architecture AF restores andrew geller's whimsical antler house in east hampton

US-based design firm, architecture AF, has restored andrew geller’s antler house, a whimsical wooden dwelling located in the springs of east hampton. geller, a famed american architect known for his series of joyous, playful vacation homes in long island, built the residence in 1968; however, over the years, new owners replaced original quirks with standard building features. this restoration was aimed at bringing the mid-century house back to its former glory, while adding a few modern comforts.

all images by ashok sinha

with original drawings at hand, architecture AF removed any unnecessary additions by previous owners and replaced original materials to restore the wooden spaceship in the forest, as their clients refer to it, to its former glory. furthermore, a raised deck has been added to the more private west façade of the antler house, where a wooden triangle, which conceals the stairs, links back to the original aesthetics. the architects have used an original handrail detail to screen the vacation home toys right below the new deck. the restoration also features meticulous recreations of geller’s original ‘owl-eye’ and replacement of all invasive gypsum board with fragrant cedar. an inappropriate bathroom addition was removed from the east façade facing neck path, and replaced by re-configuring the original first floor bathroom into two full baths.

‘a conservationist at heart, geller believed that no house should occupy more than 20% of the site,’ explains architecture AF. ‘in a neighborhood replete with trophy homes, we are proud and gracious to have had the opportunity to restore a mid-century work of art that another owner may have razed. we hope that our work on the antler house would have made geller proud. ‘

project info:

name: antler house

original architect: andrew geller

renovation architect: architecture AF

general contractor: robert christensen

location: east hampton, NY, US