The theatrical air to the 5-acre compound that makes up the Village Latch Inn is no accident. Owner Marta White spent her life in the theater, and she rev-els in setting a stage. Her husband and fellow innkeeper, Martin, is a photographer who used to work in commercial films. The main house is “old Southampton, turn-of-the-century, Gatsby-style,” says Marta. The circa-1900 building, once the annex to Southampton’s most opulent hotel, may have been a Sanford White design. Near the main house are what Marta refers to as the “outbuildings,” which were part of the old Merrill Lynch estate. These include the Terry Cottage, which features a comfortable livingroom with flowered wallpaper and Victorian diningroom; the Potting Shed, where the first American locomotive was built and which is now used for corporate meetings; six modern duplexes with private decks; and two other large houses connected by a Victorian green-house. One of these houses has a distinguished collection of Mexican folk art.
The living room in the main house could be the set of a movie—perhaps Around the World in 80 Days withAuntie Mame. Plush leopard-print cushions and goldand silver-threaded pillows are tossed artfully on the couches. Balinese marionettes hang from the walls. It’s all eccentric, eclectic, and artsy—and it works.
No guest room resembles another, and Marta is always changing things. “If I’m not creating space, then it’s boring,” she comments. The rooms are decorated with a collection of antiques from different periods. Despite its lavishness, the inn is cozy—the sort of place where guests can help themselves to coffee or a cold drink any time of the day, even if the sign says KITCHEN CLOSED.
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