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When it comes to fashion, the chic charm of black will never go out of style. Now, design-conscious residents of the Hamptons are picking up black — and sometimes white — as the monochromatic exterior design trend of the season.
Tony homes on the East End are shifting their exterior color schemes this year from seaside blues or greens to black, charcoal gray and shades of white, the New York Post reported.
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“I changed the trim on my shingled cottage from a greenish blue inspired by Martha Stewart to black,” Hampton resident and Corcoran broker Arlene Reckson told The Post. “I changed my roof to black. Right now, if you are doing shingles, or updating a modern home, black is the more desired color.”
Reckson said the transition to more modern architecture and colors has been trending upwards for the last few years but seems to be especially prevalent this season.
“What happened a couple of years ago were these ‘contemporary modern barns,’ and they were going away from the cedar shingle to the white clapboard and that went mostly with a black trim,” Reckson told Inman. “Now you’re seeing shingled houses, like mine included, that now paint the trim black, so last year, I did a black roof and black trim on my house, so it kind of gives it a fresher, modern look to it. So I would say even older contemporaries, that used to be painted all white and everything was white-on-white have now gone to doing like a charcoal gray with a black trim and it gives it a very fresh, modern look.”
A smattering of listings recently put on the market show the trend in action.
27 Meadowlark Lane, Sag Harbor | DJR Photography
In Sag Harbor, the black steel-beam property at 27 Meadowlark Lane, which also boasts floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, is currently on the market for $7.49 million and being repped by Frederick Wallenmaier of Official.
The 2020-built property was designed by Garnett-DePasquale Projects and won an Archi Award from the American Institute of Architects Long Island Chapter for the home’s designated “quiet presence.” Spanning close to 4,000 square feet, the four-bedroom, six-bathroom home also includes a saltwater pool and outdoor shower. The home’s clapboard siding and black stained finish evoke “the classic aesthetics of the region,” the listing description states.
27 Meadowlark Lane, Sag Harbor | DJR Photography
Meanwhile, over in Sagaponack, the modern estate at 139 Seascape Lane plays on traditional black and white themes with the interplay of black beam-and-glass buildings that are alternately offset by Alaskan cedar-board siding. The property is comprised of three separate structures spanning about 5,600 square feet. Bates Masi + Architects designed the property, which is listed for $15.5 million and is repped by Noble Black of Douglas Elliman.
139 Seascape Lane, Sagaponack | Lena Yaremenko
Inside the home, classic color play continues with European white oak floors, Venetian plaster ceilings and a kitchen that features custom black granite countertops.
The kitchen and dining area at 139 Seascape Lane, Sagaponack | Lena Yaremenko
Light, summery vibes abound at East Hampton’s 64 West End Avenue, a pristinely white castle-like property on its own peninsula designed by Futterman Architecture.
64 West End Avenue, East Hampton | Douglas Elliman
The property is currently asking $38 million and is being repped by Paul Brennan and Martha Gundersen of Douglas Elliman. Unfortunately, the home as it stands now is uninhabitable because of “an issue with the certificate of occupancy,” which is something the new owner would have to take on before moving in.
64 West End Avenue, East Hampton | Douglas Elliman
In Wainscott, Arlene Reckson of Corcoran has a white, bright listing that will have any buyer pining for the area’s most pristine beaches. 12 Glen Oak Court is a modern, all-white stucco property that looks like it could be an exhibition piece.
12 Glen Oak Court, Wainscott | Brian Bailey of Media Hamptons
The 13,800-square-foot property features 28-foot-high ceilings, a gunite heated pool, two fireplaces and access from nearly every room to the home’s spa-like amenities. The home recently received $1 million in upgrades, including a new roof with solar panels, Sonos zones in every room and a new water heater.
12 Glen Oak Court, Wainscott | Brian Bailey of Media Hamptons
“Architecture is like fashion,” Reckson told The Post. “Styles come in and out of popularity. But at the beach, a white house with a blue sky, surrounded by sand colors, always looks fresh and inviting.”
Reckson told Inman that, for the most part, people simply like a change of pace when it comes to style, and she said any number of factors could have contributed to the new black-and-white wave.
“It’s probably a synergy of many things going on at the same time that makes that look more appealing than something else,” Reckson said. “But mostly, I think it’s that people like something new and different, and at the moment, that’s what is the most appealing.”
Update: This story was updated on July 29, 2024, to add photography studio credits to the listing at 27 Meadowlark Lane, Sag Harbor, New York.
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