Holiday House Hamptons at the Watchcase

The sixty-three unit Watchcase condominiums in Sag Harbor is one of the most talked about developments in the Hamptons. From its inception nearly eight years ago, to its successful sales initiative, the project has been in the spotlight. Currently, 80 percent of the units are sold, and residents are expected to start moving in at the end of the year.

From now through August 10, the Watchcase is the site of the 2nd annual Holiday House Hamptons show house presented by Hamptons Cottages & Gardens magazine. Holiday House was founded by Iris Dankner, a breast cancer survivor and interior designer. Three units have been decorated by some of the top interior designers including James Huniford, Steven Gambrel and Vicente Wolf.  

The development is a gut renovation of a 130 year-old watchcase factory that has been transformed by Cape Advisors into the Hamptons’ first resort-style luxury condominium in the heart of Sag Harbor. The three units that are open to the public are pricey: the one bedroom bungalow is priced at $1.275 million. The townhouse is $4.36 million and the three bedroom unit in the factory costs $3.25 million.

The bungalow, said Cee Scott Brown, the broker at Corcoran handling the listing for the project, is being offered with a right of first refusal to the buyer of the adjacent townhouse. Should the future owners of the townhouse choose not to buy the bungalow it will be sold as a stand-along unit. Brown says the demand for the bungalows is very strong and that he has a waiting list of 20 should the bungalow not be snapped up by the buyer of the townhouse.

The Watchcase development is set amid the 18th and 19th century houses that line the narrow streets of the former whaling village. The condominiums have been built to seamlessly integrate into the historic atmosphere that has made Sag Harbor a popular place to live and visit. A parking garage has been built beneath the foundations of the new development.

In addition to the units housed in the old factory nine one-bedroom “bungalows” and 8 townhouses have been built in styles that complement the Federalist houses nearby.

A tour of the show units is a bit like walking through the pages of Elle Décor. Each room on the tour has been designed by a different decorator and even the patios are kitted out to impress.

Of particular note is the pool room in the townhouse, by Scott Formby, the living room of the unit in the three bedroom unit in the factory by James Huniford and a patio designed by Eugenia AuKim.

Scott Formby brings a 1940s Floridian ambiance to a room that will face a patio and the common pool beyond. In homage to the great style of classic tropical resorts the room sports a vintage rattan sectional covered in a contemporary and understated wool suiting fabric. Formby has showcased a beautiful brass armoire found in the south of France by hanging exotic beach kaftans on its rails.The walls are covered in handmade wallpaper and graced with oversized tropical watercolors in muted tones by Kevin Moss.

One steps out of the pool room and onto a open patio that will adjoin the pool once construction is completed. The patio was styled by Eugenia AuKim, a decorator and furniture designer. She has given the space a festive and bright feel by using novelty items such as ceramic horses and birdcages as well as playful melamine place settings by Kim Seybert. The chairs—which Ms. AuKim said arrived from Indonesia just the days before—are of her own design. Ms. Kim has The Design Studio shop in Bridgehampton next door to Bobby Van’s.

The most striking use of the space at Holiday House at the Watchcase goes to James Huniford. With bold confidence he has chosen to hang a large black relief sculpture by Louise Nevelson (on loan from Pace Galleries) over two of the unit’s windows. The effect is grounding and unifies the space. The room, which otherwise floats above Sag Harbor with windows on three sides, has an open floor plan that encompasses living room, dining room and kitchen. Mr. Huniford has anchored the room with another big piece: a library table found in Oxford. It seats 20 and fits the room as if it had been custom made for the space.

Tickets to Holiday House Hamptons cost $35. Proceeds benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. They can be purchased online at www.holidayhousehamptons.com