Lean and Light
So many houses we see lately strike us as a little porky—just a bit too much girth and architectural cellulite for our tastes. It’s as if the obesity epidemic in America has spread its corpulence to the structures we inhabit. The modernists said less is more, but the postmodernists seem to be saying bulky is best.
Architecture: A slimmed down version of the current paunchy styles is refreshing to see. At a relatively modest (for the Hamptons) 5,000 square feet the designers were able to focus on shape and detail more than heftiness.
Site: The hills of Montauk have always had some of the best ocean views in the Hamptons but were never as prestigious as the estate areas farther west. We are seeing neighborhoods change constantly now, including Montauk.
The inside word: Splendid ocean views, a well thought-out, very traditional exterior and some careful interior detailing are the strong points here. Is that enough for a buyer to spend $3.7 million? The developers and broker think so. We’ll keep an eye out.
Farmhouse Faithful
What does farmhouse really mean? In current real estate lingo it describes a style—often any house with simple lines and a porch, and a detail like painted or scrubbed oak cabinets. Quite often, it is located in a subdivision remote from any place where crops are grown. We just have to accept “farmhouse” as a word that now describes a style rather than a heritage. But it’s swell to see the real thing once in a while.
Architecture: A genuine farmhouse that grew and expanded without paying heed to farmhouse clichés. It’s organic, vernacular and just right.
Site: Located in Sagaponack, south of the highway, on 1.5 acres. Thirty years ago or so only potato farms and the homes of the farmers existed here. The lineage is impeccable.
The inside word: Though few of us come from a farming legacy, we can still appreciate the idea of living close to the land, and even if we were to use this house as a weekend getaway that concept would enrich our lives. Keep it simple, keep it true. Offered at $1.595 million.
Sagaponack Transfer
The changes in the Hamptons are writ large in Sagaponack. While the estate areas of the villages were developed over a century, Sagaponack remained a farming community. Its evolution as an area of second homes happened in just a single generation, and a careful observer can readily see how architectural tastes developed and varied over this short period.
Architecture: Long clean lines suggestive of prairie architecture with a Hamptons nod toward drama. A sophisticated design predating the neo-shingle style that is now standard in the area.
Site: Set on 1.4 acres on one of earliest tracts of farmland to be divided into house lots in Sagaponack. Now-mature planting in the neighborhood disguise the fact that this was cultivated land right down to the ocean.
The inside word: As we look around, we can almost identify the year this house was built—late 70s to early 80s. Some buyers won’t go near it. To us, because the house has pleasing lines and satisfying proportions, our knowing that it has been around for a while and is not the style of the moment only enriches our experience in seeing it. Offered at $2.9 million.
Upwardly Mobile
We are always interested in houses that are designed out loud. They have a statement to make and, like Ethel Merman belting out a great Broadway tune, there is no holding back. Of course, this kind of brash attitude can go either way. We can admire the boldness and energy when done with skill, or cringe when it is merely shrill.
Architecture: This house design sets its sights high—literally. Everything about it is looking up, from the tall French doors and clerestory, to the assertive gable lunging through the roof, to the mill-inspired tower.
Site: Solid Southampton estate area location on Wyandanch Lane on one acre.
The inside word: This house is decidedly optimistic, reaching out and up toward the stars. It is an impressive and graceful composition, in a fine location. The price of $6.995 may seem an upward reach of a different sort for some buyers, but as we said, optimism is the operating principle here.