The Guide: The Hamptons

Nancy A. Ruhling

07/01/2007

The Hamptons, America’s summer playland, is the home of magnificent mansions, pearly white sand beaches and low-key celebrities. Located 80 miles east of Manhattan on the South Fork of Long Island, the Hamptons is composed of charming seaside towns, villages and hamlets, each with its own distinct personality. Through the years, the mix of beach life, nightlife and quaint farm stands that sell everything from fresh-picked produce to homemade peach pie has drawn everyone from Billy Joel and George Stephanopoulos to Jackie O and Jackson Pollack. On a summer day, you might run into P. Diddy strolling on the beach or bump into Paul McCartney pedaling his bike.

Summer rentals are much coveted, whether in the enclaves of Amagansett, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Hampton Bays, Montauk, Napeague, North Haven, the Quogues, Sag Harbor, Sagaponack, Shelter Island, Southampton, Springs, Wainscott, Water Mill, Westhampton and Westhampton Beach. Although the high season has traditionally been June through August, when society’s charity events are in full swing, the area draws its share of weekenders year-round.

Realtors
Two types of architecture—the traditional Shingle style cottage, and modern—predominate, and properties typically include one to three acres of manicured landscape. Oceanfront estates are at a premium; a record $45 million recently was paid for an eight-acre estate on Further Lane in East Hampton, but a 40-acre property in East Hampton reportedly is under contract for $90 million. "There are things available in every price range at the high end," says Peter Turino, president of Brown Harris Stevens. "And there usually are five to six properties to choose from."

This seven-bedroom home built in 1900 is on the market through Sotheby’s International Realty’s East Hampton office for $8.9 million. (Click image to enlarge)

Brown Harris Stevens (631.324.6400, www.bhshamptons.com). This Christie’s Great Estates affiliate has eight offices in the Hamptons. "We don’t take every listing," says Turino, adding that the company recently sold East Hampton’s Lasata, once owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s grandfather, for $25 million. "We represent high quality in all price ranges."

Sotheby’s International Realty (Bridgehampton, 631.537.6000; East Hampton, 631.324.6000; Southampton, 631.283.0600, www.sothebysrealty.com). Bridgehampton’s Ellie Dees recently sold a Sagaponack home for a reported $9.5 million; East Hampton’s Rylan Jacka sold a home designed by Francis Fleetwood in Amagansett for a reported $6.3 million; and Southampton’s Chip Dineen sold one in the estate section of Southampton for a reported $11.5 million.

Devlin McNiff (East Hampton, 631.324.6100, www.devlinmcniff.com). This 46-year-old firm, owned by Stuart and Lynn Epstein, covers the Hamptons from Amagansett to Water Mill and typically sells properties of $3 million to $7 million. Its highest-priced sale was $12.5 million. "We have strong local knowledge and roots," Stuart says.

Eden Portfolio (Bridgehampton, 631.726.3336, www.edenportfolio.com). Started a year ago, this luxury boutique office, which markets only a handful of properties that start at $3 million, emphasizes its white-glove service that is similar to that offered by luxury car and yacht dealers. "We are working with a charter company to jet potential buyers here," says Isabel von Fluegge, director of marketing and sales. "We are courting international clientele; I speak four languages and others in the office speak at least two. We remain a consistent resource for our buyers. The deal doesn’t end when the contract is signed."Tina S. Fredericks (East Hampton, 631.324.4418, www.tinafredericks.com). For more than 35 years, Fredericks has been working the Hamptons market. She sold Andy Warhol his Montauk property in 1972 for $220,000; this year, it was sold for nearly $30 million. This three-person boutique is defined by its personal service. "We specialize in making people happy," she says.

Mercedes/Berk (East Hampton, 631.324.3799, www.mercedesberk.com). Elizabeth Omedes and Noel Berk run their boutique firm like a private bank. "We’re an intimate firm, discreet and private," Omedes says. "We do what’s best for our clients, whether they are buying or selling." Adds Berk, "We’re proactive with sellers, and have the ability to reach buyers directly."

Architects/Designers/Builders
While the Hamptons has its own set of local architects and designers, the area also attracts Manhattan’s best, who have made an architectural impression on the area.

A seating area by Hamptons designer Cheryl Terrace. Photograph by Donovan Photography. (Click image to enlarge)

Michael Haverland (Michael Haverland Architect, 212.780.9188, www.michaelhaverland.com). Haverland’s timeless steel-and-glass houses are modern but classic. "They’re not minimal; they are more rich and comfortable, so they feel appropriate for the country," he says. "They mix old and new."

Blaze Makoid (Blaze Makoid Architecture, Sagaponack, 631.537.7277, www.blazemakoid-architecture.com). Makoid’s modern wood-and-glass homes are tranquil and comfortable. "We only do luxury residences," he says. "We don’t do the traditional Shingle style the Hamptons are known for. Our goal is to coordinate the interiors and the landscape. We take a collaborative approach to create one holistic package."

Peter Marino (Peter Marino Architect, Southampton, 631.259.3750, www.petermarinoarchitect.com). Marino, whose Southampton home is surrounded by a Lalanne sculpture–filled garden, creates modern classic homes that seamlessly integrate architecture and interior design. Clients include Ron Perelman; Mark and Dara Perlbinder; Kathy and Billy Rayner; and Chris Whittle and Priscilla Rattazzi.

Annabelle Selldorf (Selldorf Architects, 212.219.9571, www.selldorf.com). Selldorf is one of an impressive roster of internationally acclaimed architects who designed 34 modern summer homes for the Houses at Sagaponac development by Harry J. Brown and Richard Meier. "Each house is a portrait of the owner," she says. "We have a recognizable handwriting, but we are not formulaic."Frederick Stelle (Stelle Architects, Bridgehampton, 631.537.0019, www.stelleco.com). For Stelle, a dedicated modernist who has done international projects as well as regional ones, great design makes a grand statement without being grand in size. "It’s not about the house," he says. "It’s about the sky, the air, the land, the beach, the ocean, the fishing, the bays—these are the reasons you come to the Hamptons."

Top: New York–based Geoffrey Bradfield has designed many Hamptons homes. Bottom: A bathroom by Cheryl Terrace. Photograph by Donovan Photography. (Click images to enlarge)

John Barman (212.838.9443, www.johnbarman.com). Barman, who has designed interiors for several celebrities, including Wynton Marsalis and Neil Simon, likes to make his Hamptons homes fun. For a 14,000-square-foot oceanfront house in East Hampton, he used Brighton Pavilion as inspiration; for a 7,000-square-foot home in Wainscott, he created a modern Balinese look. "Each one has a concept or point of view," he says.

Geoffrey Bradfield (212.758.1773, www.geoffreybradfield.com). "My Hamptons style is laid-back, but sophisticated," says Bradfield, who is also known for his daring and dashingly elegant projects for an exclusive international clientele of "silent celebrities." Notes Bradfield: "These are holiday homes. I use art in all my projects and instead of old masters, I prefer emerging artists for the Hamptons." He is currently working on three luxe Hamptons projects.

Jamie Drake (Drake Design Associates, 212.754.3099, www.drakedesignassociates.com). For Drake, who has designed for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Madonna, the Hamptons look is "my own personal take on country style. I like to mix in contemporary art, interesting antiques and, of course, my signature—big, bold splashes of bright color."

Charles Pavarini III (Charles Pavarini III Design Associates, 212.749.2047, www.pavarinidesign.com). Pavarini—interior, costume and set designer—uses the Hamptons as a stage for his signature European-style design, where subtle glamour is reflected in unorthodox pairings of period pieces, and dressmaker details, like transparent bias-cut drapes that mimic backless ball gowns.

Cheryl Terrace (Vital Design, 212.799.1540, www.vitaldesignltd.com). Environmentalist/interior designer Cheryl Terrace offers luxury eco-designs that are sensuous, highly textural and organic. "From my use of recyclables to products that don’t off-gas, my designs are green, but I prefer to call them ‘thoughtful’ design," she says. "It’s all about listening to the clients—and to the architecture. My style? It’s like really green Clodagh."

Southampton Engineering (Sag Harbor, 631.725.4110). Known for its interiors, the company does modern one-of-a-kind design-build projects as well as renovations and restorations around the globe. "Our work doesn’t look like anyone else’s," says director of design Harry Fischman, who has worked with Paul Rudolph, Buckminster Fuller and Charles Forberg. "We take a client’s personal interests and develop them into concrete forms that are unique to the site."Landscape Designers
Frederico Azevedo (Unlimited Earth Care, Bridgehampton, 631.725.7551, www.unlimitedearthcare.com). "I’m from Brazil, so I’m totally influenced by the modern design and architecture of Roberto Burle Marx," says Azevedo, who achieves an elegant simplicity through the repetition of color, texture and shape. "I’m always searching for what is happening next—new designs, new plant combinations, different layouts and alternatives to execute my landscaping design work."

Alec Gunn (Gunn Landscapes, 212.988.7065, www.gunnlandscapes.com). Gunn’s distinctive "contemporary" landscapes are like novels: They have a compelling plot, complete with beginning, middle and end. "My work is distilled to the elements," he says. "It’s not the Hamptons cliché." Gunn is now creating a master plan for a five-acre compound in Bridgehampton.

Christopher LaGuardia (LaGuardia Design, Water Mill, 631.726.1403, www.laguardiadesign.com). LaGuardia, a landscape architect and the former partner of star architect Norman Jaffe, is sought by noted architects to develop country-estate designs. "We strive for a coherence that reflects the owner’s lifestyle, and we insist upon the best contractors and materials," he says, adding that his clientele includes celebrities and high-powered executives. "A lot of these houses are like resorts, and the site plans reflect this."

Craig Socia (Craig James Socia, East Hampton, 631.324.8741, www.craigsocia.com). Socia’s landscapes often incorporate his signature rustic twig-motif pergolas, gates, arbors, fencing and furniture. The designer also offers full-time year-round maintenance contracts to assure that the garden is always in top shape.

Greg Yale (Greg Yale Associates Illumination, Southampton, 631.287.2132, www.gregyale.com). This pioneer in the field of landscape lighting now also focuses on illuminating interiors, sculptures and art to create magical and memorable settings. Mimicking moonlight is a specialty.

Shopping
Specialty shops mix with classics like Tiffany’s and Saks, and art galleries featuring works by locals are abundant.

Top: The Hampton Classic Horse Show takes place each August in Bridgehampton. Photograph by John Kassel/Hampton Classic Horse Show. Bottom: A playbill from the Bay Street Theatre in Sagaponack, which has plays year-round. (Click images to enlarge)

Apsara Interior (East Hampton, 631.329.3553, www.apsarainterior.com). From large carpets made of baby llama fur to Chinese antiques, midcentury modern furniture and contemporary paintings by Mark Wilson, interior designer Tracey Garet’s shop is a reflection of her personal, eclectic taste. "I travel all over the world and bring back what strikes my fancy," she says. Accessories, including contemporary blankets and candles, round out the collection.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).