Four-Building Hideaway in East Hampton Is Set Amid Magical Gardens

Tucked away in leafy (and luxe) East Hampton, New York, is an enchanting four-building compound, designed and built by well-known local landscaper Kevin Keyser of Hamptons Silverleaf Landscaping and newly listed with Julie Pinkwater and Will Metzger at Douglas Elliman at $3.8 million.

Pinkwater says, “I often wondered what a landscaper would do with their own home. Now I know and I am blown away by what Kevin Keyser has done here. I can see Kevin’s artistry in the landscaping, of course, but also in the style and grace of the immaculate renovation he has done on the house.”

On half an acre of land are a renovated main house, an artist’s cottage, a yoga studio, and a two-car garage with lots of storage. Together, the living spaces add up to more than 3,600 square feet, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms plus a powder room boldly emblazoned with banana leaf wallpaper. Newly updated with a snazzy UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) HVAC system, the main residence comprises a large eat-in kitchen with high-end appliances, a formal dining room, a living room with fireplace, and a glassed-in sun porch. The primary suite is on the main floor, while the other three bedrooms are upstairs.

The artist studio and garage are situated across a gated, pebbled and dramatically lighted motor court that easily does double-duty as an al fresco entertainment space. Lovely flower gardens, courtyards, vine-covered pergolas and winding paths connect the various structures and lead to the saltwater pool, making for a private, magical oasis.

Keyser says of his plans for the gardens, “This complex property had a variety of opportunities for private spaces, reflective inlets, pathways, meditative corners, and dining and entertainment areas. I created a three-tiered, layered installment with the perennial garden off the pool, conceiving its layers one at a time, so they would appear to spring forth from each other like they had naturally evolved over time.”

Making sure the gardens looked their best no matter the time of day or the season was also important.  “A truss was built and extended with ivies over a long, wooden, outdoor dining table, that could shield the sun in the afternoon, and remain just as beautiful when lit at night. The patio around the pool was laid with rustic brick and surrounded by gardens planted to evolve and change throughout the seasons,“ Keyser says. “I also sculpted surprising nooks and secret spaces in and around the property. Lights were added to pathways to instill a magical feeling.” His efforts are clearly a picture perfect success.