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Home is Where the Hearth Lives

Sun streamed, warm, welcoming, open...apt descriptive words for this great New York City space. It is contemporary with a nod to mid-century, lived in but not cluttered and tastefully appointed but not overdone. It has a streamlined, clean design aesthetic with rich dark hardwood floors mixed with lighter wood counters and furniture.

I love the suspended fireplace, a focal point for the space. Your eye goes right  there and you dream of relaxing by it oblivious to the frenetic pace outside your door. It also has a much sought after New York City dream, an outdoor rooftop space. Again, my mind wanders to beverages on the roof. Coffee, cocktails. Who cares! You are outside with a rooftop view. Cheers to the owners good sense and fabulous taste! Click on location N007. Contact Kathy at info@locatethis.net or 631.805.6252/917.727.1162 for all inquiries.

 

Eye on Luxury

What do you get when you combine an interior designer/antique store owner with a landscape designer? Tasteful digs and jealous friends. It's a double dose of luxury. Their attention to detail is amazing.
  
Every corner is choreographed to photograph well. Those shells, that feather and that sculpture are meant to be together. The beauty is that it is not overdone. It just seems effortless. Let's face it, they inherited the creative gene in spades. Damn them!

Click on location S307 to view more images. Feel free to contact me at info@locatethis.net or 631.805.6252/917.727.1162 for information.

 

Simple Really

The North Fork? Where is it you ask? Follow the LIE east all the way to the end. Exit to the North Fork, the sister of the south fork (better know as the Hamptons). A different vibe altogether. Less traffic, more peace. Plenty of hotels, restaurants, places to buy  props, caterers, everything you need for your crew and your shoot. Dare I say a bit less expensive too. View north fork locations. Inquiries at info@locatethis.net and 631.805.6252.

Rejuvenation!

The year was 1827 or there abouts. The house was surrounded by farmland, smallish in size, it had low beamed ceilings, wide plank wood floors, narrow windows and a brick fireplace for heat.  Flash forward to 2010 and it is surrounded by vineyards, sizeable by any standards and painstakingly rejuvenated. It combines the old house which apparently had good bones with a contemporary addition to provide room for a luxurious kitchen, living room and master bedroom.

First and foremost, the owners wanted to pay close attention to restoring the original house to it's 19th century glory. They retained as much of the old house as possible and lovingly brought it back to life. Once you enter the front door, to your right is the dining room with a brick fireplace. Note the pine floors and wood beams that extend from points on the walls, surround the doors and cross the ceilings. Note the doors and windows, most of which are original, again beautiful warn wood that you cannot begin to recreate. To the left of the front door is a study. A narrow steep staircase leads you up to the two bedrooms, one small with a peaked ceiling and one larger with a wood beamed ceiling. Modern bathrooms on each floor are the only signs that speak to the modern world.

Walk through the doorway to the kitchen and you've entered the 21st century. The transition is not as stark as you would think. Yes, there are all the modern amenities you could want. And yes the ceilings are higher and the rooms bigger. But note the subtle color transition in the floors and walls, the beamed walls and ceilings and the wide plank floors. Wander into the living room with a stone floor to ceiling two-sided fireplace that has a sun-soaked sitting room on the other side. The ensuite bedroom upstairs is an oasis with a stone fireplace extended from the one below and a deck overlooking the vineyard.

To get a look at how old meets new, click on location N206. Please feel free to contact me about this location and others at info@locatethis.net or 631.805.6252.

That View

No matter where you are there's that view. Breakfast on the porch. There's the view. Lounge on the chaise for two. There's the view. Stretch out on the hammock. There's the view. Sit around the fire pit roasting marshmallows. There's the view. It's not just a "oh there's the beach" view either. It's a full throttle on a cliff overlooking the water view.

Of course that's not the only detail worth mentioning. The deep porch is really an extra room with plenty of lounging and dining space. Walk inside from the porch and you get a full look at the living and dining rooms. The fireplace can be seen from both rooms which is a nice touch as the seasons change. The green, white and blue colors feel beachy and fresh. Dark wood floors, animal print rugs and cushions create additional warmth.

Each bedroom has it's own unique feel. The master bedroom features chocolate, pale blues and white and is strategically placed to enjoy the overlook. The rest have batik bed coverings, animal skin rugs and ornate bed frames. The color palette flows nicely throughout the house tying it all together.

It's tucked into the side of a hill surrounded by full growth trees. Once you curve down the driveway, you feel like you've been dropped into the middle of nowhere. That view draws you in immediately. You sit down, look out and breath a sign of relief.

View the view (location S116). Contact me with any inquiries at 631.805.6252 or info@locatethis.net.

Just Relax

This home exudes peace, quiet and relaxation. It's tucked away on a quiet road, the beach grass on either side of the driveway luring you in for a peek. You really want to explore the grounds first. As you wander around, seating vignettes reveal themselves just on the edge of the woods surrounding the property.

Wooden gates open to the garden where you'll find a swath of wild flowers and a well groomed vegetable patch. Seating vignette number one is a small round table

with an umbrella. Head toward the furthest point to seating vignette number two with weathered adirondack chairs. The next vignette is a cushioned wood bench followed by the ultimate seating vignette in the form of a sauna.

If you can tear yourself away from the spa, continue your tour to the deck which extends down one entire side of the house. Again, more outdoor seating outside the living room and the master bedroom. Oh and there's one more seating vignette, a round table and chairs in yet another oh so private part of the yard. What number are we up to now? I think it's seven.

Suddenly you begin to wonder if the home owners ever spend anytime indoors. You walk toward the side door to see what the inside is all about and find yet more inviting chairs on the porch. You finally drag yourself inside. All that sitting around has you so relaxed that you need a nap. The interior reveals an open floor plan and high vaulted ceilings. My favorite feature which can be found in the living/dining area and the master bedroom is the extra wide screened opening. If you didn't quite get how much they appreciate their surroundings yet, it will become clear now. In essence you are once again sitting outside.

The furnishings are elegant in their simplicity. The color palette includes subtle whites and grays with splashes of red that match the entrance-way doors. You can envision a fall day with a fire in the stone

fireplace. You are gazing out the window enthralled with the fall colors.Perhaps a few minutes in one of the many outdoor seating areas is in order. It's important to just relax and commune with nature. Location S115 can be found under photo albums. Please feel free to contact me regarding this location at info@locatethis.net or 631.805.6252.

Have you been to Shelter Island?

Let's face it. If you are going to do a shoot it would be great if it was some place you actually want to go. Now that summer is in full swing, might I suggest Shelter Island. You will feel the stress fall from your body  the minute you step on the ferry. The ease of shooting here is palpable. There are plenty of places to shoot, plenty of places to stay and plenty of places to eat. It a veritable one stop shopping for all your shoot needs.

Need some examples of all of the above. I will take that challenge. Let's start with places to shoot. Click on "Shelter Island" under categories and you will find beaches, homes, galleries, a private island and a chapel.  Now that we've determined that you could shoot here for a week if needed, let's find you a place to stay. You must have heard of the Andre Balaz hotel Sunset Beach. It's hip happening, beachfront chic and the place to be. Dining could not be better. Catering by Planet Bliss is a must. They can supply breakfast, lunch and dinner. All of my crews from various shoots rave about Planet Bliss's food. Looking for restaurant options? Planet Bliss, Sunset Beach, Vine Street and MarkitwithG are among my favorites.

Okay, I am going to stop here and link you to my other Shelter Island shout out posted earlier this year. I regaled you with all of the nitty gritty details, the who, what, where, when and how of production on the island. Seriously folks, take the stress out of your shoot. It's guaranteed the minute you step on the island. Feel free to contact me at info@locatethis.net or 631-805-6252 for location and production needs.

Symbiotic Relationship

You have to give kudos to anyone who has a healthy respect for their environment. What drew these homeowners in was the property. Just look at it. It's lush and green with mature growth trees. And just look at the house. It blends in as if it has always been there just hanging out with the trees. It's like the house has it's own private forest. It feels like a camp, albeit a bit more upscale with its hammock, fire pit and outdoor shower. Bird watching is on the camp program. Bird feeders are everywhere.

Outdoors meets indoors when you walk inside. There are lots of windows. In fact, one side of the house is almost all windows. From the living room you can walk out to a recreation room of sorts with games and a wood burning stove. There is a full wall of glass doors between the two rooms and then glass doors to the outside. I love a house that you can see through from one side to the other. It really makes it feel seamless between the two environments. You can walk outside from the kitchen as well where you find a deck patio with dining and lounge seating.

There is plenty of room in this camp. The kids room has two sets of bunk beds and plenty of camp cubby holes. The upstairs bedrooms are great with white wood floors and uncluttered furnishing. The owner wanted the feel of being in a tree house. I imagine opening all of the windows and lying on the bed. You can look out at the tree limbs and the birds perched on the feeders strategically placed high up in the boughs.

The overall feel of the house is swedish modern with white walls and light wood floors.  There are black trim accents with the lighting fixtures, fire places, glass doors and the stairway. The furniture is a combination of leather and wood. The exterior is all natural wood which enables the house to blend in so well. The same exterior wood is used for the walls of the recreation room. 

Yes I do believe the desired effect was not lost on me. I'm just wondering if they have camp counselor positions available. To view location N205, click on photo albums. For any inquiries please feel free to contact me at info@locatethis.net or 631-805-6252.

The Rest of the Story

I put a little teaser in a previous posting titled" Design Sense". For those of you (all five) who hang on my every word, I am finally getting to the rest of the story. Just to refresh your memory, although I am not sure how you could forget,  this house is really two houses in one. The original house is fresh and white and summery with some chocolate thrown in for some warmth and contrast. The add-on part of the house is all wide open spaces, high ceilings, a beautiful combination of light wood walls, dark wide plank wood floors, a stone fireplace and gorgeous natural light. Have I sucked you back in yet?

I promised a peek at the grounds, all four acres. I feel the privacy factor bears repeating. My drive took me down a few heavily wooded side streets. The owners had the good taste not to clear cut the property before construction. There's plenty of mature growth trees and the house is set quite a ways back from the road. Stone pathways lead to the all entrances. The house, as big as it is, still blends into its environment with its stone and gray green facade. 

The piece de resistance however lies beyond the front of the house. The back yard is really several more rooms. Take a walk with me through the main entrance to the dining/living room. Go ahead look around, then pick your jaw back up and follow me through the doors to the first outdoor room. This is right off the kitchen so you guessed it, we are looking at a table, large grill, seating and a hot tub. Step down a few steps to the pool and look to your left where you will find another room, this one free standing with a roof. Again, a beautiful combination of subtle colors, stone floors and a floor to ceiling stone fireplace. It's a wide open living room. 

Of course they are still landscaping what with four acres to assess. I saw pathways heading toward the back forty but was glued to my immediate surroundings. So I correct my original statement about this being two houses in one. It's really two and a half with all of the extra outdoor rooms. Pick your favorite room by viewing location S300 under photo albums. As always, I can be reached at info@locatethis.net or 631-805-6252 with inquiries.

The Point Of It All

Go north young man! Okay, technically it's east, due east from Manhattan. They call it the north fork, the final frontier. I'm talking the furthest point of the north fork. Turn off onto a gravel driveway and see what it's all about. Beautiful mature trees, a weathered shingle home, lush gardens, a pool in the back forty away from the house. Talk about quiet and away from it all. And can we talk about the gardens, the artist studio and the screened guest room. As you walk past the pool, you come upon a stand alone studio. Talk about inspiration. I expect great things from this artist. Take a few steps further and there are gardens with metal sculptures and a place to rest your head in the form of a freestanding screened guest room. I'd be  taking naps between paintings. Actually, as soon as summer starts I'd move out there so I could let the night air and sounds lull me to sleep.

Should we move inside the main house? First, make your way past the pool, up the stone walkway to the back deck. Imagine dining alfresco under a pergola covered with flowering vines. The deck is quite romantically covered with flowers blown from the vines. The homeowner was tending the vegetable gardens while I was snapping away. The brunch will start with a caprese salad fresh from the garden please.

Slip into the side door and feast your eyes on the kitchen/dining area. I know I've mentioned before how much I like the kitchen to have a seating area. I love to make dinner while I gossip with friends. This kitchen does it right with a dining table and a chaise lounge. The peaked ceiling and french doors to the deck create a bright open space. The mustard walls with white and pale green trim bring the brightness down a notch which is quite soothing. I picture the owners breathing a sign of relief as they make their morning brew and stare out the window at the lush estate they've created.

The owners are adept at the use of color. The living room has rust colored walls with brown leather furniture and a pale blue cushion in the window seat. All this is accented with shades of white and black in the form of pillows, rugs and black and white photos. The accent colors are carried into the den. It just all makes sense. Windows in all rooms make a statement, the den with floor to ceiling windows, the living room with a large window seat and the kitchen with a wall of french doors. 

The hallway to the upstairs picks up the color blue and creates such warmth. Follow the staircase upstairs to a wall of floor to ceiling black and white photographs. You'll find two bedrooms, an office and a bathroom. I am pretty sure I would choose the blue room. The paint treatment is exquisite and sure to illicit dreams of frolicking on clouds. 

Clearly the owners get the point of it all. Their home represents their life and what a life it has been. You can take a lesson from their lives by clicking on location N204 under photo albums. Feel free to contact me with inquiries at info@locatethis.net or 631-805-6252.