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Even in bitter cold, tons of workers were running power tools and heavy machinery and yelling back and forth in the woods Friday morning off Scuttle Hole Road in Bridgehampton, where construction is moving apace at Barn & Vine, the hamlet’s newest development. At one site a foundation had just been poured. At another you could see the entire Channing Daughters vineyard and into the hills of Brick Kiln from the second floor of a house already framed.
A high-end, customizable development, Barn & Vine will consist of 37 lots next to the Channing Daughters Winery. The project was spearheaded by Continental Pinewood Development Partners LLC, a partnership between the Manhattan-based development company Continental Venture and the Hicksville development company Pinewood Development.
“We want to give people a great, quality product but allow people to create their own Hamptons experience,” said Terry Thompson of Douglas Elliman in Southampton, the development’s broker. Ms. Thompson and her colleague Aaron Curti partnered with John Gomes and Fredrik Eklund, of Douglas Elliman’s Eklund Gomes Team in Manhattan, to help bring the project to fruition. Mr. Elkund is also a star of Bravo TV’s “Million Dollar Listing New York.”
Barn & Vine offers buyers customizable homes in a palette of architectural styles: the Gambrel, the Sonoma Barn, the Bordeaux, the Sweeping Gable, the Courtyard and the Double Height. Depending on the style, the houses feature upwards of five bedrooms, often with two masters, and many have at least six full bathrooms. No matter which style, each home comes with a two-car garage and gunite swimming pool. The houses are priced right around the $3 million mark.
“The price point for us has been a driver since the first meeting,” said Mr. Gomes. “We looked at the whole marketplace and we studied in great detail, where is the hole? It was very, very clear, this price point around $3 million is definitely where you see a lot of demand and not a lot of good supply in new construction.”
Ms. Thompson and Mr. Curti launched an introductory website for the development about two weeks ago to get a feel for the market. After more than 300 inquiries, the decision to open up the listings on March 3 seemed obvious.
“The only reason we launched on Monday,” said Mr. Gomes late last week, “was because people were telling us they wanted to buy now. Everybody kept asking, ‘When will these be ready?’ so we lifted on Monday and so far, we’ve had a great response.”
Two lots have already sold, according to Ms. Thompson, and potential buyers are looking at two more.
Buyers will also have the opportunity to work with the interior design team at Carlyle Designs, said Mr. Gomes, to customize their home’s interior, from hardwood floor finishes to bathroom cabinetry, metal fixtures and beyond.
“We think that’s one of the most unique parts of the development,” said Continental Ventures president Jane Gol, “the idea of customizing a home so it’s someone’s personal experience.”
The idea of a “personal experience” is essentially the heart of Barn & Vine, which also offers its residents concierge services from Chaloners of the Hamptons, to ensure their every need is met.
“Whether it’s waiting for the cable guy to set up your TV, starting your car in the winter, stocking your fridge before you get out here for the weekend, it’s anything the homeowner is looking for,” said Mr. Gomes, who noted buyers would pay for the services by the hour but that membership to the service is free with the house. “We’re literally selling the dream. But people are busy with work and their family and it’s not always so easy to live the dream. They [the concierge] are here to make that easier.”
Mr. Gomes said that Continental Ventures is committed to preserving the natural beauty surrounding Barn & Vine. “Because we do have 37 different lots, we always felt from the first meeting, it was very important that it remains in the feeling of the natural, beautiful, serene setting,” he said.
“We kept as many trees as we possibly could,” Mr. Gomes continued. He added that the trees have been shaped to create a canopy over the hilly neighborhood road.
Barn & Vine will feature landscaping that creates privacy as well as aesthetic consistency throughout the development, said Mr. Gomes. Individual yards will have trimmed hedges, boxwoods, lush lawns and white impatiens.
“It’s very Parisian-inspired,” he said of the landscape design.
The development, which is well into construction, is expected to deliver homes as early as Thanksgiving and into next spring, according to Ms. Gol.
“I think what’s really special is the amount of passion each one of these people brings to the table,” Ms. Gol said. “It’s an honor to work with the two groups—we’re bringing the best of everyone’s experience, and it makes it a fun experience and we’re able to bring our clients the best possible product.”
on Mar 10, 2014