A curated guide to 18 distinctive homes in the fabled East End, owned by some of the area's most creative denizens, including interior designers, architects, furniture designers, and entrepreneurs

The Atlantic Ocean washes up against miles of pristine beaches along Long Island's South Fork. This legendary stretch - the Hamptons - seduces with its unique light (described variously as "hallucinatory" and "transformative"), fertile fields, lush gardens, and distinctive architecture, which ranges from humble shingled cottages to artists' barns, charming farmsteads, ultramodern residences, and magnificent oceanfront estates. In Inside the Hamptons, Southampton resident Jennifer Ash Rudick takes us on an insider's tour of 18 diverse and distinctive homes, from the village of Quogue to Montauk. Sag Harbor-based photographer Tria Giovan captures the ineffable Hamptons ambiance, bringing to life generous verandas, intimate nooks, antique-laden barns, and windows framing sweeping ocean views, all bathed in that inimitable light.