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The Hamptons’ experimental mid-century modern architecture has long been a source of fascination for many in the design world, including interior designer Timothy Godbold of Southampton, New York. In the fall of 2019, when he noticed an unusual modernist home in Southampton, New York, the town was up for sale, he was intrigued.
Even more interesting: It was built in 1973 by Eugene L. Futterman, who didn’t recognize the name.
The 1,700-square-foot residence is all-encompassing, with two intersecting triangular roof planes and a master bedroom that rises into the treetops like a periscope. But the interior was dated, and the weathered cedar exterior had been restored with mismatched planks, so the house was stuck on the market. “It’s really quirky and very well priced,” said Mr. Goldbold, 55.
“The moment I saw it, I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be a black house,'” he continued. “The house is in incredible shape, but the different shades of wood are a distraction. Paint it a solid color to bring the building together.”
The asking price was $925,000, but he was asking for much less, having sold for $832,500 in January 2020.
A few months later, Mr. Goldbold founded the Hamptons 20th Century Modern organization, which works to preserve modern homes in the area. But in his own home, he is not bound by the past.
After moving in, he began planning major renovations to the interior and grounds. His aim: to combine the architecture of his childhood home in Perth, Australia, with the atmosphere of a villain’s hideout in a James Bond movie.
“I’ve always been fascinated by James Bond’s villain’s lair,” said Mr. Goldbold, citing the movies Thunderbolt and Spacetown as inspirations.
“I’m unmarried. I don’t have a partner who says, ‘No honey, don’t do that,'” he explained. “It’s just me, so I can do whatever I want.”
Leading up to the house, he designed a series of cantilevered bluestone steps that meander through the garden and are lit from below so they appear to hover in light. Plus, they hide the integrated speakers. “I can create any mood I want,” he said. “If I’m throwing a party and want a ’70s disco, it’s on the stairs.”
The circular steel fireplace is surrounded by a terrace made up of large and small black pebble mosaics, a design Mr Gobold said was based on “nuclear symbols”, which also reminded him of Charlotte Perriand Rio coffee table.
In the living room, he installed a short sloping wall that looms over a sinuous 1960s sectional sofa covered in blocky white wool. On the wall is a large pot filled with monstera plants. Below, the existing fireplace has a new profile reminiscent of a stepped pyramid.
“It’s based on ‘Space City,'” he said. “Remember when he went to Brazil and he went into the den and it was all angular walls?”
But the living room isn’t just an homage to 007. “It’s Paul Rudolph, too,” Mr Gobold said, referring to the revered 20th-century American architect, known for his geometric structures. “He’s one of my idols.”
For the light switches and dimmers, Mr. Godbold chose Buster & Punch metal toggle switches and knurled knobs that look capable of triggering machine guns or ejection seats.
Of course, few deep-pocketed villains build lairs solely for the sole purpose of plotting dastardly deeds. Luxury is often at the top of the list, and Mr. Goldbold makes sure nothing falls short on this one. In the master bedroom, he placed the bed on a carpeted riser with lights under it, surrounded by Belgian linen drapes for a cocooning feel. He then knocked down a wall to open up the space to the bathroom, added Equitone’s ribbed fiber-cement panels to the walls, and set up a soaking tub beneath the skylight.
For one of the two guest rooms, he designed a custom stainless steel bed with a smoky travertine headboard and a built-in desk as the footboard. In the dining room, he placed custom terrazzo tops on West Elm planters to create a table—“a $10,000 stone top on a $400 plinth.”
As much as Mr. Goldbold splurged on some exceptional pieces, he was penny-pinching elsewhere. To keep renovation costs at about $350,000, he lived in the house and acted as his own general contractor during the 18-month project, which completed last August.
“I don’t have a kitchen, just a microwave, paper plates and cups,” he said. “But I did, and it was great.”
He estimated the house could be worth twice what he paid for it. “No one wanted the house,” he said. “It’s always been on the market. But when I saw it, I knew exactly what I was getting into.”
He added that if others follow his example, “I hope they can have as much fun as I do.”
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