North Fork Beach House
Location: Orient
Type: Private Residence
Area: 2,800 sq ft
We worked with a pair of Brooklyn-based artists to transform a dated house in Orient, New York, into a private retreat that embraced the lush landscape. The existing home had an odd layout and sat at an awkward angle to the exceptionally long site—both of which undercapitalized on sightlines toward the surrounding green landscape. The street-facing facade is inconspicuous, dotted with a few modest windows. At the rear, the house is newly opened to light and landscape views with a series of large windows integrated throughout the facade. Deep sage green window frames juxtapose planks of knotty larch siding, a material selected for its references to the nearby coastline and its ability to weather into a soft silver-gray over time.
The couple wanted to repurpose the detached ADU into a guest suite and art studio. To connect it to the main house, a new entry foyer acts as connective tissue bridging the guest wing and the primary family spaces, and transforming the entire home’s circulation in a single gesture. With no doors separating either wing from the foyer, the eye is immediately drawn to a heroic floor-to-ceiling fireplace surround in the living room. The wife cast the concrete panels in her studio, embedding them with found stones and salvaged brick; we worked closely with a team on site to carefully install the piece. The bedrooms are situated behind this sculptural hearth. New skylights and expansive glazing are paired with white vaulted ceilings and exposed structural flitch beams, creating a calm, lofty interior. These openings overlook the new backyard pool, nestled between the main living spaces and the surrounding views. On sunny days and frosted winter nights alike, this reimagined house remains deeply immersed in the natural world.
The couple wanted to repurpose the detached ADU into a guest suite and art studio. To connect it to the main house, a new entry foyer acts as connective tissue bridging the guest wing and the primary family spaces, and transforming the entire home’s circulation in a single gesture. With no doors separating either wing from the foyer, the eye is immediately drawn to a heroic floor-to-ceiling fireplace surround in the living room. The wife cast the concrete panels in her studio, embedding them with found stones and salvaged brick; we worked closely with a team on site to carefully install the piece. The bedrooms are situated behind this sculptural hearth. New skylights and expansive glazing are paired with white vaulted ceilings and exposed structural flitch beams, creating a calm, lofty interior. These openings overlook the new backyard pool, nestled between the main living spaces and the surrounding views. On sunny days and frosted winter nights alike, this reimagined house remains deeply immersed in the natural world.
Photography: Alan Tansey