As the Mercury Pushes Skyward, New York is once again a "summer festival"--except on weekends, when wise Manhattanites play the exodus game and get out of town. Thirty-five-year-old bachelor architect Earl Combs is among the thousands who make this weekly pilgrimage from city to sand; but by building his octagonal beach house in the Pines section of Fire Island, just a 60-minute drive and boat ride from his mid-Manhattan apartment, he has managed to avoid the time-consuming, nerve-fraying bumper-to-bumper hegira that usually dims the pleasure of a distant hideaway.
Until a few years ago, Combs limited his work to New York City, concentrating on the remodeling of town houses and showrooms. Then he was commissioned to design several weekend houses on Fire Island. After one visit to the exclusive Pines area, he knew he'd have to build there, too, and chose a hillside location that offered a spectacular view of the ocean.
One material--redwood--predominates throughout Combs's weekend pad, giving the place a feeling of total integration as well as warmth and informality. And the vertical exterior siding gives the hideaway an illusion of spacious height. The unpainted exterior and boardwalk to the water are practically maintenance-free and boast that traditional New England weathered look that contrasts with the rough patina of the floors and walls inside.
Combs built his beach house in an octagonal shape for two reasons. First, because an eight-sided configuration is a striking departure from the run-of -the-mill A-frames and salt-box summer dwellings that dot the Eastern Seaboard and, second, because it provides double the usual number of walls, thus allowing windows to be placed more advantageously for view and light. The rooms in Combs's pad are positioned off an open two-story shaft topped by a bubble skylight, which aids in keeping the interior bright and cheerful. The kitchen, dining area, living room, guest-study, a bath and the utility room are all located on the first floor. Ascending the ladder like stairway to the second floor, one finds the master bedroom and a bath, plus two guest bedrooms. A walled sun deck on the roof is reached by an outdoor stairway. There's also additional deck space off the first floor, and the master bedroom and one of the topside guest bedrooms open onto small balconies.
Most of the furnishings in the house are built-ins, with the exceptions of a Saarinen dining-room set and assorted living-room lounge chairs and stools.
"I wanted the house to be totally guest and beach oriented," says Combs. "I don't think a summer weekend goes by when friends both expected and unexpected don't drop by for a drink and a swim. In a pinch, the house will sleep five couples, but three is a more comfortable number. There's an extra shower in the utility room by the front entrance, and the rugs and mats I've scattered about were chosen for their shakability. Because I built on the side of a dune, special provision was made for keeping the sand in its proper place--outside."
On chilly evenings, Combs often kindles a fire in the brazier that stands in the living room. Guests can help themselves to food laid out buffet style on the dining-room table or on the kitchen counter, which also doubles as a convenient wet bar.
Relaxing by the sea is an idyllic way to spend summer weekends, but with the manifold pleasures of Manhattan awaiting him, Combs is none too sad when Sunday night comes and it's time to lock up until the following easy-does-it weekend. He has the best of two diverse worlds--the city and the shore--and he's not about to trade one for the other.
