Petite Palais
Some people want their Hamptons weekends to be casual, nonchalant, and laid back. Things like beach balls on the sofa are just part of their sunny, easygoing weekend life. But blasé days in unplanned surroundings can drive other people crazy. These are the ones who can’t relax if things are too irregular, and they insist on a more courtly, decorous and polished milieu.
Architecture: Stately and reserved, with a lucid rationalism, the house has obvious French references. With a symmetry and formality usually reserved for larger structures, it feels as if it might be an outbuilding—a petite something—with a chateau nearby.
Site: One acre in Bridgehampton. The grounds, like the house, are rigidly organized, precise and immaculate.
The inside word: Halsey Lane was at one time a street of farm fields and unassuming shingle houses—and some of that survives. This very exacting architecture is a stark contrast, conveying a well-bred aloofness. If it were less dignified and elegant, it wouldn’t work, but the designers did not compromise and the clarity of their taste is what makes this property interesting. Offered at $3.875 million
Hog Haven
The gentrification of North Haven did not begin with the construction of major estate homes in the 1990s. It started in 1841, when the residents of what had been called Hog Neck for the previous 200 years decided on a more upscale if stuffier name. The peninsula extending north from Sag Harbor has been known as North Haven since then, and the revised name seems to have drawn in the big money.
Architecture: A single story, shingle-clad structure with big porches and a series of modified gables forming a rhythmic and graceful roofscape.
Site: Exceptionally wide frontage for one acre, with 180 feet of facing Gardiner’s Bay and affording terrific views. The waterside pool is another big plus.
The inside word: The low, wide house and protecting porches frame the splendid views and give a feeling of security that will be welcomed in stormy weather. Compared to the more recent flashy and flamboyant houses along the North Haven shoreline, this home seems quiet and harmonious. It is subdued and understated, but it’s also cogent and charismatic. Offered at $6.5 million.
Living History
It goes without saying that historic houses have authenticity and dignity and tradition. But they also have problems: unlike new homes, which are tailored to today’s lifestyles, historic houses require the inhabitants to conform to a different generation’s way of living. Sensitive restorations and renovations often bridge this gap and give us the best of several centuries.
Architecture: Among the earliest houses built in colonial East Hampton, on one of the original “homelots” granted to the settlers, the early portions of this house date to 1656.
Site: On a landscaped acre, overlooking Town Pond and the South End burial ground, this is deep in the historic heart of the village. These early houses were naturally built along the original roads, which have now grown into some our busiest.
The inside word: The restoration of this house was done with care and skill and devotion. The mechanical systems (including air conditioning) and up-to-date kitchen mesh well with such details as original beams and floors and window glass. Ancient trees and vines, and perennial gardens similarly enhance the pool area. Offered at $2,895,000.
Beaches and Bankrolls
As you head south, prices head north. The closer you get to the Atlantic Ocean, the heftier the price tag on the property. Houses abutting, adjacent, adjoining or even approaching the beach are no long the province of the merely very rich. Now you have to be bounteously wealthy to be there. If you’re swimming in money you might get to swim on the beach in front of you. Short of spending tens of millions, you have to stroll there like the rest of us.
Architecture: Traditional and conservative, this type of architecture was once the rich person’s safe choice. At least until the current fashion for immoderate and exaggerated design took root and the race toward ever more shingled fabulousness became more heated.
Site: This upper-medium sized house (5,000 square feet) is located on one acre, and a separate acre that can be built on is included. It’s a nice, if expensive luxury to keep the second lot vacant.
The inside word: Some partial and distant ocean views remind you that the Indian Wells beach in Amagansett is not far. The house was renovated a couple of years ago, so everything is in perfect shape. It still won’t appeal to those looking primarily for a status symbol. It’s too tame and reserved for that crowd. A buyer with traditional good taste, seeking propriety and refinement, will be the likely one to pay $10.5 million for this package.