For Jeff and Mala Sander, a Modest Bay Point Cottage Is 'Heaven'

With so many aspects of “the old Hamptons” disappearing at a dizzying pace, associate real estate broker Mala Sander and her husband, Jeff, a retired tech exec and former mayor of North Haven Village, have managed, at least for themselves and their blended family, to enjoy a way of East End life that many wistfully pine for — that innocent time before the arrival of the luxury SUVs and $60 entrees at more restaurants than not.

Their secret lies in maintaining a connection to Jeff’s roots — a modest cottage in Bay Point, a tranquil waterfront enclave where in many cases, time feels as though it has stopped. Located barely 2 miles from the Village of Sag Harbor, it was developed in the late 1940s by the Home Guardian Company. With an plan of 500 lots across 40 acres, initial land offerings ranged from $275 to $675 each depending on location. Another 40 acres were subsequently acquired.

It was an ambitious undertaking at the time, and in reality resulted in a final total of only 228 actual homes, mostly on half-acre lots. Jeff’s parents built the house next door to theirs (which they also own, and rent to their daughter, Tina) in 1951, and summered there with their family for the rest of their lives.

“Jeff grew up in Bayside, Queens,” said Mala, an engaging brunette who was born in Mumbai, India, before moving to the United States as a young child. “Many of the families on the block were also from Bayside, and were close friends.”

Indeed, Jeff’s godfather, Harry Neumann and his wife, Joan, live across the street and still come and go from Bayside. Their daughter Nancy lives next door. Such is the vibe of Bay Point — longtime friends and families spending lazy, carefree summers in the peace and quiet of their little beach colony, situated along the shoreline of Noyac Bay and jutting out into Sag Harbor Cove.

Mala and Jeff’s three-bedroom, two-bath cottage was originally built by Jeff’s parents’ great friends the McNamaras, also in 1951. After the McNamaras, the house had two other owners before the Sanders were able to buy it and make it their own. In typical Long Island midcentury suburban style, it had a subtle butterfly roof, a side entry, smallish windows and simple, unadorned lines. But the Sanders were able to bring the house out of the 1950s and into the now with some carefully considered modifications.

Old, ho-hum windows were replaced with more modern, larger versions, the kitchen and baths were updated and the entire approach to the house was reworked from drab to welcoming. The original sad concrete pad of a driveway was removed and a large curved retaining wall was added to create a more generous gravel parking area. Imagined and implemented by Sam Panton of Terra Landscape Design, the nondescript lawn was replaced with a large planting bed holding copious amounts of lavender, along with an irrigation system to support it. The walkway to the house’s front door is lined with a colorful array of wildflowers and shielded by contemporary lattice fencing. Most impactful, though, was the painting out of the entire façade, trim and soffit to a unifying chic gray color, providing a decidedly modern edge.

Within, all is light, bright and airy, with the hero space being the combined living and dining room, which stretches across the entire back of the house. It’s furnished simply, with a nod to the house’s midcentury roots. Regardless, nothing could ever compete with the breathtaking view as seen through the oversized fixed glass window. From shimmering watery vistas by day to spectacular sunsets that defy description, everything else is irrelevant.

“For us,” Mala said, “this house is heaven. It’s super carefree and low maintenance. Here, we worry about nothing.”

In today’s complicated world, that sort of peace of mind is about as priceless as it gets.