A Modernist Masterpiece by Gwathmey in the NW Woods

This house was only the third designed by Charles Gwathmey, right after the extremely famous residence he designed for his parents in Amagansett. It was commissioned by graphic artist Joe Sedacca back in 1968, who told the architect he wanted only two bedrooms and a wonderful kitchen. The small footprint of the house, just 1200sf, contains some very intricate spaces, however. The current owner, Paul Amador, was quoted in the New York Times in 1993 when he bought the house from Mr. Sedacca: "I feel like I won the lottery. I'm buying a piece of art for the cost of the raw materials."

Speaking of winning the lottery, Mr. Amador purchased the home for $245,000 and now is asking $2.495M. Will he get his price? The property is hard to value; two neighboring properties are for sale for less money and with bigger homes, but without the impeccable architectural pedigree, of course.

The Sedacca House looks almost completely original; however the listing notes that it "still offers opportunities to expand." Frankly, we can't see how without ruining the place, and Mr. Gwathmey, who died in 2009, is not available to consult. Still, there's 2.82 acres of land to expand on, so maybe a clever architect can manage it, if desired. We'll be interested to see what happens.

· Charles Gwathmey's Sedacca House [Sotheby's]
· All posts about Charles Gwathmey [CH]