The Nature of Birds

I looked into the back yard this morning and there are no birds at the feeders. Sometimes it is a feeding frenzy and other times just a stray bird poking about. This flock of sea gulls at the beach seemed very set in being a group. Maybe my yard birds are also in a group.

Flat Top

Flat top homes and modern architecture are making a comeback. You can see this trend in many of the shelter magazines and books that have come out in the last few years. This stunning oceanfront home has been recently completed. The choice of the finest materials and detailing contribute to the success of this home.

White Lights

The Village of Southampton has added a lot of white lights to there past holiday lighting. It has made the sidewalks of Main Street and Jobs Lane much brighter at night. It seems that there are more people walking around after dark even with the colder weather.

North Main Victorian Queen Anne

This home on North Main Street looked great in the sun and snow. When writing this blog I often check terms and details in the book A FIELD GUIDE TO AMERICAN HOUSES by Virginia & Lee McAlester. The book was helpful in setting this home apart as a Queen Anne Victorian.

Real Snow

Much of the east coast was hit with a snow storm over the weekend. The storm moved up the coast and started here around 1:30 on Sunday afternoon. It snowed all night with a lot of wind, the gusts are still blowing this evening.

New Shingle Style

This home is a relatively new addition to Meadow Lane. The exterior has a simple honesty that lets the interior of the home expresses it's self . I just want to be in that window-wrapped room with fantastic water views.

Merry Chistmas

This tree grows in the park at Lake Agawam, the war monument is in the background near the lake's edge.

Modern Apples

The modern apple tree produces fruit without having to grow tall. This makes it much easier to get at the apples. This newer orchard on Head of Pond Road has the tress in very organized rows by variety of apple. The fields looks striped in the fall as the different colored apples make varied bright colored mounds under the rows.

Caesar's Row

This amazing gallery of nineteen marble Caesars is tucked between the Parrish Museum and the old Rogers Library. The brick walkway is a handy short cut from Jobs Lane to the parking lot. A few years ago the Parrish made a plaster copy of one of the Caesars. They are long sold out at the Museum shop but they do turn up at yard sales.

Nice Old Bricks

This side door to the Parrish Museum is set in a handsome brick wall. The pattern of brick work is called Flemish Bond. This brick wall is two rows of brick thick, the alternate bricks turned on end are used to tie the two rows of brick into one unit. The ends of the bricks are darker than the face bricks. These bricks are sometimes called clinkers. The end of the brick has been exposed to more heat in the kiln giving the brick a char tone adding depth and texture to the wall. These distinctive bricks can can also be found in many older homes in Southampton.

Meadow Lane Folly

I have long enjoyed this abandoned structure on Meadow Lane. Perched on the edge of the bay across a wide section of the Meadow I enjoy the moment when it comes into view. Folly- whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view.

Established Setting

I enjoy the organic shapes that the plantings around the old library have acquired over many years of careful pruning.

Architect's Dream

In 1887 the architect Robert Robertson started work on his own home located on South Main Street. The home known as Wyndecote still stands and has long been a favorite. I got to see inside when the house was for sale, every inch delights. Mr. Robertson was also the architect for the old library located at the corners of Main Street and Jobs Lane.

Model Homes

A few years back the Parrish Art Museum had a bird house competition and sale as a fund raiser. Soon after that event architect enhanced mailboxes began to appear on the streets of the estate area. I liked this one a lot.

Perfect Greenhouse

If I could have a greenhouse I would want it to look like this one. In an earlier time when shipping to the Hamptons was harder many estates hard greenhouses. This one still stands on a property on First Neck Lane.

Wave Action

After some storms the sand at the beach gets washed away leaving a shelf and drop down to the surf. In the fall and winter  home owners put up snow fence to help catch the wind blown sand to rebuild the dunes.

Windmills

Many villages on the east end have windmills. This one located in Southampton Village across the street from the ocean has been expanded into a private home. If the windmill was in action the vanes would have canvas sails stretched over the wooden frames to catch the wind and make turn.

First Snow

This morning I woke to the first snow this season.I knew while still in bed, the world outside just sounded different.We did not get a lot of snow but more than a dusting. This photo is of the edge of my driveway with holly tree and 15" granite ball.

Main Street Neon

Our village puts up a lot of lights for holidays including installing cut Christmas trees with multi color lights. In past years I have especially like the lights when the roadway is wet.. This picture was taken last night after yesterdays rain.

Gate Posts

Gate posts like gate houses can give a hint of the house down the drive. These posts greet a guest arriving at Blue Haven. Both the gate posts and the home sport a blue glazed ceramic tile roof. From the road you can get a peak a blue topped turret. This home was once very famous for it's parties, at the front door there was a stair leading down to a replica on the El Morocco Lounge. I think the lounge is no more as the zebra print bar stools ended up for sale at Second Chance on Main St.

Fern the Cat

For the summer party in 2009 ARF wanted to ad a cat. Here they are on the lawn at the beach club. Fern & Eddie stay at ARF full time and visit events over the year. 

Eddie

In 2008 The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons was having a benefit dinner at a club on the beach. The director contacted me and asked if I could design a big dog to great guests when they arrived at the event. After a few cardboard models Eddie we cut him out from 3/4 birch plywood. He stands over ten feet tall and is now painted.  His parts fit are held together with gravity so he can be taken apart for moving. Eddie now winters at ARF with smaller dogs.

Holiday Sparkle

Lynch's garden center has a great selection of holiday decor that they organize by color theme. This table of mercury glass and other silvery objects caught my eye.

Gate House

Many of the estates on Lake Agawam extend through to First Neck Lane. Some of these properties have gate houses on First Neck Lane that are built in the style of their lake front homes. I love this gate house with its rich Beaux Arts style.

South Main Beach



This fantastic ocean front home is tucked behind a beautiful brick garden wall. I love the details of these distinctive  chimneys. I remember a big construction project here a few years back, the expansion they made is totally seamless. Once when out showing homes I was asked if this was the Dark Shadows House, I believe that home is larger than this home and located in Newport RI. 

Sunset on the Beach

The Hampton's are located on the east end of Long Island. Long Island is a huge island running east from New York City for over 150 miles, most of our beaches face south. In the late fall and winter the sun sets to the south. This mean we get evening sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean., rare to find on the east coast.

Winter Views

Now that the leaves have fallen you can get a street side glimpse of some of the great estates. These homes are hidden during the busy summer season.

December Garden

So far we have not had a hard frost out east here. This marigold has just kept going.

The BIG Duck

The Big Duck is located on RT 24 between Hampton Bays and Riverhead in Flanders, NY. I first visited the duck in the mid 1980's at that time they sold lunch from a kitchen inside the duck. I stopped in and asked for duck, I was told that duck had to be ordered in advance but they had fried chicken. Having my heart set on duck I passed. Later the duck closed, the land was sold and the Duck was going to be torn down to make room for condos. People organized, the duck got moved down the road to safety and became a gift shop selling duckness. The condo project never got going, the land is now a park and the duck is back home. 

Predator

This hawk landed on the stone wall at the end of the pool. The bird looked around for a flew then took off. I happened to be in the pool house and took this photo from behind the French doors. The property was very quiet with  no sign of the other birds and squirrels that are usually around.

South Main Street Again



South Main Street

is a rich source of fine homes. I love this classic New England Cape set at the corner of

Linden Lane

.  The chunky central chimney is typical of older homes where the fire place provided a warm core to the home. For reasons I do not understand an older home can feel right sitting much closer to the road than a new homes. Maybe this is because newer homes are set on higher foundations giving the home a more abrupt facade. The simple white fence defines a lovely cottage garden.

English Box

I love the classic English Boxwood gardens at the Halsey House on South Main Street. Box is very slow growing and at times temperamental a sign of a garden with very established roots.

South Main Street ca 1648

The Halsey House on

South Main Street

is open to the public during the summer months. The design of this home with a two story front and long roof line making a one story rear is called a saltbox. In the 1980s the contemporary saltbox design was very popular with the back portion of the home having a dramatic open cathedral-ceiling living space. This home also has very nice gardens with excellent English Boxwood.

Water Mill Barn

Over the years many barns in the Hamptons got used as artist's studios. The loft like interiors lent themselves to making excelent work spaces. I was allowed to photograph the studio of noted painter Jane Wilson. I chose not to show the paintings in progress. It was nice to visit this simple honest interior from a time when so many artists had studio barns.

Along the Tracks

There is a dirt track that runs along the rail road tracks under the high Ts. At one time the town talked about developing this track into a bike path through the East End. I have taken my mountain bike on some parts of this path. Right along the tracks you see an industrial side of the Hamptons we do not see on a typical day.

Modern Style

My friend Brian designed this fantastic modern renovation at 194 Middle Line Highway in Water Mill. When I went to photograph the home I shot it at sunset so I could give a hint of the dramatic interiors. I then had a film tour of the main floor made, this tour can be viewed at http://www.hamptons101.com/ Look for the button that says virtual tour. If you want to view the home there will be an open house this Saturday and Sunday from 10am - 12 noon. 

Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust



I always think of Thanksgiving as a New England holiday. When I was growing up our family would meet in Connecticut for a big family dinner. My Grandmother always brought the pies and was most noted for her apple pie. In our family, apple pie was eaten with a sliver of sharp NY cheddar cheese. The idea is that the sharp cheese contrasts with the sweet pie. When I was looking through the American Heritage Cookbook I found a recipe for apple pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust. I have simplified the process to grating 6 oz of sharp white cedar and rolling it between 2 Pillsbury crusts. I use the trims to make the under crust. More details about the pie in future postings.

Shingle Cottage

When I first came to the Hamptons I was surprised to see dark shingles on the older homes in the area. I had spent many summers on Cape Cod where the shingles tend to have a silvery tone. I then learned that the shingles on the Cape are mostly white cedar and the shingles in the Hamptons tend to be red cedar. The red cedar turns a rich brown as they weather making a nice crisp contrast with white trim.

Kurt Billings Trail

Kurt Billings lived on Big Fresh Pond. He is remembered for his swimming lessons and love of nature. There is a nature trail loop off  Sebonac Road in his name. This pond is one of many nice views on that walk.



Face Lift

This month I replaced the storm windows to the right and left of the front porch door. The old trim on the north side of the house seems fine but where I have added new wood it has not held up so well.  I chose to build the new windows out of plastic composite trim boards. The existing windows did not have divided lites. Years ago friend Mark had suggested I think about divided lites. Before building the windows I took a photo of the front and drew in the window dividers. The new design looked right to me and here they are.

Giant Gum Drops

  

I think this hedge row in Southampton Village is a delight. Most hedges on the East End are Privet, a few are Yew, this is the only trimmed hedge I know of made from Juniper. This hedge will stay thick and green all winter. I think it must be very difficult to trim a hedge made of Juniper and protect it from snow damage. Juniper dose not regenerate from its base the way Privet dose so you do not have the option to just start over.

The Castle

Built in 1911 by J. Edward Elliston the Castle located at the corner of Herrick Road & Little Plains is a loved landmark by all. This view of turrets and fall colors was taken from deep in the castle's English Gardens.

Sedum Waterfall

I have two large terracotta pots near the pool that I got at yard sales in Art Village. Both pots had been broken when I got them, I glued the pieces back together with silicone. The glue jobs have lasted more that 15 years. I use clay colored plastic pots that hang off inner rim of the pot. This way I do not have to fill the whole pot with soil and I can change out the plantings without much trouble. In July I like to use sedum as it can take the summer heat and some dry periods. This year the way it grew down over the sides of the pots seemed very nice.

New on the Ocean

This new home on the beach was designed with some big deep porches for enjoying the ocean breeze. This seems like a fun idea, most of the existing homes on the ocean have their roots in New England architecture with a sharper line between inside and outside space.

Arts & Craft Gem



I enjoy catching a glimpse of this half-timber home in the hills of the old Grosvnor Atterbury Estate. This area was first developed as a summer community in the early 1900s. At that time Shinnecock Hills had was very fashionable with fewer trees and many open views to the bay. As you drive by this home you can just get a view, but if you stop moving the hedege closes up and you see less. 

On Bowden Square

This nice full maple tree is across the square from my front yard.The fall colors this year have seemed brighter and richer that I recall from the last few years.

Villa Shinnecock

Located just west of Southampton Village, this mid-century modern got a stylish makeover this year.

Allee' Wyandanch

This sycamore tree-lined-street is one I always enjoy traveling to the beach. The twisted braches and crazy bark are difficult to capture on film. There is a hint of dunes at the end of the road.

Shingled Georgian

This new addition to the estate area has the kind of very pronounced architecture typicaly seen on a brick or stone residence from the 1800s. This rich detailing gives this cedar shingle home a solid and stately presence.

Closing up the back garden for winter

It was time to winterize the pool. Dropping the water level, blowing out the lines, then setting five deck modules over the gap. Here you can see the first two modules in place.