Rawlins Design breathes new life into midcentury Fire Island House
Rawlins Design respectfully remodels a midcentury gem on New York’s Fire Island, a 1969 house originally designed by architect Harry Bates
![aerial of modernist fire island house](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XPxFxLUuXZkfjfKgJBQWzH-415-80.jpg)
Perched less than four miles off the south shore of New York’s Long Island, Fire Island Pines is a summer haven for the LGBTQ+ community that is equally well known for its collection of modernist architectural jewels. Wedged between Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, this narrow strip of sand, marsh and woodland is a study in contrasts. On the one hand, it is host to some of the region’s largest dance parties; on the other, it is a holiday hamlet featuring pristine beaches and unique flora. Modernist architecture is perhaps the prevailing genre of the island’s homes, although not every Fire Island house is of the pedigree, or as lovingly restored, as 612 Shore Walk.
The double-aspect lounge and dining room
The home, originally created in 1969 for textile designer James Patterson, is a paragon of the modernist style, which emphasises minimalism and generosity of space. It is the brainchild of architect Harry Bates, who is renowned for residential projects on the island, and has been skilfully updated by Christopher Rawlins of Rawlins Design.
The two-storey rectangular home consists of full walls of glass on both front and rear elevations, inviting the idyllic surroundings in. Inside, simple, midcentury modern décor does exactly what it is supposed to, providing comfort and function without distracting from the natural beauty of the nearby vegetation and views of Great South Bay.
The main entrance
Rawlins is himself a chronicler of modernist architecture on the island, and co-founder of Pines Modern, a non-profit dedicated to preserving local architectural history. Rawlins discovered the house as part of an oral history project he conducted with Bates, intended to identify the elder architect’s extant works on the island. Rawlins says that Bates, who was born in 1927, is perhaps the only architect still alive from the cadre of midcentury modern architects who both worked and lived in the Pines – most succumbed to Aids, which ravaged the community from the 1980s through to the mid-1990s. ‘We traversed every single boardwalk in the Pines, and he pointed out all of his projects. This particular house was one that I had noticed but didn’t know anything about,’ says Rawlins.
Rawlins soon learned that the home was the subject of a House Beautiful feature in 1971. He printed the article and taped it to the property’s gate with a note that read, ‘Did you know that you live in an important house by an important architect?’ The current owner, Daniel O’Connell, a retired HR executive, did not know, but became intrigued. Soon after, O’Connell, who spends the warmer months on Fire Island with his partner Vincent, commissioned Rawlins to undertake the home’s restoration. ‘I had already purchased the book Chris wrote [Fire Island Modernist, about local architect Horace Gifford] and welcomed him into my home,’ O’Connell explains.
The main entrance features a colourful tiled overhang that complements the landscaping by Scott Ahlborn of John Mini Distinctive Landscapes
Though Rawlins took pains to preserve Bates’ intent and the house’s design integrity, the home has been thoroughly modernised. ‘The footprint of the house was essentially maintained,’ Rawlins explains. ‘We didn’t enlarge it, but there were a few things that needed enhancement. For example, the upper level designed by Bates has wonderful cross ventilation because there’s a wall of glass on both the north and the south façades, but that wasn’t the case on the lower level. So, on the lower level, we created full glass across the rooms on the north and south side, which enhances both views and cross ventilation.’
Although O’Connell uses the house as a summer residence, Rawlins wanted to design the home to be enjoyable all year round. ‘Fire Island consists mainly of austere cedar and glass structures, which are quite beautiful when they’re surrounded by greenery. But if you can imagine them in early April, it can all be a bit grim and grey.’ Rawlins counters the gloominess of the off-season through the addition of a colourful tile ceiling for the entrance porch, ‘to introduce colour 365 days a year’. He has also designed a new fence that provides privacy while enabling ventilation.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
The courtyard pool and sheltered outdoor dining area, with new cable railing balustrades for the staircase and balconies
Rawlins has infused new life into 612 Shore Walk while enhancing the original design, modernising critical elements, and better connecting the dwelling to its surroundings.
According to O’Connell, the home affords ‘a feeling of peaceful isolation. The house feels as if it grew along with and among the trees. One cannot help but relax stepping past the gatehouse.’
Bright orange accents in one of the two ground-floor bedrooms recall the house’s original 1970s decor, which showcased the work of its first owner, textile artist James Patterson
INFORMATION
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
IM Pei's Everson Museum of Art gets a modern makeover
The East Wing of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY has been given a contemporary refresh by emerging Los Angeles studio MILLIØNS
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Black Modernism’s lesser-known, at-risk architecture gems gain a lifeline
Conserving Black Modernism announces vital funding to save and preserve overlooked and endangered buildings by African American architects and designers
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Step into the Blanton Museum of Art's reimagined public realm by Snøhetta in Austin
Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas is completed and reveals its reimagined public realm and plaza designed by Snøhetta
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This New York Townhouse renovation is a lesson in contemporary minimalism
TenBerke’s carefully considered New York townhouse is the reimagining of a century-old Manhattan structure that reframes vertical living
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Visit The Frost House, a lesser-known modernist architecture marvel in Michigan City
The Frost House is a lesser-known midcentury architecture gem in Michigan City, Indiana; we took the tour as the property goes on the market
By Audrey Henderson Published
-
Broadway designer Scott Pask’s Arizona retreat is a scene-stealing discovery
Scott Pask invites us inside his Arizona retreat, nestled in the foothills overlooking Tucson – a place to reboot, recharge and commune with nature
By Michael Webb Published
-
Upstate New York retreat Ridge House evokes land art
Ridge House in upstate New York, the work of Brooklyn-based studio Worrell Yeung, is at one with the surrounding countryside
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Rafael de Cárdenas’ first ground-up project is a forever home with waterfront views and hidden treasures
Rafael de Cárdenas reveals his latest completed project in the Pacific Northwest, a family home of calming spaces that bleed the outside in, and ten years in the making
By Ellie Stathaki Published