History-Rich, Midcentury Modern Gem

This delightfully quirky beach house perched on a lush sprawl (five acres and counting!) in Bridgehampton is an early sixties masterpiece designed by Andrew Geller. On the market for $1.595 million by Corcoran’s Cee Scott Brown, the character-filled pad located at 375 Brick Kiln Rd. is bound to charm an owner any second now. We rang up John Bjornen of Bjornen Design, the man behind the abode’s chic revamp, for the scoop.

What’s the Geller House’s History?

It was built in 1963 as a minimalist, modernist, simple beach house set on an ocean of nature. A woman named Betty Reese had a different, fantastic house built by Andrew Geller on the ocean; a big storm hit and that first house was taken out to sea. Betty owned the Bridgehampton property, and wanted a house on the sea of land and trees. A lot of the house’s quirks were Betty’s personal preferences.

What state was the abode in when you entered the picture?

I bought it with my business partner and landscape designer, Joseph Cornetta, a few years ago. It was an architectural gem that desperately needed revitalizing. The previous owners were a lovely couple who had children, and they never really got around to doing projects.

What did you change?

The electricity and plumbing were replaced; new insulation, air-conditioning and heat were added, too so it could be a truly year-round house. The palette was cleansed and we re-replaced everything. The floors got a coat of white deck paint, and all the walls were done in china white, to make everything tailored and clean. We stained that outside dark to marry it to nature, in shades of black, grey, and green. Now, your eye goes to all of the elements that make it unique.

What’s the story behind Joseph’s landscaping?

We used some huge old slabs of Ballast from Maine that were from the bottom of ships as the steps between the car park and the house. It references that the house is halfway between Sag Harbor and Bridgehampton.

What sort of dream development could you see sometime taking the property’s remaining 4.5 acres?

There are two scenarios: Someone could buy it and fall in love with this quirky little cottage, as is. Or, with very minor changes, you could design and build anything you want as the property’s main house. I could see a modernist house that has a respect for the Geller house. Next year, that house will be 50 years old; it is pretty amazing that this little, funky, un-winterized cottage is still standing 50 years later.

Who can you imagine living in the Geller house?

Maybe Johnny Depp!