If houses had theme songs, this one’s would be Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.”
This restored vintage shingle-style beach house in Laurel sits smack on Peconic Bay, the surviving “twin” of a pair built in 1902. The current owners, who purchased it in 1988, undertook extensive improvements such as raising the house and pouring a full basement (insulated and waterproofed), installing a dry well drainage system, enclosing and winterizing the front porch to make it a living area, and adding central air conditioning, new plumbing, electric and insulation.
“We have often been there on windy and stormy days, and it is so solidly built that you can barely tell there is a weather event at all. Not a single window rattle, draft or shake,” says Cheryl Schneider, of the North Shore office of The Agency, who is representing the listing along with Regan Battuello.
Sited on .75 acres with 106 feet of waterfront, the 2,850-square-foot home exudes coastal charm, from the cedar shingles and tidy white trim on the balconies and railings, to the inlaid brick patio overlooking the water and wrapping around the house. That brick motif is echoed in the living room’s wood-burning fireplace.
The sun-filled first floor is devoted to the common rooms that include an office, a sitting room with built-in storage, and the enclosed window-lined sunporch, which offers 422 square feet of additional dining and lounging space. The 408-square-foot living room provides access to the sunroom, office and dining room; the bonus sitting room is accessed through the sunroom. A full bath, just off the main entry, features a claw-foot bathtub and a walk-in shower.
The nearly 200-square-foot kitchen was updated with custom-designed cottage-style cupboards, an oversize porcelain sink, granite countertops, a slate-tiled floor and stainless steel appliances with the Energy Star designation. There is an abundance of storage and food-preparation space, including a center island that seats three. A kitchen door leads to an outside patio with a grilling area.
The four bedrooms on the second level, ranging in size from 120 to 195 square feet, share one full bathroom. The two bay-facing bedrooms have access to a large walk-out roof deck with remote control awnings. Most of the house has its original hardwood floors.
The large fifth bedroom is in the separate guest cottage, which at just over 900 square feet, offers a living/dining area and has been fully updated with a kitchenette, on-demand hot water, a new bathroom and wood floors.
The main house’s full basement is 1,537 square feet accessed by exterior Bilco doors or from the inside. Currently unfinished, it provides a master workshop area, a dedicated electric panel for a generator and is plumbed for a future full bathroom.
Both the main house and guest cottage have app-enabled Honeywell smart thermostats and an electronic security system. Other tech conveniences include remote-controlled blinds and awnings.
The home’s exterior has been as well maintained as the interiors, with significant infrastructure to the double bulkhead, which created a private beach (enhanced with a winch for lifting recreational equipment out of the water) and an outdoor shower. “These homeowners love swimming in the bay, but there is room for a pool for those so inclined,” says Schneider.
Though the the inlaid brick patio and walkway are new, the grounds were originally landscaped by Timothy Coffey Nursery. The owners have maintained and augmented the established beds with flowering perennials such as crepe myrtle and hydrangeas, and installed a 19-zone irrigation system. The old-growth trees provide shade “as well as the comforting sound of leaves rustling in the wind when the westerlies blow through on summer afternoons,” Schneider says.
The home is nearly equidistant to Mattituck and Laurel and a straight shot along Bray Avenue to Highway 25, which provides access to the North Fork wine route. Local attractions include the Mattituck Yacht Club and the Laurel Links Country Club. Parks and nature spaces include Peconic Bay Park and the adjacent Husing Pond Preserve, Laurel Lake Park and Preserve.
The house at 7972 Great Peconic Bay Boulevard lists for $2,990,000 and the details can be seen here.
