But these architects are hardly roughing it, having made the most out of a compact space Architects Paul Rice and Ward Welch don?t actually know for a fact that they possess the smallest home and the most petite pool in the Hamptons, the New York enclave known for its affluence and oversize glamour. But the couple thinks their 520-square-foot former fishing shack in Amagansett could be a serious contender for the title.
?This is an area that?s known for larger homes that are done to perfection,? says Rice. ?Although we entertained ideas of expanding this house, building codes kept us from going up or pushing out. We decided to keep it simple.?

In the living room, the couple changed the roofline from flat to gabled, lining the ceiling with Carolina PIne. The furniture is almost exclusively vintage and second hand, including the coffee table, which is crafted from a ship?s hatch.
Ward Welch (left) and Paul Rice (right) relax with their dog Pepper.

They decided to work with the home?s existing footprint, but make it more livable and open to the lot.
Demolition began much sooner than anticipated?to the shock and dismay of both architect-owners (Rice founded Paul Rice Architecture and Welch is a principal at CWB Architects and Fearins Welch Interior Design).
?We had just purchased the place, and we had no concrete plans or ideas about what we wanted to do with it,? says Rice. ?We removed a small piece of wall trim, and then somet...