LOCAL DREAM STAY
Only one hour east of Buffalo and one hour south of Rochester sits the up-and-coming artisanal, farm-to-table community of Perry, New York. Neighboring this idyllic village, Dell Collective stands nestled among the hills along the western edge of nationally acclaimed Letchworth State Park. Amanda Osborn–along with her husband, Nate–fell in love with the Airbnb concept while traveling abroad and seeking out one-of-a-kind, unique stays and experiences. With years of experience in hospitality, Amanda found herself inspired by the unusual and creative spaces she and her husband experienced from little thatch roofed cottages to simple backyard shanties.
In 2019, Amanda began reinventing her home with her own unique taste and vibes of a Scandinavian sense of living referred to as Hygge (hooguh), “a quality of coziness… a feeling of contentment or well-being.” Decorating the interior of the butter-yellow farmhouse with hues of yellow, copper accents, exposed reclaimed beams, salvaged chandeliers, and other cozy elements, Amanda brought hygge to Western New York. Their first Airbnb was such a runaway success that soon the couple added a second location: a cottage on nearby Silver Lake known as the Silver Lake Haus. Not long after, the third location was created back on the main RW How Property overlooking Letchworth, Highbanks at the West Barn. Fast forward to summer 2022 and the Osborns have now finished their fourth short-term rental space (Southview at the West Barn). It is a barn space with the addition of a silo neighboring their first barn space (Highbanks at the West Barn). The RW How Property overlooks Letchworth State Park and is home to the farmhouse (RW How Haus), and the two West Barn spaces. The Highbanks and Southview spaces in the West Barn can be rented as individual spaces, or as one larger space sleeping up to 12 guests! The entire property is also available for up to 20 guests. During the summer months guests can visit with several friendly farm animals that reside on the property including Boots the babydoll lamb, Jenni the donkey and Hazel the potbelly pig. For Amanda, creating these hygge living spaces has given her the creative outlet she craved, particularly during Covid. As for design inspiration, Amanda says they simply buy and save items they are drawn to via thrifting, salvaging and acquiring unique pieces. Over years of collecting, each space has evolved to include a monochromatic color scheme. “Five years ago, I was all about white and struggled with incorporating color. Then, I started down the road of incorporating monochromatic colors like green in the barn [Highbanks], yellow in the farmhouse and blue in the Silver Lake Haus. In our silo barn space [Southview], the colors are black and terracotta.” “We just buy things we’re drawn to that fit the vibe of the space we’re working on. It goes in the back barn, and when it comes time to furnish a space, we bring it all in and find its forever home. Thrifting is an avid hobby of mine which works out swimmingly with 4 places, now I can usually find a home for most anything I can’t live without!” “We want all Dell Collective stays to be an experience for our guests. When our guests walk in, their senses are immediately stimulated, it’s better in person upon first glance; they smell our signature scent, the music is playing in the background and they quickly understand the meaning of hygge.”
Photography by: @roadstwotravel
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