The massive stone fireplace and wall of light-drenched windows set the tone for their grand den. Make your fireplace a little brighter with our radiant Fireplace Accessories.
SAG HARBOR, New York
Living by the water has always been essential for Gary and Patricia Lucas. Gary grew up in Oceanside, Long Island, and the Lucas family has been spending summers in the Hamptons since their children were young. As often as they can, they take well-deserved breaks from their busy careers in building and real-estate development to enjoy the boating lifestyle they love.
Five years ago, they discovered the 1.4-acre grounds of the Sag Harbor property that would become their retirement home. They knew immediately it was exactly what they were looking for. What struck them was not the existing home on the property, but the property itself. “We didn’t even step into the house that was here at the time,” Gary says. “We walked straight back to the dock to look at the view.”
It was an unparalleled bay vista, overlooking the federally protected Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island. “That’s why we fell in love with this place,” says the couple’s son Andrew, who works with his parents at their family building firm, Mirage Property Management, and helped supervise the construction of their dream home. “The water has always been important to my family … and the Preserve across the way can’t be built upon, so it’s a view that will never be taken away.”
The all-white kitchen not only boasts spectacular views, it also serves as a gathering place for family and friends. Browse our selection of Bar and Kitchen Furniture to prepare your kitchen for hours of entertaining.
A HOME BUILT FOR ENTERTAINING
The family worked together to design and construct a spectacular house that would augment—and not detract from—the property’s natural beauty. “We built around the massive beech trees and ancient oaks,” says Andrew. “We planned the house so we could keep them, and laid it out to save as many as possible.”
That wasn’t the only stipulation that went into planning. The Lucases knew that they had to build a house suitable for such magnificent grounds, one that befitted the long, culturally rich history of Sag Harbor.
“My parents wanted the house to look like it belonged here,” says Andrew. “My mother incorporated classic Hamptons touches into this home,” with unique features such as the incredible custom windows Patricia architected. They’re multi-paned, with elaborate, varied grills for extra interest.
“Windows became important to the design of the house. Since the whole family will spend summers here, in the Hamptons tradition, it’s all about keeping the house light and airy. We used a lot of white trim, balanced with warm woods for a cozy feel,” says Andrew. “And you can see how many windows are incorporated.”
Because of the Lucas family’s attention to detail, the building process for their coastal dream home was a hard-won, intricate process. “Things like a slate roof, all the windows—and making sure each part of construction is just right—that can take time,” Andrew says. The Lucases bought this Sag Harbor gem five years ago and didn’t actually begin building until three years later. It was another two years until the house was finished. “We’re just moving in, actually,” says Andrew. But the wait has been well worth it.
“It's a combination of my father's favorite elements from the houses he's built over the last 30 years.”
The Lucases have merged their favorite iconic architectural styles into a seamless home design. Browse our Indoor Décor Accents to shape your own unique style.
Many people comment on the way the Lucases have merged iconic architectural styles into a seamless whole. After years of development experience throughout the Long Island area, the Lucases knew exactly how to marry the different designs they loved most into an architecture that matched their Northeastern lifestyle. Victorian influences, French-country motifs, and some contemporary takes on traditional styles are all integrated into the house’s eight bedrooms, eight full baths, two half-baths, office, living room, great room, den, dining room, kitchen, and guest quarters.
The all-white, light-flooded kitchen offers spectacular views of the Sag Harbor Bay and serves as a favorite family gathering space. “Everyone ends up there, of course,” Andrew says. But there are plenty of other cozy nooks in which to gather throughout the rest of the 11,000-square-foot floor plan. Patricia, Gary, and Andrew—along with Andrew’s siblings Matt, Caitlin, and Shannon—make use of each space in the house; they love the barrel-ceiling den, with its massive stone fireplace and wall of light-drenched windows.
Even the basement is beautiful. Fully furnished, it boasts 9-foot ceilings, so family and guests can relax as comfortably downstairs as they do on the upper floors. Cold feet are never a problem, even in the winter months: throughout the Lucas home, energy-efficient radiant heating warms floors of wide-plank hickory and rustic slate. “These warm, natural materials really flow into the blue stone, oaks, and water outside,” says Andrew.
Plenty of guests will arrive to admire the house and its view. This summer, the Lucases will host Caitlin’s college graduation party in Sag Harbor. “It’s exactly what this house was built for,” explains Andrew. “Relaxing—and maximizing our family time on and near the water.”
“It feels like you're sitting out on the bay.”
To complement their breathtaking landscape, the Lucas family built an infinity-edge pool that cascades toward their deep-water pier in the bay. They’ve surrounded the pool with checkerboard bluestone slabs to form a natural-looking patio space—one that doesn’t interrupt the backyard’s greenery. This combination of live materials and premium stone “creates an entertainment space without establishing a concrete jungle,” Andrew says. Instead, the patio maintains “a natural feel” and leaves the bay as a focal point for outdoor living. This nature-centered aesthetic, Andrew continues, helps the Lucas home look “like it’s been here forever.”
And forever seems like exactly the right length of time to dwell in such a beautiful place.
