The Hamptons vacation home of renowned shoe designer Vince Camuto has been listed for $72 million. The property, known as Villa Maria, includes a 20,000 square-foot waterfront mansion, separate gatehouse and carriage house, outdoor pool, tennis court, and 15 acres of land near the Mecox Bay. Bespoke Real Estate is selling the property on behalf of the Camuto Estate.
The mansion itself is stunning – there are 28 rooms, including a state-of-the-art kitchen, gleaming with white Statuary marble, 11 bedrooms, 12.5 bathrooms, a wine cellar, an atrium, and a sauna. The main home is nestled between breathtaking formal gardens and gorgeous landscaping, with views of the bay.
The property, originally known as Red Gables, was built 1887 as a Queen Anne Shingle-style house. According to Architectural Digest, famed shipping tycoon Edward P. Morse bought the property in 1919. Morse renovated the mansion and ultimately doubled its square footage. He removed most of the Queen Anne-style details, renaming the estate Grey Gables.
The property was sold again in 1931, this time to the Sisters of the Order of St. Dominic of Amityville, who renamed the mansion Villa Maria and used it as a convent and a place of religious teachings for decades. By 2005, however, the sisters were unable to maintain the aging house, which by that time was falling into disrepair. The property was sold to famed shoe designer and founder of Nine West Vince Camuto for $35 million, according to Curbed.
Camuto and his wife spent millions of dollars over six years renovating the property in order to restore its original opulence while at the same time, including modern touches, such as high-end Tischler windows, climate-controlled wine cellar, Lutron lighting throughout, and a Crestron Home Automation System that controls lighting, music, and security.
The property has been put on and taken off the market several times since it was purchased by Camuto. Villa Maria was listed for $100 million in 2008 during the housing market panic. According to Curbed, in 2013 the property was split, giving interested buyers the option of purchasing the entire 15 acres for $85 million or just the house plus 7.6 acres for $49.5 million. Despite dropping the house listing price to $39.5 million, there were no interested buyers, and the property was again delisted. After Camuto's death in early 2015, the house was listed for $85 million, and was just recently relisted in March for $72 million.
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