You Can Now Rent Renowned Photographer Douglas Friedman’s Charming Bellport, New York Estate
Acclaimed interiors photographer Douglas Friedman may call Marfa, Texas home, but it’s his latest project that feels like an unknowing frontier. Friedman recently purchased a charming home in the hamlet of Brookhaven on Long Island that he is renting for the duration of the summer.
“I had never been to Bellport or Brookhaven [before I bought the home],” he says. “This isn’t meant to sound spoiled, but it was a bit of an impulse purchase.”
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Old Purchase Properties
That impulse buy includes a 2,800-square-foot, farmhouse-style home on Beaverdam Road with four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. Friedman is renting the home for the remainder of the summer—or longer, should someone want—as he is traveling the rest of the summer. Though the home was recently renovated, Friedman has big plans for an even more extensive renovation to suit his style and taste, which is undoubtedly inspired by his globe-trotting photography work, where he shoots the most fabulous people, places, and things.
“I’m going to give it an AD-worthy renovation, but I think this project will be two or three years out,” he says. “I’m looking for someone to live in it for a little while. I can take my time with this one.”
Douglas Friedman
The house dates back to 1870 and was a former horseback riding academy that was taken apart and put back together. He was drawn to the home for its original charm and history. Other features include sunroom, open-concept kitchen, wood-burning fireplaces, a spacious primary suite, and a brand-new, 50-foot saltwater pool.
“In the renovation that was done before I got there, none of the really great stuff was removed, like the crooked floors and the dentil moldings covered with 100 years of paint,” he said. “The backyard is so charming as well.”
Old Purchase Properties
He doesn’t plan to remove some of the quirks that make the house feel genuine.
“You know you’re in a house that’s over 100 years old,” he says. “That was really important for me, because when I do the renovation, I don’t want someone to walk in and feel like they’re in a contemporary home that looks like it was designed to be 1870. The ceilings are low, the moldings are incredible, and I love the slack in the floor. That’s the story. That’s the stuff you can’t replicate or duplicate, no matter how talented you are.”
Old Purchase Properties
Friedman says the area has an authentic and genuine feel, the opposite of what you might find in the Hamptons these days.
“It’s the coolest place on the East Coast right now, or at least online,” he says. “When I went there for the first time, I was so in awe of this place that I’d been driving past for 50 years and never thought about it once. The neighbors are amazing, and it’s a sleepy little bedroom community. There are no bars or major restaurants—it’s a real community, and they really discourage any kind of tourism.”
Old Purchase Properties
The area is quiet and serene and close to many hiking trails, two tiny marinas , farmer’s markets, and more.
“If you’re into boating, you can launch sea kayaks into these coastal estuaries that take you to the Great South Bay,” he says. “There’s also the Hamlet Organic (HOG) Farm that sells fresh, local produce. You wake up in the morning, bike here to get your fresh eggs. Isabella Rossellini’s farm is just down the road, where you can get your fresh vegetables. There’s Deer Run Farm, which has the most incredible pies.”
Old Purchase Properties
Luckily, the area is just an hour and a half from the city and 45 minutes from the Hamptons, if you want your city or scene-y fix. As for the redesign, he wants to spend more time in the home before making any major decisions.
“When I worked on the Marfa home, there never was a master plan,” he says. “I’m going to put together a proper master plan for this property and institute that. It’s interesting to have something like this Brookhaven property that already exists to work with, as opposed to starting the Marfa home from scratch.”
Douglas Friedman
His 10-acre Marfa compound is a true work of art. Here he also relied on famous designer friends to help him create his one-of-a-kind home, filled with high-end art, eccentric decor, and whimsical details.
“I’m so lucky that I can lean on friends like Steven Gambrel, Ken Fulk, and Nicole Hollis,” he says. “I’m curious to see what I think of for this property. It’s such a different beast from what I did in Marfa. I’ve had such incredible access to the greatest minds in the interior design and architectural worlds. I get to spend time with really talented people and I feel like their passion rubs off on me.”
Friedman’s property is available to rent for $25,000 for the month of August.
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