Looking for an East Hampton home to call your own? This one has a very special "presidential" twist – and a price tag of $54 million to match. The New York estate where a young Jackie Kennedy spent many of her summers has recently been added to the market, listing at $53.99 million.
The main home on the grounds was constructed by Jackie's grandfather, John Vernou Bouvier Jr., in 1917, making it quite the window to historic architecture in East Hampton. Known to many as Lasata – the Native American terminology for "Place of Peace" – the home is currently owned by designer Reed Krakoff and his wife. Krakoff bought the property for $25 million in 2007, completing extensive renovations on it with his wife, Delphine, the founder of interior design firm Pamplemousse.
The property's 8,500-square-foot, two-story main home is quite accommodating, boasting 10 bedrooms, 11.5 bathrooms, and a three-car garage. If that isn't enough room, the nearby pool house has two additional bedrooms, while the property's guesthouse can sleep one.
The house is a picture of modern day elegance marrying the styles of the Victorian era. It comes lined with fine wooden floors, with cool accents and sharp features to complement the home's clean, contemporary aesthetic. Beyond the house's 10 bedrooms, it features a modern eat-in kitchen and accompanying breakfast nook, a formal dining room complete with built-in bookshelves and a living room and sunroom offering up grey stone tiling throughout.
For those who are interested in the property, but can't pay the full price, there's some good news. The 11-acre property is being sold as two separate parcels. The seven acres containing Lasata (and accompanying pool, pool house and guesthouse) is being sold as one parcel' at $38.995 million, while the remaining four-acre parcel, which includes the grounds' grass tennis court, is selling for a separate $14.995 million.
The grounds of the property are entirely another beauty, altogether. The Krakoffs worked with Southampton-based landscape architect Perry Guillot, who helped transform the extensive grounds from a Victorian design to a more modern day feel, allowing an enhanced look of the grounds' formal gardens and creating a unique entry way to the extensive collection of plants.
Long interested in purchasing historic homes that require extensive renovation, the Krakoffs originally bought the estate as a retreat for them and their four children. Following an update to the property's plumbing system, the disciplined designers concentrated on bringing the home back to its original, physical look. Updates included using metal lath for walls and 200-year-old reclaimed oak as floorboards to replace those damaged during re-leveling. With an interest in preserving the home's original look the reasoning behind their updates, the Krakoffs told Architectural Digest that the highest compliment they received on the home was when Martha Stewart walked through the finished product and asked them if they had remodeled anything.
The Krakoffs are selling the Hamptons property because they spend the majority of their time at a $14 million 50-acre property in Connecticut that was once owned by reclusive heiress Huguette Clark. According to The Wall Street Journal, the couple also owns a home in Paris and a $28 million townhouse on the Upper East Side of New York City.