News & Features

Behind the Hedges magazine is approaching its 65th issue, which warrants something of a celebration. The number 65 holds significance for being the age often regarded as the threshold into seniorhood and the age when many Americans consider retiring and enjoying the fruits of their many years of labor. A couple's 65th wedding anniversary is the blue sapphire anniversary, which mirrors Queen Elizabeth II's Sapphire Jubilee, marking the 65th anniversary of her reign. In the spirit of 65 celebrations, we look to the luxurious Hamptons and North Fork to find more occurrences of this sagely number.

Days from the Fourth of July to Labor Day 2020: 65

Zip code of Shelter Island Heights: 11965

Estimated median value of owner-occupied housing units in Southold Town: $565,200

Median home price in Water Mill: $2,965,000 (rounded)

Estimated median household income in New Suffolk and Tuckahoe: $65,000 (rounded)

Estimated median earnings for men living in Springs, Sag Harbor and Shelter Island: $65,000 (More than $70,000 for women, both rounded)

Total retail sales in Westhampton Beach in 2012: $65,302

Price of single ice cream cone from The Fudge Company's three Hamptons locations in 1979: 65¢

Average population density of North Sea: 265 people per square mile, living in 3,265 housing units

Last recorded population of Amagansett: 1,165 in 2010

Percentage of East Hampton Town residents age 65 and over: 26.5%

Total area of Sagaponack: 4.65 square miles

Listing price of a three-bedroom Springs ranch on 1 1/2 acres with a private beach in 1978: $65,000

Imagine living in a property originally designed by the legendary architect Stanford White, but with all the modern amenities one comes to expect from the Hamptons. Beechwood Homes' new turn-key condominium development, The Latch Southampton Village, offers luxurious living on historic grounds. Steven Dubb of Beechwood Homes discusses the incredible new development.

What is the historic significance of The Latch Southampton Village? Starting in the early 1900s, the property formerly known as The Village Latch was the Grand Annex to Southampton's Irving Hotel across Hill Street. Reported guests included Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, the duPonts, Fords and Vanderbilts, and Hollywood stars.

In 2016, when we bought the 5+ acre property, though its ambience was reminiscent of Gatsby-esque times, it was showing its age. The inn was operating with 67 rooms across a number of run-down buildings.

Two of the structures, the Terry Cottage--belonging to the Irving Hotel owner, Terry Irving, and moved from across the street--and main Latch building, are thought to be designed by Stanford White of the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White.

How has the development paid homage to the original design by Stanford White? We're restoring the facades of the two Stanford White-designed buildings to their original grandeur with the new homes behind in keeping with their design. We're also completely renovating the interiors of these historic buildings, which comprise three of the 20 new luxury homes. The 40-room main Latch structure will become two townhomes. The fully renovated Terry Cottage will remain a single-family home. To guide us, we're working with local architects James McMullan of Fleetwood & McMullan and Jason Poremba of Jason Thomas Architect. Jim McMullan also designed the homes sited behind the Cottage and Latch buildings, including four villa residences, 13 townhomes and a clubhouse with high-end fitness center and outdoor pool.

Exteriors of the new homes are in keeping with the architectural vernacular of Southampton Village and complement the historic buildings. A single facade will appear to connect the homes and feature shingle-style touches. The view of the property from Hill Street, its great front lawn, will also remain.

What luxuries and amenities await at The Latch? Of note, owners at The Latch will enjoy maintenance-free, care-free living all year round for all the benefits of home ownership and Hamptons living, without the chore of property upkeep. This includes landscape curation and care of the tree-lined grounds, refuse collection and snow removal.

As well as having brand new homes, owners will have access to a light-filled clubhouse with library and high-end fitness center, plus an outdoor pool all of which are maintained for them.

Last but not least, the Village location is prime. It's a five-minute walk to Main Street shops, restaurants and Lake Agawam Park. It's also a five-minute drive to Coopers Beach and near world-class golf courses, the Parrish Art Museum and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.

Talk about the homes and designs on offer. While a handful of The Latch's twenty luxury homes are already spoken for, all are available to buy from floor plans with first occupancy anticipated for spring 2021. The remaining homes start at $2.6 million for villa residences, $3.2 to $4 million for townhomes and $5 million for the one-of-a-kind cottage.

The restored Terry Cottage, the largest home at The Latch, sits on under one-acre with 4,792 square feet of living space, including five bedrooms and 5.5 baths. There is also the option of a finished basement for two additional bedrooms and there is a two-car garage.

Fifteen townhomes, two of which are in the restored Latch building, range from 2,763 to 3,168 square feet on two levels with three bedrooms and 3.5 baths, including a ground-floor master bedroom suite plus a basement and garage. Two of the four villa residences, upper floor units, are still available. They offer 1,991 square feet with two to three bedrooms and two to three baths and include elevator access, a garage and driveway.

Floorplans are open for spacious living. Finishes are luxurious, fittings are premium, and appliances are top-of-the-line. Aspects of layouts and finishes can be personalized working with our in-house design experts. We offer a broad and high-end selection of design elements so buyers can make their new home truly their own.

How has Beechwood leveraged their considerable experience in creating a one-of-a-kind experience for prospective homeowners at The Latch Southampton Village? What we're doing at The Latch is very special. We believe the new homes, including ones being preserved in historic structures, will be found by their new owners, neighbors and the Village to be deserving of their Hill Street location. We have a lot of experience on Long Island but also Southampton Village. We built Bishops Pond, the fast-selling and first luxury condominium community of its kind in the Hamptons on South Magee Street; and Bishops Grant, an enclave of estate homes on North Main Street.

Like many Hamptons properties right now, we're seeing interest from New Yorkers wanting to own here, but also locals who want to remain in the Hamptons but in a brand new luxurious home with home maintenance taken care of for them. We're excited for the future of this notable property now named The Latch Southampton Village. We are bringing forward the best of the past as we create the highest quality new condominium homes to be found in the Hamptons today.

As a summer like we have never seen before heads toward its final weeks, we are seeing increasing numbers of people deciding to remain in East End homes that they otherwise would have rented only for the "high season"--a term that is being redefined as we speak. Many are welcome to stay by their landlords, but not all. Indeed, such a situation sits at the heart of one of the great real-estate-based questions that has arisen during these times. We are seeing it in both residential and commercial property. Tenants are disregarding their lease obligations and finding strength in the eviction moratoriums. What is a landlord to do?

In New York State, the eviction moratorium continues and continues and continues. Every time it is about to expire, a new law extends it. That is not to say that there is nothing that can be done by a smart landlord who is dealing with a terrible tenant. Landlords still have rights against non-paying, holding-over or otherwise breaching tenants in both commercial and residential property. Yet, to obtain relief, landlords can't proceed with yesterday's process in today's reality.   

If you are still waiting to bring an eviction proceeding, known as a summary proceeding, in landlord / tenant court, stop waiting and shift tactics immediately. The eviction moratorium is here to stay for the near-term. With fall fast approaching and an expected second wave of COVID coming to our state, there will be a refreshed justification to avoid homelessness and small business relief by continuing the moratorium. So, what is a landlord to do with a bad tenant who disregards their obligations under the lease?

This question was recently answered by the Chief US District Judge of the Southern District of New York in the case of Elmsford Apartment Associates LLC v. Cuomo. As background, Elmsford Apartment Associates LLC, together with two other landlords, 36 Apartment Associates, LLC and 66 Apartment Associates, J.V., sued Andrew Cuomo, as Governor of the State of New York, to enjoin the eviction moratorium while arguing that it violated their rights under the United State Constitution's Contracts Clause, Takings Clause, Due Process Clause and Petition Clause. Simply, the landlords argued that the moratoriums were illegal under the constitution. The court disagreed and dismissed the case.

Without getting into the court's constitutional analysis, which is a good read for those interested in the balance between personal liberty and the state's rights to curtail liberty in the face of a pandemic, pragmatic landlords should zero in on this gem of a quote from the court - nothing prevents a "landlords' right to initiate a common law breach of contract action in the New York State Supreme Court to redress a tenant's failure to perform its payment obligations under his or her lease." Let's unravel this quote for both residential and commercial landlords right now.

A lease is a contract and when it is violated, a landlord can bring a common law breach of contract lawsuit in state Supreme Court, if the amount in dispute is over $15,000, or in state District Court if the amount in dispute is over $15,000 (in NYC, Civil Court is up to $25,000). There is absolutely no requirement that a landlord must bring an eviction proceeding, known as a summary proceeding, in landlord / tenant court (housing court in NYC), which is the subject of the moratorium. Again, as stated by the Chief US District Judge of the Southern District of New York, landlords should bring suit in Supreme Court to protect their contractual rights under their leases.

In fact, Supreme Court offers a lot of advantages to landlords over landlord / tenant court. Initially, Supreme Court can order judgments on items beyond missed rental payments, like additional rental fees (i.e., common area maintenance in commercial, or utilities and upkeep in residential) and future rent payments that were accelerated (not available in residential). Next, Supreme Court can order a judgment against a guarantor, which is unavailable in landlord / tenant court. Finally, smart landlords, who have an attorneys' fee provision in their lease, can recoup their expenditures in Supreme Court, which is only questionably available in landlord / tenant court (depending on the judge).

Landlords should leverage these three items in commencing a lawsuit in Supreme Court to motivate a tenant to surrender the premises and move out without an eviction order needed whatsoever, which, again, is currently unavailable. Alternatively, landlords should prosecute the action to judgment, which can be enforced for the proceeding twenty years from when the case is over. Plus, that judgment collects nine percent statutory interest, or such other amount of interest as set forth in the lease, from the date of the breach and continuing until the judgment is fully paid and satisfied.

To get paid on that judgment, a landlord-judgment-credit will receive an automatic lien on any real property (i.e., real estate) in the county where the judgment is ordered. Plus, that landlord can enter the lien in any other counties where the tenant owns real property. If the tenant ever wants to sell that real estate, or get a new mortgage against that property, the tenant-debtor first needs to pay and satisfy the lien.

Alternatively, the landlord-judgment-creditors can foreclosure the real property that is the subject of the lien, garnish the tenant-debtor's wages from the tenant's job, restrain and levy the tenant-debtor's bank accounts, or execute on the tenant-debtor's personal property such as their cars and other vehicles. Again, the name of the game is leverage when you are trying to get a tenant to vacate and surrender property and nothing in the moratorium stops a tenant from surrendering the rental back to the landlord incident to a settlement on the landlord's rights under the lease. Landlords just need to sue in Supreme Court first to get their tenant's attention.

If you are a landlord, stop waiting until the end of the moratorium to exercise your rights. As of the writing of this article, evictions commenced on or after March 17, 2020 are suspended, regardless of whether the eviction is commercial, residential, nonpayment or a holdover. There is no end in sight, but if you subscribe to blog.liebatlaw.com, we will update you as there are changes in landlord/tenant law. Until then, sue in Supreme Court or be taken advantage of by your tenant. Those are your only two options.

Andrew M. Lieb, Esq., MPH, is the managing attorney of Lieb at Law P.C. and a contributing writer for Behind the Hedges.

"It has housed British soldiers, hosted presidents, monarchs and bootleggers," says the historical society. "Were we to tell you the story of the inn from start to finish we'd need to write an opus." From inn to nightclub--there is a rich, and very interesting, history.

Or maybe, when you think of Canoe Place Inn, you conjure up the sound of the deep voice on the early-2000s radio commercial for the nightclub saying "C.P.I."

It can also be hard to imagine the good times once had within its dilapidated walls as the venue sat, untouched, for almost a decade. But the historic venue is now about to embark on its next chapter, as it is restored to its former glory.

Here, we take a look back at some of the building's highlights over the past few centuries. In the 1600s, a structure on the property was reportedly a trading station. An inn on the property dates back to the 1700s.

The locale was occupied by British officers during the Revolutionary War, according to the historical society, and several hundred troops were stationed at a fort on the hill behind the inn. It "was a strategic location worthy of fortification."

The inn had belonged to Stephen Herrick. His son, George, later purchased the property from his siblings and operated the inn between the dates of 1756 and 1785, before selling it.

Once the railroad came to Hampton Bays in the 1880s, it opened the area up to tourism. "The Long Island Rail Road had a weekend schedule that accommodated travelers wishing to come to Good Ground for a day of fishing, and the railroad provided a special train car to hold the fish catch on the return trip," says the society. Boarding houses and hotels were built at this time for families traveling from the city.

Around this time, there was an economic boom in the area with boutiques built along Main Street. Shops like Finchley's haberdashery and the Lyzon Millinery Shop made up what was then known as the "Fifth Avenue of the Hamptons."

Ernest A. Buchmuller of the Waldorf Astoria, took over the Canoe Place Inn in 1902. According to the historical society, he made improvements to the property, while keeping its "antique surroundings."

"The original brick fireplace and other relics added to the ambiance of the majestic hotel," says the historical society. The inn was reportedly a destination for celebrities and politicians for generations following, with everyone from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Cary Grant, Lucille Ball and Albert Einstein gracing its hallways.

Buchmuller passed away in 1916 and his step-son Louis ran the Inn until he sold it to Julius Keller, who was the owner of Maxim's in New York, around 1920.

In 1921, the Canoe Place Inn burned down. Two chimneys were all that survived the fire.

A new inn, designed by architect William L. Bottomley, was rebuilt as a larger structure, in the style of "Dutch Colonial Revival," according to preservationlongisland.org. The new design reflected the styles of the Roaring '20s and became a popular destination during the Prohibition era.

On a Facebook page where visitors share CPI memories, an anonymous writer says: "I remember seeing Foreigner there in the seventies." Acts like Duke Ellington, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones and Hamptonite  Billy Joel graced the venue's stage over the years.

The venue operated as popular nightclub into the 2000s, closing after the summer of 2010. Ne-Yo performed at the venue over Labor Day of 2010, and in its last few years of the club's operation--going by the name of White House--there were celebrity appearances and performances by Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, P. Diddy and Kid Cudi.

In the late 2000s came the threat of demolition to the building, which had been deteriorating for years. The community and preservationists fought to save the site and its years of storied history.

Jump to 2018. Rechler Equity Partners, the largest owner of commercial real estate on Long Island, run by Gregg and Mitchell Rechler, hosted a celebratory cake-cutting to mark the rebirth of the iconic venue. The event followed a 12-year approval process and celebrated the commencement of construction to restore the site.

"Restoring the Inn to reflect its deep-rooted history as one of the Hamptons' most beloved and attractive destinations is a great honor, and we don't take this responsibility lightly," says Mitchell.

Gregg adds, "Restoring the Canoe Place Inn to the elegance and stature of the early-to-mid 1900s while incorporating more modern amenities, functionality and accommodations will once again make this venue a sought-after option for weddings, conferences and similar events."

The restored Canoe Place Inn, which is in the process of being completed, will feature a 350-seat catering venue that will represent the largest event hall on the South Fork. The inn will also include a 90-seat restaurant with additional outdoor seating for 120 guests. Twenty guest room suites and five cottages will offer accommodations.

"This iconic building will help rebuild the tourism economy in Hampton Bays and support local shops and restaurants," says Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.

"We appreciate the Rechlers' tenacity in finding a solution to restore the Canoe Place Inn and preserve this treasure in our community that will benefit all for decades to come," says Brenda Berntson, the president of the Hampton Bays Historical Society.

As the Canoe Place Inn continues to reinvent itself, as it has for centuries, there is excitement as to what the next chapter will bring.

One small solace we've been able to take away during these times, spending more time in the homes that we so love here on the East End, is the ability to connect with family and loved ones to a degree that may never be repeated in our lifetimes. To discover things about them, and ourselves, that may have gone unnoticed in earlier days. Embrace that. Cherish that. Discover yourself, your friends, your family. And raise a glass of wine and toast them all.

Wine is predicated on discovery. Every single bottle is different, and that's what we love about it. Here is a curated collection of off-the-beaten path bottles that are worth exploring and finding room for in your cellar. We have decided not to play favorites with any of our local offerings, since we couldn't choose from among so many, and have gone a bit farther afield. Whether you enjoy these wines now or later, may you discover something memorable in them all.

Rosé A pinkish hue on the cellar color palette is always in line for the summer months, but you can enjoy it any time.

Chateau de Pampelonne Cotes de Provence Rosé 2019, Provence, France

With vineyards practically bordering the beaches of St. Tropez, this wine takes you back to the home of all things rosé, when travel restrictions might dictate otherwise. Sharp, crisp and elegant, this wine is a quintessential pairing for grilled fish and vegetables.

Vintage "r" Rosé v. XI - Domaie Serene - Yamhill County, Oregon

Standard pink this is not. From one of the most highly acclaimed producers in Oregon comes this unique twist on the unofficial wine of summer. Successive releases of this nonvintage, blended rosé are notated by the production lot (not specific year), with the current release version "XI". This a beautiful, opulent, barrel-aged rosé that takes the category to a new level.

2019 - Kutch Pinot Noir Rosé - Sonoma, California

The most fruit driven of the rosés listed herein, this effort by Jamie Kutch combines typical bright red fruit indicative of the Sonoma Coast. Think fresh strawberries with a backdrop of cranberries, this concentrated rose is one to savor alone or with food.

Blanc White wines are often the first thought for summertime revelry, and here is a great quartet that pair well whether you are relaxing waterside or engaged in a bit more formal setting.

2015 Chateau de Beru - Clos Beru Monopole - Burgundy, France

Farming this wine from a single plot alongside the family's 13^th century chateau, Athenais de Beru consistently delivers light-textured, mineral-focused wines from this famed terroir. Classic Chablis, this biodynamic-focused producer has emerged as one of Burgundy's finest in a matter of a few short years. If you need something alongside those Montauk Pearls, look no further.

2019 Jurtischitsch - "Mon Blanc" - Kamptal, Austria

From the oldest winery in the Kamptal region of Austria (dating back to the 16^th century) comes this summertime gem. From a vineyard farmed organically for over a decade now, this is a gorgeous blend of Gruner, Riesling, Weissburgunder and Muskateller. Floral and balanced, this is as easy drinking as the come.

2017 Zyme - Black to White Il Bianco - Verona, Italy

Hailing from the Veneto region, this apprentice of Quintarelli produces a warm-weather classic from a blend Rondinella Bianca, Gold Traminer, Kerner and Incrocio Manzoni - varities seldom seen state-side. For when you have that plate of marcona almonds and cantaloupe wrapped with prosciutto, look no further.

2017 Tyler - Bien Nacido W Block Chardonnay - Santa Barbara, California

A benchmark for California Chardonnay, this effort is as complete as one can find from west coast. This beautiful example is derived from 45 year-old vines of the historic Bien Nacido vineyard. Well-balanced and nuanced, this rich and powerful and white from Tyler is enjoyable in just about any setting.

Rouge On those cooler evenings, or for when the grill perhaps dictates a different option that the usual whites or rosés in your cellar, some reds in your quiver are always great.

2017 Aston Estate - Sonoma, California

Hailing from the famed Ridgetop vineyard in the True Sonoma Coast, this wine mixes power, finesse, lush fruit and ageability. From formal settings to backyard bbq's, this Thomas Brown gem is the quintessential cellar wine which cuts across the many Hampton's occasions.

2018 - Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge, Loire, France

There was once a time when the region of Sancerre was known equally for their reds as for their whites, and Domaine Vacheron is a throwback to that era. Hand-harvested and vinified in neutral oak, this is a wonderful expression of Pinot Noir and great to drink all summer (and fall, winter and spring) long.

2019 - Jolie Laide Gamay Noir, El Dorado, California

Light, refreshing and charming, this is as summer-red as summer-red goes. Vinified by whole-cluster carbonic maceration with neutral oak, this wine is light, fresh, fruity and great if served slightly chilled.

2019 Jour de Soif - Domaine du Bel Air, Loire, France

A different take from the Loire Valley, Jour de Soif is a stock-up, everyday wine for your cellar. An easy drinking Cabernet Franc from the Gauthier family, this wine showcases ample fruit and great mouthfeel. From a legendary producer, this is a fantastic entry-point wine for all levels of vinous sophistication.

Grand Finale These may reside a bit deeper in the cellar. One day, whenever you find a reason to celebrate, perhaps remove the cork from one of these outstanding bottles:

2006 Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs

2016 Boars' View Chardonnay

2009 Quintarelli Amarone Riserva

2008 Tokaji Essencia - Royal Tokaji

Uninitiated visitors to the Hamptons and North Fork have likely heard the term "East End" strewn about newspaper articles, magazine features and conversations with the locals every day with only the faintest idea of what it means. The East End comprises the five towns at the easternmost end of Long Island--East Hampton, Southampton, Southold, Riverhead and Shelter Island. With the number five playing such a key role in the identity of this area, it's safe to assume it pops up in numerous significant and curious places across this land of opulence and natural beauty.

Number of East Hampton Village beaches: 5

Percentage of Southampton Town residents under the age of 5: 5.2%

Listing price of a five-bedroom home with a private beach on Napeague Harbor in 1975: $85,000

The median home sale price in 2015 when Business Insider named Sagaponack the most expensive zip code in the country: $5,125,000

Approximate travel time of ferry from North Haven to Shelter Island: 5 minutes

Fishers Island Union Free School District's student-teacher ratio: 5 students per teacher

Total area of Quogue: 5.0 square miles

Land area of Orient: 5.1 square miles (6.1 square miles total)

Water area of Hampton Bays: 5.2 square miles (18.1 square miles total)

Time zone the East End observers: UTC-5 (Eastern)

Year rock band Circa Survive released the song "Meet Me in Montauk" and punk band Bayside released the song "Montauk": 2005

Air date of the Will & Grace episode "Dance Cards & Greeting Cards," which was set at a fictional Shelter Island country club and introduced the Shelter Island Republican Party: 2005 (the 155th episode of the show)

It's not often a truly skilled artisan also has the bravery and entrepreneurial spirit necessary to eschew fear, give up everything else and bring their creations successfully to market. Five years ago, Stephanie Pinerio left a lucrative career in New York's advertising world and followed her muse east toward a new life as a full-time weaver. Within three years she'd bought her first loom and launched her Southold-based business, Shed Textile Company.

Pinerio now has two large looms and sells her fine wool, linen and cotton pillows, throws, blankets, towels and more directly to discerning clients and interior designers, or through her four exclusive retailers in the Hamptons and North Fork. She welcomes custom projects and produces every item by hand, embracing the nuance and individuality this brings, while also managing to replicate her creations in a diverse range of collections--each as distinct from the others as it is part of a clear, overarching vision.

"When I left New York, I had already decided that I wanted to get out of advertising and I had enrolled myself in a one-year accelerated program, Surface Design it's called, at FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan," Pinerio says, explaining where she learned to weave and fell in love with the process. "I had always had it somewhat in the back of my head that this was ultimately what I wanted to be doing," she adds, admitting that a part of her never expected her dream to become a reality. "You just kind of go along, right? You make your life what it is, so I guess I'm pretty lucky in that way."

After committing to her new life, Pinerio considered moving to a number of small towns, but she had a special connection to the North Fork. A longtime weekend visitor to the region, Pinerio would stay until the last possible moment before driving home to the city, and on the ride back she'd often wax poetic to friends about how enchanting it would be to live full-time in the agrarian paradise, asking, "Can you imagine getting to wake up every day and live here? Can you imagine if this was your life?"

The fates eventually led her to a job working with wall coverings, drapery and upholstery fabrics in the Hamptons, and Pinerio found a home not too far away in Southold. She did her time working for others until finally setting off on her own to open Shed Textile. "By 2018, I said, 'OK, this is it. This is the love of my life and my true passion,' so I launched the business." Pinerio says, recalling the bold move that set her apart from so many others who allow uncertainty and fear of failure to leave them forever teetering on the edge of a life unlived.

Pinerio is the first to acknowledge that her decision has led to plenty of struggle and sacrifice. "It's definitely something I love because any part-time work I have had during this whole process, I'm really just taking to support the business," she says. "All that money always gets thrown straight back into building the business, developing the business...in the end, I get to do what I want so it's worth it, but it's a sacrifice for sure. A financial one--a big one."

Owning and operating Shed Textile requires much more from Pinerio than making the products she sells. "You suddenly have to wear many, many different hats and manage all the facets of your business, which can have a huge range," she says. "I find myself jumping around and shifting gears a lot. One day I'm wearing my marketing hat, the next day my creative, and the next day I'm an accountant."

In the end, however, everything orbits her devotion to weaving. Whether she's researching fabrics, patterns and designs or attending fiber fairs to discover new yarns and develop relationships with sources--which are entirely from the United States--it all comes back to setting up her loom's warping board, adjusting her lift and making something beautiful.

"I have the two looms, so I still do everything by hand," Pinerio says, noting that she's looked at ways to scale up or have a mill make her fabric, but she understands the value of keeping things made fully by her hand--at least until she's no longer able to manage the workload. "There is a quality to the handmade that you're never going to get once you start farming it out. You just have those subtle nuances," she explains, pointing out that minor imperfections can be appealing. It evokes the act of weaving and reveals the artisan's hand behind the object.

"It's a tactile thing, and the actual creation process that's happening before your eyes. You're starting with a single fiber, thread, and you're walking away with a piece of cloth," Pinerio says of her magical work. "That, to me, was always astonishing...I can't wait to get it off the loom. I'm impelled to do it."

Learn more at shedtextile.com.

You know you've reached East Hampton when you see it. The White House is a landmark that stands at the gateway to the village.

For years, the home donned festive holiday lights or red geraniums in its windows for visitors and locals to marvel at. For years, it's been a part of the fabric of East Hampton village.

The Georgian-style estate, located at 6 Woods Lane, was most recently owned by Fred Mengoni, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 94.

"The house was actually built circa 1724-1725," says Joseph Aversano, who has been on the Board of Trustees at the East Hampton Historical Society for over 25 years. The home originally belonged to the Halsey family, he says.

"The one unique thing about the house that sometimes people don't know is that originally, it faced east," he says. "It faced the pond. Now it's perpendicular to the pond."

When the home was moved, "It left a little space for when Thomas Moran was looking for a piece of property," says Aversano. The move opened up the property next-door, which led way to the building of the Thomas & Mary Nimmo Moran Studio in 1884. The structure was recently restored in 2017 and is currently open to the public.

Mengoni rarely spent time at the home. He had many residences across the globe. In the 1950s, he came to the United States with a one-way ticket from Italy, and in his lifetime he made fortunes and lost fortunes.

"Few people have ever met him, and fewer people have ever been inside the house," says Aversano. "He was a bit of a colorful character."

The real estate developer, who was also a bicycle enthusiast, purchased the property in 1989 and renovated it to perfection, with attention to every detail, turning it into what it is today--a masterpiece, from the detailed architecture to the custom millwork. It is said that the residence was in terrible shape prior to Mengoni's purchase.

"This kind of work you can't give to a contractor," Mengoni said in an interview with The New York Times in 1997. "You need an artist."

It is now part of local history that the town didn't originally want Mengoni to paint the home white and how neighbors spoke out against the landscaping. The efforts to renovate took nearly four years.

The property was first listed in May 2019 for $12.5 million and has since been reduced to $7.95 million. It's "a rare opportunity to own one of the Hamptons most admired homes located at the entrance to East Hampton village," says the listing, which is held by Douglas Brown and Paul Brennan of Douglas Elliman.

The stately home sits on almost three acres of beautifully manicured land. Reminiscent of a 17th century French estate, the parcel offers a cherry tree lined path to a fountain, and tennis court sheltered by 30-year-old pines. The current three-car garage is attached to the original 1850s barn.

From the circular cobblestone driveway to the gunite pool, pool house and gazebo, the grounds, anchored by the sprawling iconic fence that gates the property, not a single detail was spared.

"White and red seem to be the theme," says Aversano. "Sometimes they'd go with begonias around the driveway, also red."

Indoors, the 7,615 square foot light filled house you'll find seven beds, six baths and two half baths. Marble floors lead the way through arched doorways on the first floor. The fireplaces, the rosewood paneled library, the sun room with diamond-paned windows--all offer a setting meant for entertaining.

"It really is a showplace as you enter," says Aversano.

The finished lower level is set up with a rosewood bar, sauna, fireplace, Jacuzzi and wine cellar. The kitchen boasts a double Viking oven, Sub-Zero refrigerator and coffered ceiling.

On the second floor you'll find the bedrooms, two that also have fireplaces. The master suite comes complete with large private balcony overlooking the neighboring Town Pond. A third floor holds a sitting room, en suite bedroom and large playroom.

Other close-by landmarks steeped in history include Clinton Academy and Mulford Farm. The home is also minutes from East Hampton's world famous Main Beach.

"In East Hampton, I think the single thing that people come away from is the beautiful pond when you come into town and the windmill at the end of town," says Aversano. "That White House is definitely part of the tapestry."

Did you know? There are only two places in East Hampton with beech trees. One spot with the majestic trees is in Amagansett, and the other is on Old Orchard Lane. The house at 38 Old Orchard Lane, listed by Tracy Annacone at Town & Country Real Estate, has a lovely view of these beech trees on 1.7 acres.

38 Old Orchard Lane, East Hampton, The Numbers:

• Listed at $2.995 million
• 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
• 3,000 square feet
• 1.7 acres of land