Everywhere You Want To Be
Some houses have matinee idol looks, others a decided charm and personality, and still others a style or defining feature that lingers in the imagination. You could say this about many people also. In real estate, however, one quality trumps all others: location.
Architecture: A pleasant and unassuming house, built in 1965 and renovated in 1992. It would pass muster in most places at most times—but this is an extraordinary place and an amazing time in real estate.
Site: The incomparable Georgica Association, one of the jewels in the crown of the Hamptons.
The inside word: Locations may be physically fixed but they can promote wide-ranging emotions and exercise a certain magic. The Georgica Association has that capability. Even at $5,750,000 this house has a destiny beyond its current form.
Eclectic Elements
Not too long ago, homes in the Hamptons were built to meet certain requirements. Vacation houses belonged to a genre that was generally small, practical, light hearted and inexpensive. Local year-round homes followed conventional small town models. By the late 1980s all that was necessary was being edged out by all that was dreamed of, what was once matter-of-fact became a matter of being fabulous.
Architecture: A convergence of elements: traditional New England, with a sizeable quantity of Victorian detailing, touches of French elegance, suburban comforts, and a hint of postmodern. It’s highly derivative, out of the ordinary and it (maybe) works—the parts seem cohesive.
Site: Woods Lane is a tree-lined street with substantial homes on large lots and fine architecture—but it is also Route 27 as it enters East Hampton Village.
The inside word: Location off the main road will limit the market for this property. Those for whom this is not an obstacle, and are ready to spend a hefty $4,900,000, will find a luxurious, interestingly conceived, formal home with well-landscaped gardens, all hidden behind a sturdy brick wall.
Beyond the Box
Our earliest houses had box-like shapes, what we now call saltboxes. With time and increasing wealth, houses evolved into several joined boxes, of more sophisticated shapes, seen in the New England “added-on” look and in shingle style architecture. We now occasionally see the final point in this evolution, where the box has become pure form and the method of joining has become an art.
Architecture: A virtuoso exercise in modernism by the respected architect, William E. Pederson. With its deconstructionist elements and three-dimensional cubist suggestions, it is a treat for the eyes and a wonderful departure from the ordinary.
Site: Bayfront on Shelter Island. A beautiful site that is inherently correct for this home, showcasing its sculptural qualities against large horizons.
The inside word: It’s clearly not for everyone, and some will find it disturbing, but still, it is ambitious, genuine, dramatic, and making a valid statement about residential architecture at this time. We think there is enough of a market with erudite tastes to justify its price tag of $3.2 million.
Take Title
During and after French revolution it was quite incorrect to look aristocratic. Titled men could end up decapitated for having pomegranates embroidered on their jackets. For certain aristos, it was worth dying for. We sometimes detect the same sense of privilege in Hamptons real estate.
Architecture: It’s not a pure style, but who needs that anyway? The mansard slate roof and gated courtyard suggest something French. Other parts are faintly Continental. It’s a European Union of a house, and quite pleasant to look at.
Site: The Holly Lane area of Water Mill is a neighborhood of elegant and impressive homes.
The inside word: If you enjoy the Plaza Athenee more than the Mercer, you’ll like this house. It is unmistakably establishment, and it isn’t shy about parading its refinement. Aristocratic credentials notwithstanding, many people would be happy to keep their heads but part with $4,850,000 for this property.