1962
George Nelson and Gordon Chadwick, an associate at George Nelson’s office, complete construction of a unique, hexagonal home for Rudolph and Ethel Johnson, one of only a handful of full-scale residential projects authored by Nelson.
1989
The home for Rudolph and Ethel Johnson is sold. The Johnsons' son, Richard, upon learning the new owners planned to demolish the home, vows to preserve the original design and construct a near-exact replica on a nearby lot utilizing Nelson and Chadwick's original blueprints and specifications. Richard managed to salvage all the built-ins from the original structure and incorporate them exactly as they were in the original home. He also hired the same contractors his parents had worked with three decades earlier to ensure the craftsmanship and details were exact.
2008
Rob Pruitt and Jonathan Horowitz purchase the George Nelson House in Montauk. Using the two-car garage with large skylights as an art studio, the two carry on the legacy of this artful property into the next decade producing fine works of art.
2012
Lauren Rottet purchases 39 Big Reed Path in Montauk. Restorations begin to reinvigorate a piece of architectural history in honor of the home's midcentury roots.
2014
BEFORE
Extensive renovations are completed to include the conversion of the mechanical room into an additional bedroom with an on-suite bath and matching hardwood floors; a concealed bar/kitchenette with custom built-ins in the main entry off the pool; new kitchen appliances, cabinetry and flooring true to the original design; new central air conditioning throughout; as well as a heated, gunite salt-water pool and new stone patio with lush landscaping and lighting design for added privacy and tranquility.
BEFORE
GEORGE NELSON
George Nelson (1908-1986) was a prominent American industrial designer, architect and writer who is recognized as a leading figure in American Modernism. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, he studied architecture at Yale University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1928 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1931. His career trajectory was significantly influenced by his time in Europe as a recipient of the Rome Prize in 1932-34, where he encountered the works of modernist pioneers such as Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. This experience shaped his design philosophy, emphasizing functionality, simplicity, and aesthetic clarity.
Nelson’s most notable contributions came through his role as the Director of Design for Herman Miller, a position he held from 1945 to 1972. During this tenure, he played a crucial role in establishing Herman Miller as a leader in modern furniture designs through the introduction of the Coconut Chair, Marshmallow Sofa and Bubble Lamp, which all remain celebrated examples of mid-century modern design. Beyond his design work, Nelson was a prolific writer and editor who contributed to the design field through numerous articles, books and his own editorial work for “Architectural Forum”. His legacy endures through his innovative approach to design and his impact in helping to define modern, humane design.
GORDON CHADWICK
Chadwick (1915-1980) was a partner of Nelson’s during the design of this home. After earning a degree in architecture from Princeton University in 1938, Chadwick continued his studies under Frank Lloyd Wright. With two years as Wright’s apprentice, Chadwick was placed in charge of completing the Pope-Leighey House in Virginia, which is included in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, and the Joseph Euchtman Residence in Maryland. Chadwick worked with Wright until 1942, until he started working with the architect R.B. O’Connor on a project to renovate the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Chadwick became well known for his residential designs in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Other projects included the information center in Colonial Williamsburg and the remodeling of Barney’s department store in Lower Manhattan. In the 1950’s Chadwick shifted his focus to industrial designs. He joined George Nelson & Associates in New York, whose name was later changed to Nelson & Chadwick upon Chadwick’s promotion to partner in 1953. The firm completed commissions across the Northeast, including Exhibition Hall at the James Madison Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. and the James and Sarah Kirkpatrick House in Kalamazoo, Michigan. By the 1960s, Nelson & Chadwick had grown the firm to include more than seventy staff members.
PROPERTY HISTORY
Similar to Raymond Loewy, the equally famous designer, George Nelson worked across multiple disciplines. Whereas Loewy leaned on Andrew Geller for building commissions, Nelson’s architectural right hand was Gordon Chadwick, with whom he designed a home for Rudolph and Ethel Johnson in Montauk in 1961. Twenty-eight years later, when the composition of intersecting hexagonal volumes was sold to unsympathetic owners who planned to tear it down, the Johnson’s son Richard salvaged as much of the original parts, pieces and built-ins as possible then hired the original contractor to construct a near-exact reproduction referencing the original blueprints on an acre of unobstructed land perched above Lake Montauk. The younger Johnson enjoyed the home for three decades until he sold it to New York artists Jonathan Horowitz and Rob Pruitt in 2008. After four years, Hall of Fame architect and interior designer Lauren Rottet acquired the home in 2012 which began her stewardship and mission to improve the home with a well-studied architect’s careful eye and a preservationist’s care.
Over the following years, Rottet improved the home through imperceptible renovations such as replacing the cedar shingles; refurbishing the natural oak floors; and incorporating central air and heat throughout the home, which required thoughtful planning given the unique floorplan. More visible upgrades included a complete reconfiguration of the mechanical room and workshop into an additional bedroom with an on-suite bath; upgraded kitchen appliances, cabinetry and flooring akin to the original design; the addition of a concealed bar/kitchenette behind custom built-ins within the main entry to serve guests in and out of the new, heated salt-water gunite pool and a new stone patio with lush landscaping and lighting design. These sympathetic interventions are intended to exemplify how Nelson might have responded to the advanced building materials and technology available today while maintaining the original character of the home.
