Westhampton Beach, New York · Est. 1958
An icon of mid-century modern architecture by Andrew Geller — two tilted diamonds perched on the dunes of Long Island's shore.
Discover the story →The Double Diamond House — formally known as the Pearlroth House — stands as one of the most distinctive works of mid-century modern beach architecture in America. Commissioned in 1958 by Arthur and Mitch Pearlroth of Westhampton Beach, New York, the house was conceived as an inexpensive, imaginative retreat inspired by the ocean, dunes, and beach grass of Long Island's coast.
The Pearlroths, inspired by a New York Times article about another of Andrew Geller's designs, reached out to the architect seeking something affordable yet singular. What Geller delivered exceeded every expectation. The structure consists of two elongated box shapes rotated in tandem and perched on their edges — forming the dramatic diamond silhouette that gives the house its nickname.
The void between the two diamond forms is filled with a glassed-in living area. Inside, long low benches stretch along the side walls, and steps lead up into the diamond-shaped pods, each containing bunkrooms and a bathroom. The entire interior spans only approximately 600 square feet — a masterful exercise in form meeting function.
The exterior, sheathed in copper as Geller originally specified (though added during the later restoration), gleams against the dune landscape. The structure sits on cedar pilings with a cinder block chimney and hearth at its heart. It seems to defy gravity — a box kite alighting on the sand.
"One of the Ten Best Houses of the Hamptons."
— Alastair Gordon, Architectural Historian, New York ObserverAndrew Geller (1924–2011) was born in Brooklyn, the son of Russian immigrants. He studied at Cooper Union, served in WWII, and went on to work for the legendary industrial designer Raymond Loewy. Moonlighting from Loewy's firm, Geller designed a series of inventive, affordable beach houses throughout the Northeast — delivering on Modernism's promise of great design for the masses. The Double Diamond stands as the most celebrated of those works.
A structure that seems to hover above the dunes — two copper-clad diamonds catching the light of the Atlantic. Photograph by Rob Cleary / COOKFOX Architects.
Photography by Rob Cleary · COOKFOX Architects
Arthur and Mitch Pearlroth wanted something unusual and affordable for their Westhampton Beach retreat. After reading a New York Times article about Andrew Geller's A-frame design for Elizabeth Reese in Sagaponack, they made contact. Geller and the Pearlroths already shared a connection through Raymond Loewy's firm, where both had worked. What emerged was a structure unlike anything else on the shore.
The house was built within 100 feet of the beach, perched on cedar pilings on the open dunes, with sweeping views of both the Atlantic Ocean and Moriches Bay. It was conceived as a model of low-cost, high-efficiency living for the American middle class — and it delivered.
In the 1970s, a jetty was added nearby, causing dunes to build up and altering the house's relationship with the landscape. A pair of motel-like additions were also appended to the original structure — additions the architect himself reportedly found shocking, and which were so poorly constructed they began endangering the original building.
By the early 2000s, the house had fallen into serious disrepair, boarded up and on the verge of collapse. Jonathan Pearlroth, who had inherited the property, faced a familiar Hamptons dilemma: the land was worth far more than the modest structure upon it.
Architectural historian Alastair Gordon named the Pearlroth House one of the Ten Best Houses of the Hamptons in the New York Observer — galvanizing preservation efforts and bringing national attention to the structure. Gordon later implored the Town of Southampton to do everything in its power to save the building.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation approved an application for the house, likened to receiving three Michelin stars in architectural landmarking, on the understanding it would be preserved as a public museum of architecture.
Jonathan Pearlroth enlisted COOKFOX Architects — led by Rick Cook — to relocate the house 40 feet inland from its original site and undertake a complete restoration. The firm studied archival photographs and Andrew Geller's original drawings to return the structure to its authentic design.
The copper roofing and siding specified in Geller's original plans but omitted due to cost were finally added, to what observers called "stunning effect." Original cedar was preserved wherever possible. A new companion residence, also by COOKFOX, was built behind the Double Diamond — designed as a neutral backdrop rather than a competitor to the historic structure.
Today the Double Diamond stands beautifully restored on the Westhampton Beach dunes, open to visitors by appointment — a living monument to the ingenuity of mid-century American design.
The Double Diamond House is open to visitors by appointment. Whether you are an architecture enthusiast, a student of mid-century design, or simply curious — we welcome you to experience this singular structure in person.