Words: Jonathan Wells
Long Island — as its lengthy, literal names suggests — stretches out significantly into the Atlantic Ocean. Starting just under a mile from Manhattan itself, at New York Harbour, ‘The Island’ extends eastward over 100 miles into the surf — where one of the final populated places along its sandy South Shore is a little place called Montauk.
It’s one of the few villages on the peninsula’s wind-whipped tip; home to an 18th Century lighthouse, an old military base — and this $16,500,000 hideaway. 216 Old Montauk, with its clapboard cladding and astonishing Atlantic views, sits just 10 minutes from the nearby hamlet of Amagansett, where you’ll find world-class golf clubs and provincial farmers markets.
But, in addition to these local amenities and Atlantic views, the house itself also offers an ocean of appealing features and facilities. Set on nearly 1.5 acres of land, including 180 private feet of coastline, the home sits at the end of a long-gated drive.
In 2011, 216 Old Montauk’s exacting owners enlisted the skill and vision of world-renowned architect and designer Thierry Despont to transform the residence. And Despont, who was the associate architect for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty during the 1980s, and designed interiors for both The Dorchester and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, delivered “a complete metamorphosis”.
Descend the wooden steps to the front door — which sits below vaulted windows in a recessed entryway — and you’ll enter into perhaps the most impressive expanse in the house; the ‘Great Room’. Measuring almost 35 feet in length, and boasting built-in shelving, closets and a fireplace, it’s a bold statement of a space.
A vast, pebble-adorned surround on the fireplace stretches up to the ceiling, and light, bright windows are set into a signature curved roof, itself crafted from fine wood. Some of the home’s best views can also be enjoyed from this space, and the adjacent, auxiliary sitting room.
The kitchen is a little more modest — yet still stares out across those same ocean-facing views. With a focus on clean, white design, the fully-furnished space is equipped with top-range appliances and an eight-seat dining table.
Elsewhere, you’ll find three full and one half bathrooms, with marbled showers, a vast vanity mirror and skylights to ensure the rooms are flooded with light — without sacrificing any privacy.
There are three bedrooms in 216 Old Montauk. Two can be found on the ground floor, situated just off the ‘Great Room’ and sharing an en-suite bathroom. The master sits on the second floor, is over 25 feet wide and features two en-suite bathrooms and an outdoor deck shower at its rear.
The master bedroom also has its own outdoor space; a ten-by-eighteen foot wooden deck jutting out into the fresh Atlantic air — and the perfect place to enjoy an al fresco breakfast, or evening cigar and sundowner.
Outside — and in addition to that 180 feet of sandy coastline — 216 Old Montauk also features vast spaces for entertaining. There’s a large, semi-covered deck out back with a sheltered seating area, and a sun-deck where you’ll find a free-form heated swimming pool built from moulded gunite.
Of course, if you do take the plunge and splash out $16.5 million on this luxury, light and airy home, we’d recommend a bracing morning swim in the Atlantic. Because who else has an ocean — as literally as Long Island’s lengthy name — right on their doorstep?
Want more luxury property? Take a tour of Hugh Jackman’s NYC penthouse apartment…
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