BARLUME BEACH

On the outermost spit of land along Lake Montauk, where the light lingers longest before it surrenders to the horizon – Barlume Beach has arrived in Montauk. Barlume Beach means exactly that — the glimmer – that last defiant shimmer on the water. The restaurant, bar, and nineteen-room retreat are set against the familiar windswept, low-slung backdrop of the classic Montauk vernacular.

Unassuming structures that belong here as naturally as the dunes themselves take on a certain verve when layered with a global sensibility, and a particular celebration of the handmade and an artistic sensibility across the board. Dialects, traditions, customs – all mix and converge.

With slips and mooring points anchoring the site’s connection to the harbor and the sea – a nautical attitude pervades many of the architectural choices – copper, chrome, and brass chime against spar vanish mahogany and crisp spinnaker white v-grooved paneling. Limed oak with deep Dutch lap profiles bounds across the project – knowing there’s a certain toughness to truly beautiful things.

This trans-Atlantic seaboard aesthetic is the backdrop, and is remixed as raffia woven textiles from Senegal and patterns from the finest mills in Paris weave through the upholstery lounge areas and across the sand. Mexican and Brazilian beats are sampled too – handmade ceramics and hand carved wooden elements –  woven abaca palm tapestries from Manila dance in cadence, finding cousins in the kuba cloth from central Africa. Enameled lavastone top in a deep verdigris hue was imported from Europe on the main bar.

In the guestrooms that rhythm continues – a warm, natural cork floor underlays the regimented millwork & trim painted in whites and sailcloth taupes. That same verdigris punctuates the entry vestibule – a porthole connects the two spaces and lets the light in from all sides. Original hand carved wooden sconces light the bedside tables, and the room is appointed with custom oak furniture handcrafted.

With and against the grain – deep navy blue high gloss floors, driftwood greys and all manner of odes to wood and the trees of life (teak, oak, mahogany, cypress, bamboo) – find punctuation in the surprise of sunrise yellow ceramic glazes and Italian coral red light fixtures and accents. Linen drapery flows, matchstick bamboo and wooden beads bob with the shadows of the netting overhead. Mixed metal abounds – chrome still shines, copper and bronze are let to become that perfect turquoise tone synonymous with Barlume.

The interiors carry an improvisational spirit: handmade, unhurried, arrived at by instinct as much as intention.

Barlume Beach glitters whether the sun is coming up, or going down. A life well lived – at the horizon and under dappled light, or lit by embers at the water’s edge – the familiar and the ordinary made surprisingly luminous.