If you dreamt of entering the 11976 zip code but thought it was out of your reach, this chalet-style home will make you think again. In a zip where the median listing price is $6 million, according to realtor.com, this turn-key home on an acre for just under $2.1 million is scalable and relatively affordable.
“By Hamptons standards, it’s a modest home,” says Joe Gonzalez, the Corcoran listing agent representing the property. “It’s a nice entry point into Water Mill—there’s nothing else out there with this acreage and a pool.”
It also has a bit of celebrity provenance: The current owner, who purchased the home from his father, is a former professional basketball player and journeyman whose career spanned eight NBA teams and pro ball in Europe. Not a flashy star like LeBron, Barkley or Bird, the owner, like the house, enjoys a quiet stardom.
Built in 1974, the 1,550-square-foot home includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms with a welcoming open-living and dining-room layout on the first floor. Befitting of its 6’10” owner, the ground-floor ceilings are double height cathedral-style, featuring knotty pine beadboard and exposed beams that work in concert with the red-oak flooring throughout.
A wood-burning brick fireplace anchors the 640-square-foot living space, with a built-in firewood storage niche. The dining area is at the far end of the 40-foot-long room and adjoins an open kitchen separated by a three-seat breakfast bar. Glass doors lead to the pool area and deck.
“This house has an open flow—a style that was ahead of its time when it was built,” Gonzales says, adding, “this is a long-term trend.”
The kitchen cabinetry continues the house’s warm wood-toned theme, accented by a multi-toned ceramic backsplash and black granite countertop. The stainless-steel appliances are a mix of trusted mid-level brands such as GE Profile and LG. An exterior kitchen door leads out onto the front walkway.
Also on the ground floor are two bedrooms—each about 144 square feet—with ample windows, including transoms, and a shared bathroom with a tub/shower combination. Upstairs, the nearly 200-square-foot primary bedroom includes an en suite bathroom with painted beadboard ceilings, a double sink with a granite counter and glass-door shower stall. A 250-square-foot open-mezzanine loft area with built-in bookshelves serves as a reading nook and home office and offers an overview of the handsome wood and brick work in the living room.
At the back of the house, the 18 x 36 heated pool is surrounded by mature hardwoods that offer privacy yet allow plenty of light into the yard. The composite deck was built with additional storage and an outdoor shower.
The grounds are otherwise modestly appointed with low shrubs and grassy plantings along the wooden steps of the front walkway. The long, graveled driveway is lined with natural shrubs and trees, offering a private roadway to the home that’s in context with its surroundings.
“For a house that’s less than 2,000 square feet, it has a lot,” Gonzalez says. “It’s really a charming un-Hamptons kind of house that has everything people need to enjoy the Hamptons.” Unlike many of the newer sprawling homes where inhabitants can spread out and have their own space without ever seeing each other, “this house is for people who want to get together.”
Like the house, Gonzalez calls Water Mill “the un-Hamptons Hamptons,” offering a low-key lifestyle with access to dining, nature and beaches. The home is less than three miles from Flying Point, W. Scott Cameron and Mecox beaches and less than half a mile mile from Water Mill village. “At this price point,” he says, “it’s hard to get that close to a village.”
204 Head of Pond Road lists for $2,095,000 and can be seen in detail here.
