Disappearing into the lush landscape, Hooverness is located on Fishers Island, a tranquil setting that’s less than two miles from Connecticut, and within easy reach of New York and Boston. A passion project by the late owner Thomas Armstrong, the retired museum director commissioned Thomas Phifer to design the eye-catching home in 2008. The aim? To “live in a garden with art.”
Phifer certainly achieved that, with a 4,744-square-foot rectangular residence where “glass walls blur the boundaries between outside and inside” and the grounds are home to 25 “scenes”. Offering glorious ocean vistas from three of its four glazed sides, the striking property is listed at $8.25 and the sale is being handled by Leslie McElwreath of Sotheby’s International Realty – Greenwich Brokerage.
Fishers Island: Unspoiled gem
Managing to avoid mass development and tourism, Fishers Island is accessible only by ferry, making it the ultimate gated community. Just nine miles long, one mile wide, and surrounded by natural beauty, Fishers Island Sound is to the north, Block Island Sound to the southeast, and Long Island Sound to the west.
Offering challenging fishing as well as a top golf course – Fishers Island Club – that’s ranked 18 in the world, the narrow isle is also home to pretty beaches and scenic walking trails.
Unique island retreat
Nestled in a magical location, single-story Hooverness is a 180-foot-long rectangular glass pavilion that’s 28 feet wide and houses a basement below. Sitting on over three direct water-facing acres, inside there’s one bedroom and three bathrooms, and the palette is all about floor-to-ceiling windows, steel, and black carbonized bamboo flooring.
Meanwhile, the white walls offer streamlined interior spaces – ideal for displaying artwork and allowing bespoke furnishings to shine. Additional noteworthy features range from 11-foot ceilings and a geothermal system for heating and cooling to a canopy wrapping around the perimeter of the structure, creating shade.
Outside, a pool extends the length of the terrace, with the rest of the carefully conceived grounds boasting a Japanese garden, a shoreline path, a 19th-century fountain, flower beds with an array of hydrangea, azaleas, camellias, peonies, iris, and over than 40,000 daffodils, plus more. Indeed, the abundant landscaping offers an appealing contrast to the minimalist house and gallery-like interiors.
On top of that, the waterfront view is unparalleled, as is the privacy and seclusion of Hooverness – the definition of an intimate and super-stylish retreat.
For more information about this outstanding opportunity, contact Leslie McElwreath of Sotheby’s International Realty – Greenwich Brokerage.
