A Different Kind of Builder: Meet Tom Schaub

A few years ago, Paul Simon sold his beloved Connecticut estate to actor Richard Gere under what was, by all accounts, a gentleman's agreement: that the land, the centuries-old home, and the sweeping grounds would be preserved with care. That the property's soul, its integrity, would be honored. Two years later, it was sold to a developer, and the entire parcel is now slated to be carved into nine lots. What was once a single, storied estate rooted in history will soon become a cluster of nine speculative homes. In a row. Same architect. You know what I mean. And with it, a community loses a bit of its character.

Developers can get a bad name. When speed and return on investment take precedence, the houses, though large and well-lit, start to feel interchangeable. But there are also builders working quietly and intentionally with a very different mission.

Tom Schaub is one of those builders. Off the grid. Doesn't look to be on the front pages. Loves building special homes.

My co-lister, Ed Bruehl, and I have been working with Tom Schaub for years as he scours the area for just the right piece of land, brings in the right architect and drawings for that land, builds the house, landscapes it fully, has it staged to perfection, and then puts it on the market. We know how lucky we are to be part of the long-term team to bring these spectacular and valued homes to market. More later on our current project.

491 Parsonage Lane, Sagaponack

I asked Tom what he looks for when he is scouting land. His answer? It is not just location. It is topography, light, shape, and possibility. He thinks about what the property could be, how it can best serve the people that will one day live there. Can you see the waterline through the trees? Will the driveway curve just so? Is the lot quiet and connected? These are not yes-or-no answers. They are long walks, second visits, and a 

certain kind of knowing.

Once he has found the right parcel, Tom brings in the architect not with a checklist, but with an open dialogue. He starts by listening to the land. What are its strengths? Where will the sun hit in the early morning? What views should be preserved or framed? What needs to be protected or softened?

The homes are not imagined as summer escapes but as year-round spaces where life unfolds. Multi-generational living, quiet winter weekends, long dinners, muddy shoes, and laughter in the hallways. Function and beauty, inside and out.

75 Toilsome Lane, East Hampton

And then there is the landscaping. No cookie-cutter planting list here. Some of Tom's homes lean formal. Others are loose and wild by design. He works with top landscape designers but insists the landscaping serve the home and the place, not just the photos. Trees provide privacy. Grasses create movement. Nothing is forced. The result is a home that feels like it grew into the land, not over it.

I asked him what's coming next, and his face lit up. There is a special project underway in Watermill that includes a sunken tennis court, a roof deck with views of Mecox Bay and the Atlantic, and a dock right on the water. “It is everything we have learned over a decade of building in the Hamptons,” he told me. “It is the most ambitious thing we have done.”

His homes leave nothing missed. Outdoor rooms are often part of the landscaping. Theaters. Offices. First-floor bedroom suites, and separation between areas for privacy and for gathering. Every element of every room is hand-picked with care and of the highest quality. No expense is spared.

195 Bull Path, East Hampton

And then there is 137 Cross Highway to Devon, the home I am thrilled to be representing presently. Tom bought the land for its proximity to Amagansett's village and beaches, but more importantly, for the way it is surrounded by protected nature. He asked the architect to design a house that felt quiet and comfortable. A house that belonged here, in the woods, not in a catalog. It is finished in natural tones, with wood cladding that softens in the light and windows that pull the outside in.

My three favorite features? The way the home nestles into the trees, the elegant open flow of the main living spaces, and the feeling that you could live here year-round and never run out of beauty.

This is the eleventh house we have listed for Tom in as many years, and like all the others, this house was not just built. It was placed. Every one of his projects begins with the land. From the moment we stepped onto this particular property, it was clear the house belonged here. Not just in Amagansett, but on this lot, among these trees, with this light. There is a respect for setting in Tom's work that is increasingly rare, and it shows in the way each home feels. Grounded, natural, quietly intentional.

Get in touch if you'd like to see how it's done. A house you don't have to build from scratch, but would have done it exactly as he did.

You can find spec listings in the Hamptons, to be sure. But you will not find any with Tom's name on them. 

Below this piece you'll find a few examples of his work that showcase this approach.

– Sarah 

137 Cross Highway to Devon, Amagansett 

At 137 Cross Highway to Devon, this vacant 1.5-acre parcel, situated across from an expansive wooded nature preserve and ideally located between two picturesque bay beaches in Amagansett's Bell Estate section, gave Tom the perfect opportunity to build a beautiful home that would blend in effortlessly with the surroundings.

58 Jericho Road, East Hampton

In East Hampton's Georgica Estate section, Tom brought together the best parts of the quintessential Hamptons cedar-shingle farmhouse with the clean lines and open concept of a modern interior. The south-facing siting of the house on the property allows for maximum natural light exposure, within close proximity to the coveted village ocean beaches.

491 Parsonage Lane & 69 Old Barn Lane, Sagaponack

In Sagaponack South, Tom built two homes, each of which sold in record time. One sits down a long private driveway with distant ocean views, the other on a secluded cul-de-sac. The size of both lots, ranging from 1.3 to 1.4 acres, allowed for homes in the 7,700 sq. ft. range, plus garage, pool house, and more, all thoughtfully designed to blend into the land, which was once all farm fields

18 Skimhampton Road, Amagansett

In Amagansett South, Tom found an old farmhouse and started anew, creating a modern barn-style residence down a long driveway backing up to a 40+ acre preserve parallel to Further Lane. Done in white stucco with large panes of glass, his most modern look to date, the style also incorporated horizontal wood elements for a symbiotic palette of textures and materials, tucked away from it all. Again, the south-facing nature of the 1+ acre property allowed for an expanse of open sky, and the professional landscaping plan further enhanced the overall package.