Akin to a Masterpiece: La Dune Hits the Market for $150 Million

Stretched over four acres, and rich with history, one of Southampton’s most renowned oceanfront estates has returned to the market for a listing price of $150 million. Known as La Dune, the lavish compound comprises two substantial homes, 366 and 367 Gin Lane, with 23 bedrooms and 23,000 square feet between them. The older of the two, a majestic late 19th-century wood-shingled estate believed to have been built by American neo-classical architect Stanford White, is perched amid the dunes on one of America’s finest beaches considered the original “gold coast”. The second home, constructed in the early 2000s and designed by François Catroux, mirrors the historic home’s original architecture and design, yet complete with a sunken tennis court, pool, cinema and wellness area.

From its original construction in 1888 by railroad baron Robert Morrison Olyphant, to starring in the 1978 Woody Allen film Interiors, La Dune not only offers you a luxurious lifestyle, but a home full of beauty and antiquity.

La Dune honors its luxurious pedigree of original 19th-century design with sumptuous renovations paying homage to the design history of the Hamptons. The estate’s current owner, Louise Blouin, oversaw all renovations working in concert with the most renowned names in design, including the Parisian designer Alberto Pinto, who worked on the interior design of both properties. Blouin, an art publishing executive, and pioneer of the internet space, originally bought the compound in the late 1990s for a combined $13.5 million.

Drawn to the compound by its historical features and breathtaking architecture, Blouin often describes the property as a masterpiece, akin to a great work of art. Throughout her ownership, Blouin put an additional $17 million into both homes for renovations and improvements, always honoring the original neo-classical design – the key element making up this unrivaled estate. 

Always drawn to real estate, Ms. Blouin considers architecture and design a passion that she credits partially to her dyslexia, she notes, “The estimate is that 30% of architects are dyslexic individuals.” The properties of architecture and design bring an anchor to her life and also a creative outlet. As the operating CEO of Trader.com, an international classified trading company, Blouin was responsible for managing 7,000 employees across 21 countries.

Blouin is credited for bringing the site online and helping the company achieve a 2.7 Billion USD IPO. Since her time at Trader, Blouin has given approximately $140 Million to the arts and sciences through her foundation and philanthropic efforts, a nod to her passion for architecture and the arts. Blouin recently launched the world’s largest art sales database, BlouinArtSalesIndex.com, the Bloomberg of the arts with data and analysis, and will soon launch a high-end residential real estate fund linking art, design, and architecture. 

Other projects Blouin is engaged with include three new book projects that come from investigations made through her Foundation, which she details, “The focus of my writing will highlight the following in three books, the first book will discuss the world is not flat, how we can use cultural diplomacy to enhance foreign policy and economic growth. The second book will highlight Visionaries, how to implement a vision, the struggle of entrepreneurship and the importance of listening to your intuition. The third book is on humans vs. artificial intelligence, discussing what is essential for humans to continue to develop creatively.” 

La Dune, located in one of the most desirable communities in America on its most exclusive street, Gin Lane, boasts a home cinema of 120 square feet in size, a sauna, hammam, spa, two gyms, and over 400 feet of beachfront. In fact, the two homes combined have two pools, a sunken tennis court, and elegant gardens designed by Lady Arabella Lennox Boyd. While these attributes are undeniably noteworthy, La Dune is also the closest property to the ocean in Southampton due to having been built before setback requirements. 

Geoff Gifkins of Nest Seekers International, the real estate agent exclusively representing the property, ensures the homes can be sold separately, considering they are on two separate tax lots.