If you’re looking for your own private oasis (sorry, Idaho is not for sale!), this five-bedroom home offers seclusion, privacy and thoughtfully designed landscaping that provides numerous areas for relaxation, meditation or entertaining.
Set on 1.1 acres, this secluded home on Tara Road in Montauk is set at the end of a long driveway and ringed by large leafy trees, making it the ultimate hideout or hangout. The current owner has been in residence since the home was completed in 2000 and oversaw a major renovation in 2016 for both inside and out.
“One of the things the owner is most proud of is the grounds. They easily invested a million into the property with specimen trees from all over the world and flower beds [in bloom] all times of the year,” says Nick Brown, who is co-listing the property for Sotheby’s International Realty with Ethan Dayton and Zackeriah Dayton. Unique to the property is the owner’s personal sensibility: she ensured the home and the grounds reflected what she practices as a sound and light therapist.
“There’s an immense amount of attention and detail; the whole environment is keyed into tranquility and there’s a real sense of peace,” he says.
The 4,754-square-foot home is entered through a light-filled foyer with oversize stacked floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a fitting prelude to the 639-square-foot open-plan living and dining room with four skylights and a wall of windows overlooking the equally sized deck. The living room features 20.9-foot ceilings, a wood-burning fireplace and oak hardwood floors that are throughout the house.
Beyond the living room is the 408-square-foot eat-in kitchen, part of the 2016 renovation and custom designed by Linda Burkhardt Interiors, and informed by the owner’s stepdaughter, who is a chef. The striking custom wood cabinets are made of walnut and topped with honed granite. The appliance suite includes a Viking gas range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, two Bosch dishwashers and an integrated wine cave with a 120-bottle capacity. Adjacent to the kitchen are a butler’s pantry with generous storage and a prep sink, and one of two laundry rooms.
The kitchen leads to a 150-square-foot deck that’s adjacent to a custom outdoor kitchen with a built-in BBQ and a smoker, part of the larger outdoor entertaining area that encompasses a total of approximately 1,660 square feet around the 720-square foot heated gunite infinity pool and spa. The exterior deck is ipe, a Brazilian hardwood; other patios areas are flagstone and other pavers.
The first level also includes two bedrooms, one of which is ensuite and the other adjacent to a half bath.
Three bedrooms comprise the second floor, including the 275-square-foot primary suite with a large walk-in closet, a sky-lit bathroom with a red marbled soaking tub and shower, and its own 194-square-foot deck with ocean views. The other two bedrooms, of nearly equal size (average 183 square feet) share a large bathroom, also sky lit. Currently, the 456-square-foot attic is used for storage, but has potential for conversion, Brown says.
The lower level of the home is reached via an Italian-designed floating staircase, has 9.7-foot ceilings, a 615-square-foot media room with built-in shelving and a wood-burning stove, two rooms used as offices, a full bath, laundry and storage. It offers direct walk-out access to the outside covered patio through sliding doors.
The upper driveway leads to the attached two-car garage, which includes an electric charging station, and the lower driveway leads to a parking space for two cars.
“It’s an elevated property, with stone paths and stairs,” Brown says, noting the different levels offer various places to enjoy solitude. “It’s very quiet, and you hear the waves crashing and the water fall of the pool; it’s a really zen place.”
Tara Road reflects a neighborhood that Brown calls “generally quiet” and which the playwright Edward Albee once called home (his house sold to Ralph Lauren in 2018). This featured home is .3 miles from Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, which offers a variety of memberships to residents. “It’s been recently overhauled and they’re creating a luxury resort that neighborhood residents can enjoy,” Brown says.
Montauk is known for its fishing and more than 5,000 acres of public beaches and parklands, with numerous opportunities for experiencing nature. The Hither Woods Preserve and the Hither Hills State Park are just north of Tara Road, on the other side of Highway 27, and the village of Montauk, which will host a holiday fair on Dec. 9, is 2.5 miles via the Old Montauk Highway. Nearby attractions include Kirk Park Beach, the historical, George Washington-commissioned Montauk Point Lighthouse and the Hither Plain Reservation, a national landmark.
The home lists for $5,495,000 and the details can be seen here.
