KDHamptons

KDHamptons: How long have you been living in the Hamptons? Why do you love it so much?
Hamilton Hoge: I’ve been coming to the Hamptons since I was born. I spent my summers here and winters in New York on Central Park. I think its the ocean, light, energy and the texture that I love the most.

KDH: Will you describe your Hamptons home and decorating style for our readers?
HH: Although I have been in design and construction development business since I was a teenager, I live in a modest house with great flow, light, and a place where I can blast the music as loud as I want, or turn off the world, read, relax and be peaceful. My style is classic, with antiques and paintings of several generations of my family’s history. I have a particular fondness for a distinct mixture of classicism, modernism, inter-mixed in a fabric of Old English and American warmth.

KDH: Did you build the home you live in? Which is your favorite room and why?
HH: Thankfully, I am not responsible for the construction of the home I live in. However, I have drawn and worked with many styles that constantly adjust and change to what my lifestyle has evolved into. I believe that what I would have built- 15 or 20 years ago- would have been re-built once again. I have a “Man Room” which I share with friends. It is cozy, clean and well lit. The problem is that many of the paintings and certain items, vibrate and sometimes fall from the walls when excessive volume has been achieved.

KDH: What is your favorite East End restaurant?  Share your favorite dish & drink there?
HH: Of all the restaurants that I have seen come and go- including two that I built, owned and operated- my favorite is Shippy’s in Southampton. You just can’t beat the consistent comfort food and the surroundings. The flounder with mashed potatoes or the steak on a sizzling platter are my favorite, but the best are the seasonal Peconic Bay Scallops. I have been eating them since age 5. My favorite drink is the ice tea, both unsweetened and the Long Island variety.

KDH: Will you describe your perfect Hamptons day?
HH: I wake up early and have a French Press coffee. I like to take a drive to the beach at Lake Agawam (next to beach club) and Dune Church, take a swim (seasonally), and then have a glass of wine in the afternoon in my backyard….followed by a walk into the village. To finish the evening, I’ll have dinner with friends.

KDH: What is the greatest part about your job? If you could snap your fingers and instantly have another career~ what would be your dream job?
HH: Freedom of time, creativity, fruition of it. Being able to speak your mind, honesty of opinion and the people I work with. My dream job would be to have clients that are not in a rush. That will take their time to think things through, in a consistent helpful way. That brings peace to all in a very pressurized environment. With strong communication and good staffing, I have been able to reach that “target”. That dream, when fulfilled, makes my work beautiful and enjoyable.

KDH: What are your plans for the winter? Travel or staying out East?
HH: Staying East in this area is a godsend. Seeing my children Savanna and Taylor [pictured left], having the world move a little slower and the seasons change a little softer, that is why I stay. A quick weekend to Palm Beach or New York 3 or 4 times a winter clears my head.

KDH: Which is your favorite season in the Hamptons and why?
HH: Summer is the best season for warmth and beauty. It is my target.

KDH: If you could build a Hamptons dream home for anyone [dead or alive], who would it be?
HH: Myself.

KDH: Identify the trend in Hamptons building right now. Are mega mansions a thing of the past? A return to traditional, classic homes?
HH: Large houses have always been here. What has been lacking in the past ten years or so, are homes that are true to themselves. I have traveled and passed through many houses of different styles, but there are few blessed with the feeling of warmth, love and individuality. Trends are boring. Trends are a waste of effort. Whatever style my clients desire in the end, it is the warmth and capturing the light flow, special places and spaces that truly define good architecture and use.

KDH: Do you have a “best kept secret” destination in the Hamptons? Share a spot you love to go to…
HH: My favorite spot is in Southampton Village on Meadow Lane, about 2 miles west of the boat house. There is a turn off towards the bay, where a broad cove exists and where the tide changes have brought nature to your toes. There are pools of deep water for striped bass, shallows for clean fresh mussels and little neck clams that are the sweetest I’ve ever had. There is incredible bird life that is equal to no other area out here. I got to know this place from years of fishing and harvesting. It is peaceful to the eyes and desolate. It is timeless.

KDH: Do you have an all-time favorite house in the Hamptons?
HH: My all time favorite house in the Hamptons, was named the Ladd house [pictured at  bottom]. I lived there for several years in the early 1960’s when I was a child. It is on the ocean and is massive. But what I loved most were the French windows and doors where the ocean air blew warmly through the curtains and rooms, all of which looked over open land and water. The guest house was my secret space. The main fireplace was 6 feet tall. No other house in my view, will ever come close to matching the timeless style and warmth.

*For more about HHCM please go to http://www.hhcm.net/