Spotted: 10 Modern Homes in the Hamptons

Known for being the ultimate summer escape for New Yorkers, the Hamptons is sometimes believed to be made up of just traditional country estates that look like they're straight out of The Great Gatsby.

However, some incredible modern homes can also be spotted. Here we've gathered 10 examples that will have you dreaming of sand dunes and seafood shacks as you get ready to pack your swimsuit for the warmer days ahead. 

Sagaponac House 43

Heide Banks and Howard Lazar’s Sagaponack residence, also known as "Sagaponac House 43," was designed by the Iranian-born and U.S.-based architects (and sisters), Gisue and Mojgan Hariri. It's located in a community of modernist homes called the Houses of Sagaponac. 

Viewed from the street, the house’s kitchen/living area—raised on a platform with massive picture windows—resembles a stage. Banks and Lazar plan to enhance the privacy by planting trees and shrubs.

Viewed from the street, the house’s kitchen/living area—raised on a platform with massive picture windows—resembles a stage. Banks and Lazar plan to enhance the privacy by planting trees and shrubs.

Water Mill Family Compound

The historically protected property that Christine and James Boyle purchased on Long Island came with two existing shingled structures designed in 1963 by modernist architect Andrew Geller. Hamptons-based firm Bates Masi + Architects LLC  reworked it entirely to become a modern-day family compound.

As the facade of a Bates Masi-designed home in Water Mill, New York, rises from 8 to 14 feet high, the mahogany planks subtly widen. "It was quite a demand to make of the contractor," architect Paul Masi says. "But the design was so much about traveling through the site and weaving [the house] together with the deck."

As the facade of a Bates Masi-designed home in Water Mill, New York, rises from 8 to 14 feet high, the mahogany planks subtly widen. "It was quite a demand to make of the contractor," architect Paul Masi says. "But the design was so much about traveling through the site and weaving [the house] together with the deck."

An Art-Filled Hamptons Cottage

After canvassing the architectural talent on Long Island’s East End, Andrew and Amy Weinstein connected with Paul Masi and Harry Bates of Bates Masi + Architects LLC—despite the Sag Harbor firm’s distinctly modern style. The couple had actually been looking to build a fairly traditional Hamptons cottage, but they fell in love with Bates Masi and their philosophy of design as storytelling—which reminded the Weinsteins of the artists whose work they collect, which lines the walls of this special home. 

The gabled house, constructed from precast-concrete panels by Superior Walls with wood framing, offers a pared-down version of a traditional New England silhouette. The exterior cedar paneling also appears on the ceiling of the custom-built chef’s kitchen inside.

The gabled house, constructed from precast-concrete panels by Superior Walls with wood framing, offers a pared-down version of a traditional New England silhouette. The exterior cedar paneling also appears on the ceiling of the custom-built chef’s kitchen inside.

Atelier 216

Located in Amagansett, Atelier 216 is a modern barn-style home designed by New York City-based architecture and branding firm, STUDIO ZUNG. The 3,800-square-foot, five-bedroom residence employs strategies to reduce its footprint and features smart technology systems.

Bi-fold doors connect the main residence to the backyard, which features a large swimming pool, a 200-square-foot pool house, and an outdoor kitchen.

Bi-fold doors connect the main residence to the backyard, which features a large swimming pool, a 200-square-foot pool house, and an outdoor kitchen.

Charles Gwathmey's Iconic Amagansett Abode

Charles Gwathmey’s residential masterpiece—a modest but innovative home for his parents in the Hamptons—looks as fresh today as it did in 1965. The modernist gem of small-scale living made Gwathmey famous at the age of 27, and solidified his reputation in a generation of burgeoning architects.   

To save costs, the wood-frame residence and studio are clad in vertical cedar siding—back then, a daring competitor to clapboard—instead of concrete. 

To save costs, the wood-frame residence and studio are clad in vertical cedar siding—back then, a daring competitor to clapboard—instead of concrete. 

Sustainable Beach House

When architect Nick Martin was hired to rework an art curator’s Hamptons property into a Zen-like getaway, he created a midcentury beach house that has it all: green technology, high-quality materials, and a design concept that references its humble beginnings as an kit house.

A Sputnik chandelier in aged steel from Restoration Hardware hangs above a custom concrete-topped table. The vintage cane-and-teak dining chairs were designed in 1966 by Pierre Jeanneret. In the kitchen, a brushed stainless-steel range hood by Modern-Aire is matched with faucet hardware from Dornbracht, a Blanco sink, Viking rangetops, and built-in ovens by Wolf. Recessed lighting overhead uses LED bulbs set in Juno housing. 

A Sputnik chandelier in aged steel from Restoration Hardware hangs above a custom concrete-topped table. The vintage cane-and-teak dining chairs were designed in 1966 by Pierre Jeanneret. In the kitchen, a brushed stainless-steel range hood by Modern-Aire is matched with faucet hardware from Dornbracht, a Blanco sink, Viking rangetops, and built-in ovens by Wolf. Recessed lighting overhead uses LED bulbs set in Juno housing. 

High Ceilings in East Hampton

Designed by architect Bruce Nagel, this minimalist dwelling is tucked deep into an old pine forest on the prestigious Bull Path in East Hampton, New York. It boasts dramatic 16-foot-high ceilings and clerestory windows that allow light to stream into the open floor plan year-round. The master suite includes a private library, fireplace, and an outdoor deck.

16-foot-high ceilings and dramatic expanses of glass allow light to stream into the open floor plan year-round. 

16-foot-high ceilings and dramatic expanses of glass allow light to stream into the open floor plan year-round. 

A Kid-Friendly Refuge

When Tanya Wexler and Amy Zimmerman decided that they wanted a year-round retreat from their New York City apartment for themselves and their four children, they approached Joseph Tanney and Robert Luntz of Resolution: 4 Architecture to explore the idea of demolishing their already existing  cottage in East Hampton, New York—and replacing it with a larger contemporary beach house. 

The living room is furnished with Modernica’s Split Rail loveseat and sofa and a walnut Eames stool from Herman Miller. The dining area features Vico Magistretti’s Maui chairs and an Antonio Citterio Glossy table, both from plastics expert Kartell.

The living room is furnished with Modernica’s Split Rail loveseat and sofa and a walnut Eames stool from Herman Miller. The dining area features Vico Magistretti’s Maui chairs and an Antonio Citterio Glossy table, both from plastics expert Kartell.

A Simple Cyprus Box in Amagansett

When Joe Dolce and his partner Jonathan Burnham decided to add a 250-square-foot addition to their 1,400-square-foot Long Island summer home,
they made the most logical decision. They hired the original architect to do the renovation—Harry Bates had designed the modernist light-filled Amagansett beach house in 1967.

Bates Masi’s renovation and expansion of Harry Bates’ 1967 house in Amagansett, New York, salvaged much of the home’s original cypress decking and incorporated subtle additions to the exterior. Because cypress quickly develops a patina, it was only a matter of weeks before the new facade matched the color of the original wood siding. 

Bates Masi’s renovation and expansion of Harry Bates’ 1967 house in Amagansett, New York, salvaged much of the home’s original cypress decking and incorporated subtle additions to the exterior. Because cypress quickly develops a patina, it was only a matter of weeks before the new facade matched the color of the original wood siding. 

Multiple Facades, One Incredible View

Architect Alexander Gorlin gave each elevation of this contemporary Hamptons home a distinct facade. Sitting atop a hill, the beach house is located on prime property facing the ocean on one side, and the beach on the other. 

 Seen here is the ocean-facing side, with a zinc-clad cantilever shading that covers a sprawling outdoor patio.

 Seen here is the ocean-facing side, with a zinc-clad cantilever shading that covers a sprawling outdoor patio.

Jennifer Baum Lagdameo
Dwell Contributor
Jennifer Baum Lagdameo is a freelance design writer who has lived in Washington DC, Brooklyn, Tokyo, Manila, and is currently exploring the Pacific Northwest from her home base in Portland, Oregon.

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