ENG.
Southampton Ginsberg
Luxury and sobriety for a fairy-tale
castle surrounded by nature, a stone’s
throw from New York City
We are in the Hamptons, Long Island and
precisely in Watermill, a well-known
hamlet for the creation of the first
water-powered mill in 1640.
The Howells settled in this area that
was sparsely inhabited: building the mill
created jobs for many people involved in
milling.
Over the years, its ownership bounced
around from family to family until reaching
Giovanni Benedetto in 1818; he used this
building to dye, to spin and to weave wool
but also to grind grain.
In 1900, the building fell into disuse but
since 1976 — through a proper restoration
and a fundraising — the mill came back to
life and became a local museum, reigniting
a traditional resort area for the richest
New Yorkers.
The property was built in 1960 and
refurbished by architects Josè Solis
Betancourt and Paolo Sherrill — Solis
Betancourt & Sherrill in Washington —.
A family from New York City owns it and
today they use it as a holiday residence;
they required simple luxury spaces with an
ambiguously European style.
Therefore, it is a place to feel at ease.
Once the work was finished, this is the
precise feeling the family felt the first
time they entered it. Thanks to architect
Brian E. Boyle’s project design, the team of
architects and designers put into operation
the essential renewal of the building.
Seen from outside, it seemed a small
castle. Boyle told us: “The pitched roof
looked like a person with a cap pulled all
the way down. We had to increase the
height of the structure, giving it greater
importance — and at the same time —
recovering space.”
This is the reason why they decided to
raise the roofline in order to expand the
living area and to make room for the
bedrooms upstairs. Therefore, a vestibule
in the entrance area has been added and
the courtyard has been rearranged with
stone flooring and an ancient fountain.
Inside, to lighten the sitting room space,
all arches have been replaced with
bleached red cedar beams. The exposed
iron supports highlight the country style of
the abode.
Solis Betancourt told us that “The final
effect had to be calm and relaxing, inspired
by declining beauty. The idea of a luxurious
abode has changed over the years; today
people usually think that ultimate luxury
is feeling enveloped and protected inside
your own space. Therefore, well-being and
comfort play a leading role.”
Interior design by
Studio Solis Betancourt & Sherrill
Text by Robert Paulo Prall
Photography by Gianni Franchellucci