, which works for me because Im always feeding people and I dont want to be stuck inside an enclosed kitchen. Right off the kitchen is the dark green den. My two daughters rooms are on the bottom level. The top floor is where the primary bedroom is, with its balcony, and above that we have two roof decks.The air is different here. There is a peacefulness to it. Kelly MarshallA custom tub in stainless steel reflects the Portuguese bluestone surfaces in the primary bathroom. Fittings by Bruma.CO: Now that the house is done, how do you and your family use it and enjoy it?DK: I love a good party, so that was at the forefront of my mind. I wanted somewhere everyone could convene. On Thanksgiving we have anywhere from 12 to 20 people, including friends and family.But, that said, the house does not feel overwhelming if youre here alone. Even though the rooms have large volumes, there are pockets of space where it feels good to be by yourself.I invited a bunch of friends over last summer. In the morning we had homemade bread (thats my husbands thing) and eggs, while some people hung out around the kitchen island and some sat at the dining table. We made our way, with coffee in hand, onto the main deck, then decided to move up to the upper deck for stronger sun and more of a breeze. Then we walked to the beach, came back, and watched a movie, and if anyone didnt want to do that they could retreat to their room. That is luxury: time and the freedom to do what you want.Inside Delia Kenza's HomeCO: That is the definition of luxury: doing exactly what you please. How else does this house reflect you?DK: There is a lot of African and Black American art in our home, because that is who we are. I was intentional about everything I chose for these spaces. Even the spout in the powder room was specialwe made it from a sculpture my husband and I found in a market in Angola.Im old school. I believe everything takes time. Everything needs to be about the individual. True freedom means living your life the way you want to live it.This story originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE