The only thing better than ogling beautiful homes and interiors here on Curbed is seeing them in person on a house tour! The Southampton Historical Museum's 7th annual Insider's View is this Saturday from 1 to 4PM, with a champagne reception from 4:30-6PM. Tickets are $95 in advance, $110 day of tour and may be picked up or purchased as early as 10:30 am at the Thomas Halsey Homestead at 249 South Main Street. (Note: the tour includes the homes below as well as the Dune Church and Halsey Homestead.)
↑ The Belvedere Cottage, a four story house on Lake Agawam, was built by Frederic Betts, one of the original summer colonists in the early 1880s. While traveling in Italy, Mrs. Betts purchased a gondola which she had shipped to Southampton. Every Sunday, poled by the family's four footmen, the gondola crossed the lake to deliver the lady of the house to morning services at St. Andrew's Dune Church on the dunes. (Now that's a great lady.)
↑ The historic White House at 159 Main Street, which has had its exterior restored "to within a sixteenth of an inch" of the way it appeared for more than a century. Its best known occupant, Captain George White (1819-1893), was a fearless whaler who was equally fearless in his fight to preserve public access to Southampton's beaches. Salvaged beams and other elements of the original house have also been put to use in carefully integrated expansions and outbuildings.
↑ Built circa 1900 for Brigadier General Samuel Escue Tillman, "Sound-o-Sea" is a handsome example of the Dutch Colonial Revival Style. There is a wide front porch supported by paired Doric columns and crowned by a graceful balustrade. Above, a second-floor dormer, with a Chippendale-inspired swan-neck pediment, provides a unique focal point; below, the wide entry door is flanked by sidelights boasting leaded-glass panes.
↑ These homeowners wanted to avoid any beach house clichés when they renovated their house. Interior designer Suzanne Friday combined calm with bold patterns, artwork and beautiful furnishings to create their perfect all-year retreat. Spaces were opened up, windows were rearranged to admit more light, and the flow between spaces was enhanced. Throughout the house, a blending of styles contributes to a gentle ambiance that never borders on bland.
↑ This classic 9,000-square-foot Shingle Style house has been recently renovated to incorporate an original house within a new design by architect John David Rose AIA. A custom-painted mural in the living room depicts the nearby preserve and was painted by a local artist. A stone's throw from Taylor's Creek and within earshot of the surf, the house sits on lushly landscaped property in a quiet neighborhood.