Massive Makeover

John Tarbet and his wife, Jennifer, had their eye on the house at 29 Huntting Lane in East Hampton for quite a while. The Queen Anne-style abode, which was built for the family of prominent merchant and farmer Henry D. Hedges in 1903, had been vacant for three years and was derelict—an eyesore on the elm-canopied avenue. The former gem, built by A.O. Jones—the Joe Farrell of his day—had been converted to a rest home in the 1950s. Rooms were cut up into tiny spaces and an addition comprised of seven bedrooms and bathrooms, which Tarbett calls a “motel wing,” was the final blow to the historic edifice that had seen better days. It was the ideal project for the Tarbets, who had bought and renovated 10 properties in as many years. A retired Suffolk County Park police officer, Tarbet is a trustee of the East Hampton Historical Society and Village Preservation Society.

The couple purchased the ¾-acre property in 2007 and began work on restoring the exterior and renovating the interior, which had accrued a total of 33 rooms during its incarnation as a convalescent facility. As the house is in the Huntting Lane Historic District it was mandatory that the exterior replicate its early glory. Fortunately the Tarbets found a portion of the original porch railing and a window in the handsome carriage house, which has also been restored. Though unsalvageable, the window—a sample of one of the most agreeable features of the house–was taken to a specialist in Rhode Island who was able to use it as a model to reproduce the six that needed replacing. Each cost nearly $4,000. The porch railing also served as a model so that the wide 900-foot wraparound porch, which can be accessed from several first-floor rooms, could be rebuilt authentically.

Alas, the interior needed to be gutted down to the beams. In order to make the spaces “more conducive to modern living,” very little of the original structure was kept. However, the dwelling has the genteel feel of a turn-of-the-century, shingled cottage—only more open. On the parlor floor a generously proportioned entry hall is graced by an impressive staircase, which was considerably widened from the original. Also widened were passageways—one leading to the bright dayroom (with its bright bay of five tall windows) is about seven-feet wide. Ditto for the passage straight ahead, which leads to the expansive dining/living area. As the woodwork was lost—much of it torn off—they found paneling to copy in a somewhat grander house built in the same period nearby on Ocean Avenue. A triumvirate of fireplaces were kept, one greeting guests as they enter the foyer.

A three-story, 14-foot extension that houses part of the roomy kitchen was seamlessly attached to the rear of the house, making the 8 bed room, 8.5 bath house measure in at 7,000 square feet. That’s quite a large house for such a small property, and was made possible only because of the footprint of the pre-existing wing, which they demolished. Above the kitchen is the master bedroom. Both rooms and a large third-floor recreation area have new gas fireplaces. An elevator rises from the basement to the second floor.

The entire redo of the property cost the couple $3.5 million. The Tarbets first listed it for sale in 2009 and it has gone on and off the market since. Jean Rickenbach of Sotheby’s has the new listing, $8.5 million, which went into effect in March. Meanwhile as he gazes across the street, Tarbet affectionately eyes a ramshackle house, probably the only one left on the quiet lane. Alas, the owner is not selling. Not to worry, there’s another house not far away that promises to be the couple’s next makeover.