Hooked on Style
There are some listings we’d rather not write about. This is one. Not because of the property—one of the best in East Hampton in our opinion, but because of the circumstances. We knew the house and the owners for many years. Joe Cullman, chairman emeritus of Philip Morris, died in March, only a short time after his wife, Joan Paley Cullman, a Broadway producer, died the previous April.
Architecture: Sleek, cool, composed and assured. An extraordinary house designed by Charles Gwathmey and built in 1972, perhaps at the peak time for modernism in the Hamptons.
Site: The perfect location for this design. House, pool and tennis court on three acres of broad green lawn, sloping to 300 feet of Hook Pond shoreline, with views of the pond, the dunes, and the ocean beyond.
The inside word: Are there buyers who still appreciate this kind of lustrous, clean-lined contemporary? We hope so. The solid gold location, waterfront in the heart of the estate area, could tempt a teardown buyer. But with a little burnishing here and there this inherently dashing and elegant home could survive the generational changes and reemerge as a modern classic. Offered at $12.5 million.
Good Breeding
We recently came across this rare thoroughbred: a big ranch house that is actually set on a ranch. This is the kind of authentic ranch house you don’t dare make fun of. Yes, it’s one story with a low-pitched roof, so it is correct in that definition. But unlike its gentrified cousins, it is inherently right for the setting.
Architecture: Long, low, simple lines and rather pretty. It gracefully and skillfully defers to the site, the views, and the horse farm surrounding it.
Site: A very distinctive and uncommon 20 acres, including several extra building lots, with extraordinary views of the ocean, Lake Montauk and Long Island Sound.
The inside word: Once a thoroughbred breeding farm with a deep and rich history, and now a private estate, this property contains a 15 stall barn, a riding arena, and quick access to miles of trails. But we’d never want to ride out and leave the stunning vistas from almost everywhere you look. Don’t expect the unrestrained luxury we see all over. This is a different and original kind of property. The price might remind you that you’re in the Hamptons, but the value is there. Offered at $15 million.
All in the Details
There was a time, and it wasn’t that long ago, when houses by the sea were designed for big views, low maintenance, good times, and to be sand and saltwater-friendly. Then things went in the opposite direction, and oceanfront homes became huge, expensive, gilded showplaces that just happened to land on an expensive oceanfront lot. We recently came across a beach house that we admire because it is handsome and elegant but not overbearing.
Architecture: Built in 1986, in the International Style with its vocabulary of expansive glass, strong horizontal lines and a focus on geometry, this house, after a major renovation, appears fresh and perfectly proportioned.
Site: Shy acre on Dune Road in Bridgehampton with oceanside pool.
The inside word: This house aims to be refined and sophisticated rather bowl-me-over grand. Beautiful details by designer Marco Battistotti abound—bamboo in the kitchen, for example, with beach grass door panels and concrete countertops. It’s only 2,800 square feet with three bedrooms and three baths, and it’s not cheap at $6.9 million, but it is one of the most masterfully detailed houses we’ve seen this season.
Playhouse
Isn’t this what we go to resorts for? Activities any time you want it? And plenty of places to chill out when you crave relaxation. If you secretly pine for your childhood days at summer camp or you have an adult addiction to luxury spas, you could be on cloud nine in this place.
Architecture: Large (7,500 square feet) with lots of rooms, the style is generic traditional. Some of the details came out of a box from the lumberyard, as they do with many houses these days, but they are assembled well and the point is more comprehensive luxury than craftsmanship and originality.
Site: High in Noyac on 3.5 acres with long distance views of Peconic Bay and Jessup’s Neck.
The inside word: This is a fairly ambitious athletic complex, with a 20 by 50 foot pool, tennis court, basketball court, exercise room, and eight person Jacuzzi. You either have to hate sports or think hard to come up with reasons to leave here. We see this as a great family compound with features for every generation. Offered at $4.4 million.