In the Hamptons, there is a plethora of impressive houses to fit just about any lifestyle. For large, extended families, even an estate home can become close quarters. Some look for compounds with acreage, but only one stands out, offering three distinct, private residences, on a storybook property, all within a stone’s throw of East Hampton Village.
“We’ve never represented a property like this in our combined careers — It’s like selling a resort, not just selling a home,” says Keith Green and Ann Ciardullo of Sotheby’s International Realty, top performing agents who just put the exclusive listing on the market for $10.2 million.
“Like no other property on the East End, this stunning gated cloister of buildings feels more like a small private village or resort in Normandy,” they continue.
“It’s a little bit of a miracle that through the genius of how it was designed, it still feels like a home,” they add.
This Accabonac Road property epitomizes the true meaning of an estate, curated over several decades by one of the Hamptons’ most soughtafter landscape architects and the previous owner, Craig Socia.
“Most of his work has always been for the wealthiest of the wealthy, but year after year he invested in creating a personal wonderland that is simultaneously reminiscent of the French countryside, yet perfectly at home in the Hamptons,” Green says.
While each residence displays its own distinct personality inside, each shares “a common design sensibility,” as Green calls it, as all feature classic stucco architecture with slate roofs.
Collectively, they offer a total of 7,565 square feet of interior space, eight bedrooms, seven full and three half-baths. There are three full kitchens, many entertaining spaces, a theater, a home office and more.
Three households could easily carry on their lives here and come together as a family around the centrally-located, yet private 50-foot heated gunite pool, surrounded by perennial gardens and mature specimen plantings.
“This is the ultimate dream — Grandma and Grandpa could be in the main house and then the next generation down could have the carriage house and then the grandchildren could be in the guest house. The possibilities are endless,” says Green.
The main house exudes grandeur, starting with the entry’s 25-foot ceilings, grand staircase and a gold leaf archway. Light pours into both sides of the living room, which has views of the stunning gardens, and features a Rumford fireplace, coffered ceiling and surround-sound speakers.
The Boffi kitchen provides stainless steel, highend appliances from Miele, as well as Gaggenau stoves, and Sub-Zero refrigeration. The adjacent formal dining room has room for a table of up to 12, perfect for entertaining or gathering up a large family.
The primary suite takes up the entire second floor, assuring the utmost privacy and luxury with a spa-like bathroom with a walk-in shower and a soaking tub. It overlooks the gardens and an old-world styled balcony that peers over the backyard.
The “carriage house,” as the second residence is referred to, is quirky and exotic, according to Green, and features dramatic architectural details, such as a grand spiral staircase that leads to a tower with an upstairs bedroom, and a cobblestone floor in the “carraige room” that is the center of life in that house. It boasts its own full kitchen — a rarity even when there is a second home on an estate.
The “guest house,” which is currently used by staff, also offers a full kitchen — even rarer — with three more sleeping quarters. “The guest house feels much more like a classic French villa,” Green says.
Behind The Hedges is told the current owners spent a small fortune bringing the houses all up to date for the 21st century and are prepared to add a four-car garage in support of contemporary Hamptons living standards.
All three residences are tied together by the meticulously landscaped gardens that Socia carefully configured. Take a stroll through the pathways to find hidden enclaves, from the serene pool grotto to the “forbidden garden,” the “movie-set-worthy” potting shed and garden sculptures.
Then there is the location, should one venture away from the compound.
The gated property feels tucked away, hidden from the busy village roads, but still only a short distance from world-class shopping, dining and art galleries.
It’s around the corner from the highly-acclaimed, Hamptons favorite, Nick & Toni’s restaurant. No need to go far for high-end shopping — Louis Vuitton store that newly opened this summer, Chanel, Prada, Valentino, Brunello Cucinelli and more are located on the village’s Main Street and Newtown Lane.
Ann Ciardullo and Keith Green of Sotheby’s International Realty are the exclusive listing agents. Ann: 631-903-0269. Keith: 917-907-4788.
PARTNER CONTENT
This article appeared as the Behind The Hedges cover story on September 1, 2023. Read the full digital edition here.
