Skip to main content

Embrace Your Inner Minimalist in Long Island’s East Lake House

Michael Moran/Robert Young Architects

In the Northeast, the coastal vacation home has long had a distinct style defined by the country’s most prominent families (think the Kennedy Compound in Cape Cod). Cedar shingle clad mansions, sprawling out along expansive grounds, carefully positioned to frame stunning ocean views are all typical of the style. Inside, these homes are decked out in coastal decor with bright whites balanced by navy blues and accented with wicker and driftwood to create an upscale, shabby-chic look. That look, however, has become a dated style indicative of behind-the-times stuffiness. Robert Young Architects designed a new summertime retreat to be a minimalist escape that feels at one with its natural surroundings while acting as a model for a new wave of coastal vacation homes. The result is East Lake House.

Comprised of two structures, East Lake House at first may seem out of place in Montauk, New York, but the coastal touches are all still there. Rather than a sprawling summer home, the simple gabled form of the buildings speaks to the classic barn shape found scattered throughout the Northeast. This basic form is visually pleasing without detracting from the beauty of the home’s surroundings. Cedar shingles have been swapped out for untreated cedar planks which patina over time and eventually take on a driftwood-like look. Exterior hardware is bronze, reminiscent of the high-end finishes typically found on yachts and steamships and the buildings are capped by raw zinc panels, designed to age along with the cedar planks.

Recommended Videos

A unique property, East Lake House sits on two lots that were combined into one, allowing the main house to be situated away from the guest house (which also acts as the garage and boathouse). In between the two buildings, there is a plunge pool and a covered patio situated to take in views of Lake Montauk (which is really a small bay connected to the Atlantic).

Stepping inside, East Lake House is a showpiece for modern, minimalist style. Gone are the classic coastal navy blues, replaced by trendy black accents set against bright white walls and ceilings. Refreshingly simple, the interior of both houses features vaulted ceilings clad in white painted wood planks supported by white wood trusses. The white wood planks continue down the walls. Flooring is a combination of tile and European white oak, the light hues complimenting the bright white walls and ceilings. The black steel support structure and black frames of the windows and doors add a contemporary look to the rooms.

In the main house, the public space is an open-plan family room which includes an all-white kitchen, a live-edge dining table, and a spacious sitting area. The black brick fireplace offers a masculine focal point for the sitting area. To cap off the minimalist look, the sitting area includes a white sofa and mid-century modern revival furnishings. Sliding glass doors all around turn the space into an indoor-outdoor room.

Upstairs, the master suite is defined by a massive wooden structure that acts as a room divider between the bedroom and bathroom. This unique installation becomes the headboard for the bed and the ceiling for the closet and bathroom sinks. While it does not rise all the way up to the vaulted ceiling, it does create a unique visual divide that allows for privacy in the bedroom without making the space feel closed in.

Every detail of East Lake House speaks to the desire of the architects to get away from the coastal mansions of the past and create a new kind of beachside retreat. It is a reflection of the past, with its barn-like shape, while looking to the future with unique finishes, nature-inspired materials, and a minimalist style that allows nature to be the star of the show.

For an altogether different type of waterside retreat, check out Lochside House, located in Scotland’s West Highlands.

Kelsey Machado
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelsey is a professional interior designer with over a decade of experience in the design field. With a passion for…
8 must-see shows like Ted Lasso to fill the gap before season 4
The sports comedy is returning, but you can enjoy these alternatives in the meantime
The cast of Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is one of the biggest hits in the history of Apple TV+. The sports comedy starring Jason Sudeikis is famous for its overly positive outlook on life as it follows an eager American football coach who is told to conform to the expectations of English soccer after being hired overseas. Ted doesn't listen to the doubters as each episode oozes with an easy, funny tone that brightens everyone's day. It's one of the best comfort watches in any TV fan's library.

While the third season of Ted Lasso was supposed to be its last, the series has been renewed for a fourth season. Ted Lasso season 4 doesn't have a release date or plot synopsis yet, but fans are already eager to get back into the world of hijinks and fun. If you have already watched the first three seasons a few too many times, we have a solution. These are the best shows like Ted Lasso to stream next while waiting for season 4.

Read more
One of the biggest video game franchises of all time is finally headed to theaters
The movie doesn't have a cast yet, but will hit theaters in exactly two years.
Link in 'Tears of the Kingdom.'

Video game adaptations are all the rage in Hollywood these days, and The Legend of Zelda is apparently the next franchise up. Variety is reporting that Sony Pictures will debut a live-action Legend of Zelda movie on March 26, 2027. The movie will be co-produced by Nintendo, and Wes Ball, who directed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the Maze Runner movies, remains attached to direct.

The film was first announced in November of 2023 by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto.
“This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega-hit films,” Miyamoto wrote at the time. “I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, and we have now officially started the development of the film with Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”
We don't know exactly what this movie will be about, although it's a good bet that part of the quest will involve Link's quest to save Zelda from some sort of peril.

Read more
The Academy has apologized for failing to name the ‘No Other Land’ director in recent statement
Handam Billal was attacked by Israeli settlers and taken into custody earlier int he week.
A still From No Other Land

Following the news that Academy Award-winning director Hamdan Billal had been assaulted in the West Bank, the Academy released what many described as a generic statement acknowledging that their 11,000 members had a diversity of viewpoints and saying that they did not approve of "harming artists."
“On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” the letter reads. “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement and want to make it clear that the Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world. We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”

Academy President Janet Yang and CEO Bill Yang signed the letter, which came after almost 700 members of the Academy, including Mark Ruffalo and Ava DeVernay, signed a letter condemning the original statement.

Read more