This is what the kitchen looked like when I bought the house in 1984!

I have owned my house in Montauk since 1984. During this time I have seen so many things change – and some, thankfully, stay the same.  I thought I would give you a local’s view of what both the NY Times & NY Magazine are saying is the new hot spot… Welcome to ‘My Montauk’!

Mr John's Pancake House

For delicious breakfasts, Mr John’s Pancake House is the place to go. There can be a wait for your table, but the people-watching is always amusing. May it be tattooed ladies or joggers in smart outfits, it is always a very eclectic mix of people. Once you are seated the world is your pancake!  And they serve every type of pancake you can imagine; banana, blueberry, coconut, peanut butter, chocolate chip, and even ET pancakes.  They also have other wonderful things on the menu such as fried ice cream balls…The same two lovely ladies have been working there since I started going for my pancake fix back in ’84.

After you have stuffed yourself, I recommend some shopping to walk off the huge portions they serve!

Tauk is a favorite destination of mine. This is the perfect place to pick up your beach apparel and they have everything from bikinis to bedding.  All the cool kids pick up their gear at Tauk before heading off to watch the surfers at Ditch Plains.

PS one of the owners used to be an intern with me …but that doesn’t make be biased! No, really, I do love the shop.

Another local hotspot is the mini golf course. A couple of rounds is a great way to work off some of your pancakes and hang out with some of Montauk’s sophisticates and Tiger Woods wannabee’s

Gosman’s Food Shop is the quintessential place for picking up wonderful freshly made salads, live or steamed lobsters, or sushi grade tuna that you can eat right on the docks. 

The market also carries local organic veggies and everything and anything you might need for a picnic. Gosman’s situated right on the docks so you can stroll through right by the incoming boats brining in the fresh catch of the day.

If you are feeling adventurous, jump on a boat for a ½ day for an authentic fishing excursion in the open sea. The waters outside Montauk have great striped bass and blue fish and if you are lucky you might catch a shark . Just watch out so the shark doesn’t catch you!

Forget the fancy schmacy hotels! Soak in some local flavor at the Ronjo Hotel located downtown where you can get the whole tiki experience.

And at the end of your Montauk whirlwind you really should stop by the local dump. Seriously!

It is the gathering place for the high to low end locals and as an added extra, the dump also has the best free mulch for your Montauk garden! Make sure you bring you shovel and a bag.

But I must be honest, I hope you don’t listen to me and I hope you don’t rent, or even worse, buy, or even worse, decide to build a place here! We don’t need any more intruders. But if you must, do come here …just don’t tell all of your friends!

The Montauk Harbor

Name:

Comment:

Dear Vincente,

In “simplicity” there is incredible sophistication and ease. Your photography and interiors are this. I have immense respect for your work and your artistry because it is so hard to capture these qualities! My design business is in both San Francisco and in Paris. In DEEP search of a Louis XV style cane daybed, would you be kind enough to share with me something about the one shown in “Style and Substance, The Best of ELLE DECOR”? This room is an oasis of calm.

With Kind Regards,
Paige Koch

Vicente Responds:
Paige, that room is one of my favorite spaces amongst all the rooms I’ve ever done. It was inspired by surrealist styles. Unfortunately the bed belonged to the client. It was reproduction which I had painted white and set in the canopy. So I really can’t help, but I suggest you try 1stdibs. They always have things there that fit that kind of feel. Good luck – let me know what you find.

Name:

Comment:
Hi Vicente,

I’ve always been amazed to see designers make a piece of furniture go from sketches to elevations to production.
I have recently created some furniture designs that I would like to have made, and hopefully some day sell. They are not only wood pieces, some are modern and made from molded plastics. Do you have any suggestions for where to start the process? Do you recommend any manufacturers?

Have you learned anything the hard way that you would be willing to share?
Your blog has become a favorite of mine.

Thank you,
Whitney

Vicente Responds:
Whitney, there are a lot of pitfalls in having furniture produced for yourself. First is the cost. Unless you’re planning on order large quantities, creating prototypes is expensive. Second is distribution and how you expose it to the public. Are you planning to sell to designers or retail? It took me a long time to fully understand how construction and the shortcuts one can take or the ones to be avoided works. You should investigate furniture and cabinet makers and upholsterers in your area and walk through their shops and see how things are made. If you don’t understand the construction process you cannot really bring your concept to a finished product. Start from the inside out and have lots and lots of patience.

Perhaps some of the readers would like to share their experiences in manufacturing here as well?

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Comment:
Hi Vicente,

I wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you. For what…for simply being an inspiration to me. I began selling real estate 8 years ago and since then have fallen in love with design. After completely designing my own home and my country home I fell in love even more. From those experiences I realized that interior design is where my heart lies. With lots of soul searching I uncovered that I did not just want to help people find a home but to create a home, a sanctuary of their own. I love your work and have followed it over the years through the various publications, your books and now your blog. You are not only a talented designer but gifted writer too. Your interviews are always very entertaining. All this to say that you have inspired to me to step out on faith and leave a comfortable career in real estate. I have been accepted to the New York School of Interior Design and will be starting there in the fall. I am also hoping to work part time too. So at 32, I am moving from Houston, Texas and headed to New York City to follow my dreams. I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to my own successful career in interior design some day. Any suggestions/advice you may have for an aspiring designer I would greatly appreciate. Thanks again!

Vicente Responds:
Joshua, you’re coming to the most inspiring city in the world! Museums, shops, neighborhoods, architecture. Utilize them all as much as possible. Places like the Frick Collection where you can walk through a home and see how people lived in the 19th century, or walking through the traditional rooms from all periods and countries at the Met, seeing paintings, colors, textures, visiting the NY Public library, paging through books on design or just walking through the city and seeing what new trends, fashions, colors and points of view are happening…You are going to love it.

BUT, only if you keep your eyes open and learn to see what’s around you – instead of just walking through with eye-flaps on – will you truly gain from this experience. Have fun! And stop by VW Home when you are in the area.

The rest of the world is doing stem cell research, which means that the people of the US are not going to be able to benefit from the discoveries, which will help our economy and our world.

What is your take on this?

(Maybe holidaying is turning me into a political-minded guy? Back to ‘Ask Vicente’s’ for now…)

The living area in Montauk

In the last few weeks I’ve had discussions with prospective clients, other designers and people in the creative field. From the client’s point of view, they’re asking me to reduce my commission – in one particular case, substantially. Other designers that I’ve talked to have told me that they’re reducing their fees and altering how they work to be more flexible, bending more to satisfy the clients wishes. Some of the designers are saying they are shopping more and allowing the client to be much more part of the process. I’m in a quandry. As somebody who’s been working for 37 years a certain way and who has been charging 35% commission since I started in business (and I think this is a fair amount – I don’t mark up, I don’t charge hourly and there’s no design fee, other than rendering).

Do you all feel that this is how things are evolving? Do you feel that our market is changing where clients were much more interested in fine design finished project, now it’s much more at the level of reality tv? Are you being asked to cut your commisison and alter the way you’ve always worked? Do you feel that this is a long-term thing and that times are changing?

I would love to hear your opinion.

Collection of skulls in my bedroom

I am interested in starting another collection of some type but haven’t been inspired by anything yet.  I collected Wedgwood Nautilus pieces for a while, but grew tired of them (I kept my two favorite pieces and sold the rest).  I recently saw a picture of someone’s Ouija board collection displayed in their home office and thought that was a very interesting collection!  I need something fun easy, affordable and interesting like that to collect!  Do you collect anything or have any suggestions for an interesting collection?

Karen Jenkins.
Dallas, TX.  USA

Vicente Responds:
What peaks your interest, Karen? You can collect anything – from bottle caps to impressionist paintings. Analyze what appeals to you and what is available for you to select from to start a collection. I collect photography, buddhas, seashells, pipes, (check the story on Lonny) and sculls and I also have collections at the beach house.There is no right or wrong here. Just have fun with it.

Do any of you watch these shows? How good is your estimating of the values? (Though, if you’re all constantly blogging, I don’t see how you find time to watch TV!)

Name:

Vicente Responds:
Lisa, I usually make them about two inches thick. They’re usually filled with Kapok – an organic tree product – or horse hair, never down as it will flatten out when you sit on it. Whatever you use to fill the cushion needs a dense consistency. Your seating area should be brought up to 18″ seat height if it’s for dining.

Here’s the note I received from my Facebook friend, outlining the situation (I have changed names and other facts to keep it anonymous):