Author: Laura Euler

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This bijou residence, perfect for a small family or a downsizer, repped by Allison Norris at Compass is close to the bay in the charming enclave of Pine Neck. Set on a manageable 0.15 of acre of land, there is room for a small pool. The 1920 house manages to combine country appeal with up-to-the-minute chic. Outside, there’s an outdoor shower which is shaded by evergreens for privacy inside, there’s just enough space for everything you need. The kitchen is small but adequate; there’s a woodburning stove in the den, an en-suite master bedroom and another full bath and bedroom

The best part? The price, $850,000. Won’t be on the market long, we bet.

• 7 Bay Avenue [C]

This inventive, experimental house was built in 2008 and cost more than $2 million to build. The Bioscleave House–known as the Lifespan Extending Villa–was designed by artist couple Madeline Gins and Arakawa to cheat death itself. (Note: the couple have since died.) They thought that continually stimulating the senses through architectural surprise would stimulate the immune system. We say: it may extend the owner’s lifespan, but they’re not gonna be good years.

And what’s with the name? In their book Architectural Body, Arakawa and Gins wrote, “Architecture’s holding in place occurs within and as part of a prevailing atmospheric condition that others routinely call biosphere, but which we, feeling the need to stress its dynamic nature, have renamed bioscleave.”

The property was put back on the market in 2018 asking $2.5 million; the owners (an LLC and the couple’s foundation) were hoping someone would buy it, move the house (possibly to a museum site), and save it from demolition. According to the Architects Newspaper, “If none of the rescue attempts prevail by January 2019, the house will be sold to a local developer who would likely demolish it and rebuild an entirely new structure.” Promises, promises. Here it is May 2021 and it’s still standing.

There are two connected houses on the 1.1 acre property, with 4 bedrooms, 2 full and one half bath. The original house is a 1960s A-frame designed by Carl Koch, as well as the addition by Gins and Arakawa.

Now that the asking price is $975,000 it’s at land value. All the new owner has to do is hire a bulldozer.

• 113 Springy Banks Road, East Hampton [BHS]

 

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A unique and special midcentury modern house has sold. The Otto Spaeth house, at 30 Spaeth Lane (what are the odds?), East Hampton, was designed in 1956 for an art collector, who was also a vice president of the Whitney Museum. The architect was Gordon Chadwick, an associate at distinguished designer George Nelson’s office. The house is a modern interpretation of a Shingle Style house. The roofline is like the grand sweeps of the old Stanford White houses; it’s covered in shingles, but it’s also playful and modern.

After Spaeth’s death in 1966, the house was purchased by June Noble Smith Larkin Gibson. Her father Edward J. Noble founded both candy company Life Savers as well as the ABC television network. Ms. Gibson died last June at the age of 98; her heirs listed the property, set on just over five acres with 333 feet of oceanfront, asking $72 million. The property closed in March for $60 million.

Over in Wainscott, Burnt Point has closed. Pharma billionaire Stewart Rahr, who once cut a swath through Hamptons parties of the past decade calling himself Stewie Rah Rah, is in contract to sell Burnt Point, his 24-acre estate on the Wainscott side of Georgica Pond. Rahr first listed Burnt Point back in 2015, asking $95 million.

The property first made headlines in 1996, selling to commodities trader David Campbell for a record setting $10M. Campbell commissioned architect Francis Fleetwood to build the house, which was completed in 1999. Campbell then put the estate on the market in 2000, asking $50M. (Whence the name? A forest fire around the turn of the twentieth century that denuded the point.)

The sales price was $47 million, which is only $2 million more than Rahr paid for it in 2005. Ouch. At the time, this was the most expensive home ever sold in New York State.

We’re actually not surprised to hear that the Arbor, one of Marc Rowan‘s Hamptons restaurants, is in contract to be sold. The place seemed like a dud from the start.

Starting with the name. A friend of ours, at the time, complained, “Arbor? That’s what they think a Montauk restaurant should be named? Why not something a little more seaside than a bunch of trees?”

Then there was the food. We ate there, and while the fare was acceptable, for us the highlight was the bread basket. That’s not the way it should work in a nice restaurant.

Finally, there is the location. While the designers did their best, and we did like the arbor of trees, etc, outside, the location–right off the LIRR platform, more or less–was a definite negative.

We always want Montauk businesses to succeed, so we were saddened but not surprised by the dearth of cars in the lot by the restaurant. We hope the next business there will thrive.

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Today comes news that “Twin Peaks” (yes, queue Angelo Badalamenti music now) has finally sold after 5.5 years on the market. Kean Development, which built the ridiculously lavish house (two kitchens–one for the family, one for the hired chef–putting green on the roof, two lane bowling alley, on and on and on) announced that the property, with a last ask of $39.5 million, is now the most expensive non-waterfront residence in Southampton sold to date.

Twin Peaks is massive in every way: 20,000 square feet, with 10 bedrooms, 14 full and 3 half baths, , 2 master suites, 8 fireplaces, full spa with steam shower, sauna and gym, and elevator. The 4-acre grounds boast a tennis court, 60’ x 30’ gunite pool, sunken firepit and a pool house with 2 full baths, lounge, and kitchen. Too weensy for you? Never fear, there’s also a “cottage” to stuff Aunt Bertha or a house manager during the winter, and a dog washing room. All of this has been decorated by Tony Ingrao, who we have to admit is one of our favorites.

How much did the place sell for? We’re not sure–stay tuned. The place originally asked $45 million but has been at the just-under-$40-million point for the past several years.

Annoyed that you missed out? Never fear: the Kean Organization will be offering “The Gables” on two acres in 2022.

• Twin Peaks [C]

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This house, designed by Charles Gwathmey in the late 70s, still sports many of the built-in furnishings the master created for it. It’s snuggled in the Amagansett Dunes, about a block from the beach. The current owners purchased the place in 2014 for $4.25 million and then renovated; changing the original wooden structural columns to steel ones and swapping windows and siding to look like the originals. They also knocked down a wall to connect the kitchen and living room–something not popular in the late 70s but almost essential today. The slides below show the way the place looked before the reno:

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Not much has changed. The table (which Gwathmey called “Rosalie” after his mother), chairs and even built-in sofas have been retained.

The owners also added solar panels and plan on a Tesla Powerwall system this summer. The property, which includes the five-bedroom, 4,400-square-foot house, a 40-foot saltwater pool, a sauna and an outdoor shower, is on the market for $9.3 million with Cindy Scholz and Clayton Orrigo at Compass.

• 43 Gilberts Path, Amagansett [C]

Back in 2013, we were charmed by the ridiculously over-the-top decorations for Société du Vin, a wine club started by Leslie Alexander, billionaire (and former owner of the Houston Rockets). Alexander spent $5 million over a couple of years to turn an old Bridgehampton potato barn into a wine storage facility with an over-the-top tasting room decorated by a Hollywood set designer. He planned to offer shares to locals for $50,000 plus about $8,000 in annual dues. We particularly loved the giant copper head of Bacchus.

Now comes news that 204 Butter Lane has been sold. Sorry, we seem to have something in our eye… The property closed for just $2 million March 12. We’re gutted. Plus we missed the tag sale for the giant copper head.

Adieu, Société du Vin. Regrets éternels.

 

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The Dunes, the exceedingly upscale (read: expensive) rehab facility, has purchased a property in Southampton. From what we understand, the organization was renting its previous spot on Bull Path, East Hampton. The new property is at 15 Lohan Court in North Sea, close to the bay, and frankly seems ideal for this kind of use.

It’s bigger than the previous house, with 8 acres of land, indoor and outdoor pool, and a new 12,400  square foot house with 10 bedrooms, 11 full baths and 4 1/2 baths. Indoors, the massive great room seems perfect for patient hangouts, while outdoors, there’s plenty of seating around the pool, a pool house, and an outdoor fireplace. Er, not sure what they’ll do with the wine cellar.

The Dunes paid $5.995 million for the property, which closed March 21.

Previously, we were the first to mention that East Hampton Point had been sold. Then, we exclusively revealed the buyer, Heath Freeman of Alden Global Capital. Now, we’ll tell you how much he paid.

Asking prices for the place have been up, down, up, for as long as we can remember, including a high of $55 million back in 2006. Last ask for the restaurant-marina-accommodation complex on five acres was $27 million.

Mr. Freeman drove a hard bargain, we think: he paid $17.28 million, almost $10 million off the asking price. What did he get for all that? Five acres of harborfront land with a waterfront restaurant, accommodation including 13 individual cottages and seven suites in the main house, and a full-service marina and boatyard with 58 slips. There’s also a ship’s store, pool, and tennis. It would be impossible to replicate the restaurant and marina on Three Mile Harbor today, with current waterfront zoning laws.

Now all Mr. Freeman has to do is renovate the Point and turn a profit. Easier said than done, but this prime spot has been ripe for upgrading for a long time.

 

 

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Paper mogul and art collector Peter Brant and supermodel wife Stephanie Seymour have sold their oceanfront Sagaponack house in an off-market deal. The deal closed January 15 this year, just two days before the sad death of their son Harry. The sales price for 159 Trees Lane, on Gibson Beach, was $26 million.

The couple purchased the 2.6-acre property in 2006 for $6.1 million. It included a pond as well as a comparatively modest house built in 1994, with 4 bedrooms and 5 baths in 2,668 feet. (According to Zillow.)

The Brants used to be fixtures on the summer social scene in the Hamptons, especially regarding polo, but seem to be spending their time in Florida now. They purchased an historic home in Palm Beach last year for $46.75 million.