Still Hearing the Sirens' Song of the Hamptons

But I am a bit distracted because of multi-tasking - something against which I always warned my students.  You see, being from upstate New York, I am a huge Buffalo Bills fan, and it is difficult to be a Bills fan.  They break your heart.  Listening to their game now against the Arizona Cardinals, they were winning, but no longer.  I'm typing this post with my fingers, but have both ears attuned to the game, and Arizona just got another first down.  Drat!!

Today, I am going back to 1990 and continuing on to the present.  I must apologize for the condition of some of my images.  One of the magazines had some water damage, but still deserved keeping, and many of the others had images on both sides of a page which means you see a crease down the center.  But, undaunted like my Bills, I continue onward.

From the August 1990, House and Gardens, let's look at a rejuvenated Victorian cottage designed by Anthony Baratta and William Diamond.  Lots of blue and white in the foyer.  You just never see braided rugs anymore which might not be a bad thing.

More white and blue and the first of my omnipresent creases.  Sorry.  I love the paneling in this room, the great bowl atop the table, and remain an ardent fan of windsor chairs.  Not sure about the blue braided rug here - would show every dropped morsel.

Remember the blue and white in the Something's Gotta Give house?  Guess Hampton beach houses feel that is de rigueur because here it is again.  And more braid.

There's something I always really liked about this kitchen - perhaps the absence of vibrant blue, perhaps it's the spotted flooring which hides so many crumbs or is it the red checked cloth on the table?  Whatever -  it would be a great kitchen in which to enjoy lobster and corn on the cob.

(By the way, the Bills got another first down in the second half.)  Moving onwards to Dick Cavett's home in the Hamptons (sadly, it is the water damaged magazine).  Anyone remember Cavett from the Tonight Show?  He wrote for the show and appeared often as a guest host for Johnny Carson, and has a really great Montauk house to escape to in the summer.  Pretty nice view, huh?

Dick Cavett and friends and always books.

Screen between the living room and staircase showing my wrinkles.  (Bills are winning 16 - 13 but lots of time left.)

If not wrinkles, creases.  I'm sorry that such a pretty English-feeling living room is blurred by them.  Try to ignore the flaws.  (Cardinals just intercepted the ball; I could cry.)

My friend, Greet, just did a posting about red kitchens as have several recent magazines.  They are very inviting like the Cavett's in Montauk.

A wrinkled, but pretty, dining room.  I love the way ladder back chairs look, but have seldom sat in a comfortable one.  Have you?

Guest bedrooms.

Master bedroom.

Now, to a 2001 Architectural Digest and the Southampton home Naomi Leff renovated for Neil Hirsch.

Even my creases cannot diminish this lovely living room.  (Arizona just tied the game.  C'mon Bills.)  So happy to see some neutral colors - serenity again.

Fireplace side of living room.

Dining room containing two 1846 portraits, part of Hirsch's large antique collection.  (Arizona just missed a field goal attempt.  Now it's overtime.  Bills have won the toss - a real squeaker of a game.)

Breakfast room, once an office. Love that tilt-top table.

Family room.

Guest bedroom.

Master bedroom below contains some of Hirsch's most important pieces.

Now to the Tom Sheerer home in East Hampton which appeared in a recent House Beautiful and on their website.  More contemporary colors appear in the dining room but still antiques abound.

Other side of dining room.

Dining room as seen from living room.

Living room with blues and a rug reminiscent of  Something's Gotta Give.  Not a braided rug in sight.

Not a braided rug in sight,

(Buffalo just intercepted the ball and are at the five-yard line.  Keep your fingers crossed.)  Entry below.

Library.  (Buffalo won!!!!   Every team in the Eastern division is now 3 and 3, because New England lost to the Seahawks.  Oh happy day! )

Kitchen, of course.

Because the house overlooks Duck Pond, images of ducks adorn the staircase walls.

Bathroom whose walls remind us of the kitchen floor from the first home above.  "Everything old does sometimes become new again."

A very pink guest room.

Master bedroom.  Love the beams in much of the house.

And now to one of my autumnal Gourmets.  It is autumn after all, and Gourmet always did it so well.

I know it contains another crease, but this dining area is so luxurious and had to be included in its entirety.

Potato puree with potato crisps and Shitake Ragout.

Five-Spiced Roasted Guinea Hen, Steamed Broccoli Rabe, and Lemon Barley Spring Rolls.  Note how fitting the china is here.  Nothing clashes in Gourmet, ever.

Pistachio Praline Dacquoise _ "oh my!"

On these delicious notes, I end this post.  (And my Bills won!)  Hope you enjoyed these views of the Hamptons and stay tuned for more.  The best may be yet to come.
Till then,
b

The Hamptons: They Sing to Me with a Siren's Song

But alas, I have never been there.  I know they are south of New England and northeast of New York City.  I know names of towns - Southhampton, Sag Harbor, Amagansett, Sagaponack, East Hampton, Montauk.  I know the real estate is some of the most expensive in the US because it is so close to New York City and is so beautiful.  And I know I must visit there some day, but until that day I'll visit through books, magazines and films...

...films like Something's Gotta Give which featured the house every woman fell in love with.  The following images are from Hooked on Houses and they give a flavor of the Hamptons and a reason why I must go there someday.

The film was a definite charmer, and the house was a huge part of this charm.

But onto the real world.  Let's look at this Hampton house designed by Steven Gambrel.  (All images are from his website S.R. Gambrel.  It's so nice not to have to scan each one from my library of his work.)  Investment banker John Rolfes had seen Steven's own Sag Harbor home and had Steven do this redo for his house in 2002.

Love the house exterior - all the gray shingles redolent of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, and especially how the blue shutters actually fit the windows; they are not just ornamental.

All very different from the Something's Gotta Give house, but be patient.

Now to Steven's own 2001 house in Sag Harbor, the one his friend had seen and been inspired by.

Steven's sitting room.

Kitchen storage.

A designer's work appears never done even when relaxing in his Hampton house.

In 2004, note the changes.  Gone is the orange sofa replaced by this white one.  Gone are any bright, bright blue tones replaced by softer ones.

Love his kitchen (of course) and wide plank floors.

  Very funky wallpaper makes this powder room.

The designer, himself...

relaxing in his "great outdoors."  Really pretty, eh?

And now, to the changes as of 2008.

Guest room.

Master bedroom with sofa from 2004 living room.

Such simplicity here - plank door, unadorned window, rope handrail.

These images became slightly blurry when enlarged, but had to show the dutch door (why do we love them so much?), the new dining room chairs, and the topiaries for all you topiary lovers out there (Loi and Phyllis).

Great view of wide-board floor, and sweet antique table and chair.

I like this version the best.  What do you think?

Onto another designer - Robert K. Lewis.  For the life of me, I could not find the magazine which featured his house.  Thank goodness Mary Emmerling also covered his Sag Harbor house in her American Country Classics.   My article had a few more images so when I find it (which I know I will someday), I'll post them.  Till then, enjoy these from Mary in 1990.  This little Hampton house seems timeless.

I always loved the white trim against the rusticity of paneling and floors.  And the very neutral banquette.

Interesting antiques.  I think that is a whalebone crimper in the circular box.  Antique experts out there - help!

Again, the fresh whiteness contrasted with the antique-iness is great.  The object on the mantel is an antique eel fork which I might have left right there in the antiques store, but it is very unique.

The paneling on the island reminds me of Anthropologie's floors.  Very cool and funky and reclaim-ish.  I have a pot rack similar to this one in my own kitchen.  Could this very one have been my subliminal inspiration?  

Finally, the very pretty master bedroom - again, such a white contrast to the rest of the house is so appealing.

In my search for the article I could not find about the Hampton house above, I came across the following images from Cote Sud Hors Series.  Because of my blog's name and because I love kitchens so much, I always feel compelled to dwell more on kitchens so here's my compulsion fulfillment for today.

That's all for this post, my friends.  Next time, it's more Hampton houses.  

Till then-

b