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This is a unique and special house, but we’re worried that because of its location, right on the ocean in East Hampton, someone will tear it down. It was designed in 1956 for art collector Otto Spaeth, 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 similar to the grand sweeps of the old Stanford White houses, it’s covered in shingles, but it’s also playful and modern. See the “eyebrow” bulges above? They both shade the bay windows, but also the ripples evoke the ocean waves. Mr. Spaeth had a special system of shelves constructed for the house to display his art collection, which at the time included Edward Hopper’s South Carolina Morning (given by Spaeth’s heirs to the Whitney). We’d love to have seen the place in Spaeth’s time.
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. And yes, she had three husbands! Ms. Gibson died in June at the age of 98.
The reason we say we’d love to be able to have seen the place in Spaeth’s time is that presumably he filled the place with modern furniture, presumably plenty designed by George Nelson. Which would look spectacular. Unfortunately, Ms. Gibson’s taste seemingly ran to the 1980s Mario Buatta look, which simply doesn’t make the most of the house.
So: just over five acres by Two Mile Hollow Beach, 333 feet of oceanfront, and a landmark house with 5 bedrooms and 5 baths. Listed by Peter Turino and Chris Burnside at Brown Harris Stevens, the ask is an eyewatering $72 million. The property is well-shaped and wide, and the listing heartbreakingly notes: “Build-ability: gross floor area 12,209 square feet.” We hope the house will stay.
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