Sands Point House
- Port Washington, NY -
The Assignment
Add a new wing to a historic house in Port Washington, NY. The house was dubbed “The Great Gatsby house” for its probable inspiration for Daisy Buchanan’s waterfront manse on Long Island’s Gold Coast. The new addition would require that the architect, Harrison Design, match the new limestone-clad facade to the existing limestone from over a century ago. Bill Harrison suggested applying an acid wash to the readily available Indiana limestone in an effort to produce a color match. The experiment was not successful in producing a color match.
The Collaboration
That’s when Bill called Danny Gonzales of DMG. Danny has been working with Bill and the architects of Harrison Design for nearly a decade in projects from Florida to NYC, so when Bill called with this quandary, Danny went to work. He swiftly combed the limestone quarries from around the country and sourced a series of limestone samples from each. Unfortunately, none of the limestone varieties were even close to an “exact match”. Discouraged, though determined, Danny went back to work.
The Solution
After an exhaustive one-month search, he found that the original quarry that supplied the limestone for the house in 1926, was still in operation in the Midwest. It was a critical discovery born of persistence. Danny is nothing if not persistent when it comes to solving the materials challenges of his clients. He doesn’t easily settle for “It can’t be done.” Samples were sent to the architect and owners representative and indeed, it was an “exact match”!
A New Challenge
As Danny was enjoying his status as a limestone hero until, Bill called back with a new dilemma. They needed highly-seasoned installers to apply the new limestone to the facade of the addition. Fortunately, with decades working in high-end materials, Danny’s network of design and building professionals is extensive. It is one of the reasons DMG is able to provide a myriad of materials solutions to clients from Coast to Coast and beyond. Almost overnight, with a few calls to people in his NYC network, Danny vetted three masonry installers who came highly recommended and selected the best firm for the job.
The Result
Harrison, the Owners Representative and the homeowners were thrilled with the outcome. No of them could even tell the difference between the original house and the new addition! The architect was able to provide, in both design and materials, an addition to this historic house that was seamless and stunning.
For Danny, he was reminded of the benefits of putting his clients first and doing whatever is needed to bring their vision to fruition. Doing so has built the trust in DMG that keeps clients coming back to Danny when in need of materials solutions. It is a rewarding and satisfying feeling to know that the work you do contributes to the success of others.
