Jeff Heatley
The Guide: The Hamptons
July 1, 2007
Comerford Hennessy at Home (Bridgehampton, 631.537.6200, www.comerfordhennessy.com). Textile designer Karen Comerford and her husband, woodworker Michael Hennessy, design and build custom modern furniture that is, Comerford says, "timeless. The pieces can be used in both traditional and modern interiors." Their shop also sells lighting by East Hampton designer Mark Figueredo and abstract interlocking assemblage panels by Jody Morlock, a town favorite.
Elaine Benson Gallery and Sculpture Garden (Bridgehampton, 631.537.3233, by appointment). Kimberly Goff, daughter of the legendary Elaine Benson, is now carrying on her mother’s work as a private consultant. The virtual gallery specializes in contemporary works, everything from ceramics and glass to handmade jewelry by more than 40 local artists, including the late novelist Kurt Vonnegut, who produced silkscreens. Goff’s passion is outdoor sculpture, like Linda Scott’s Stargazer, the signature red work depicting a deer with antlers in its mouth just above Montauk Highway that greets all who enter the Hamptons.
John Salibello Antiques (Bridgehampton, 631.537.1484, www.johnsalibello.com). Specializing in one-of-a-kind midcentury modern pieces, this shop offers the best from America and Europe. "Our furniture and lighting are very unusual," says owner John Salibello, who also has two shops of the same name in New York. "We have furniture covered in mirrors, in tortoiseshell, in goatskin. Most of it belongs in museums."
Roark Antiques and Design (East Hampton, 917.690.3712, roark.1stdibs.com). Clean lines define the pieces in Lisa Bowles’ shop, which mixes modern with traditional European furniture from Sweden, France and England.
R.E. Steele Antiques (East Hampton, 631.324.7812, resteele.1stdibs.com). Russ Steele’s shop, which specializes in 20th-century designer furniture and decorative accessories from around the world, offers the unique and unusual for every room. The 5,000-square-foot shop, in the Red Horse Plaza, is what Steele calls "a one-stop antiques grocery store."
Youngblood (Sag Harbor, 631.725.6260). Susan Youngblood’s shop, the size of a perfect four-carat diamond, is where those in the know go to get 20th-century European designer lighting, furniture and art. "I cater to international designers and private collectors," she says. "I like to offer quirky little things." Her inventory includes a pair of rare cobalt blue glass FontanaArte consoles, two Gio Ponti chests of drawers and matching FontanaArte chandeliers by Pietro Chiesa.
Events
Social life in the Hamptons gears up in the summer, when most
of the townies are in residence. Daily benefits bring out the stars and
celebrities. The Parrish Art
Museum in Southampton (www.parrishart.org)
hosts several events. Founded by Julie Andrews’ daughter, Emma Walton, the
Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor offers productions throughout the year
(www.baystreet.org). The Hampton
Classic Horse Show (www.hamptonclassic.com)
held in Bridgehampton at the end of August, closes the summer season. The
Hamptons International Film
Festival—in its 15th year of showing
independent films—is based in East Hampton and takes place every October
(www.hamptonsfilmfest.org).
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