Upstate House Spring 2023

Spring 2023

HUDSON VALLEY/BERKSHIRES/CATSKILLS

ON THE

Cover

Net-Zero Nirvana THE CATSKILL PROJECT Cover Story on page 36

ART IN THE HOME

How to curate an art collection for your home no matter what your budget

PASSIVE HOUSE GUIDE

Housing tech on the forefront of eco-conscious construction

BACK TO THE GARDEN

A home photographer turns a lens on her Woodstock house

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©2021 Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC. All rights reserved. upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 3

In the backyard of their Woodstock home, Winona Barton-Ballentine and Duncan Hamilton have cultivated a rustic playground for their children and an ongoing experiment in indigenous plantings.

Photo by Winona Barton-Ballentine

DEPARTMENTS MARKETWATCH: PREDICT THE MARKET

6

The general consensus: prices will come down this year.

SPRING 20 23

FEATURES 28

HOME PROFILE: INTERNATIONAL ST YLE

By Peter Aaron

On a West Park hillside overlooking the Hudson River, architect Kim Hoover helped Christian and Catrin Jacobi design a contemporary, 2,000-square-foot home whose clean lines, functionality, and simplicity recall the Bauhaus aesthetic.

36

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INTERIORS: CHOOSING ART FOR THE HOME

13

THE SOURCE: FOLEY & COX HOME

Don’t think of art the same way as decor. The art you choose for your home should remind you of your innermost desires.

This Hudson home store was born out of practicality: After decades of collecting, a pair of designers needed somewhere to put their stash.

17

HOME SERVICES: POOL INSTALL ATION

Local pool professionals offer tips on what to think about when you’re thinking about installing a pool.

NET-ZERO NIRVANA

The Catskill Project in Livingston Manor is comprised of 11 property sites that are being built in a sylvan setting with Passive House techonologies such as triple-paned windows, dense pack cellulose insulation, and artight construction.

24

AREA SPOTLIGHT: SAUGERTIES

This Ulster County burg is the epitome of village walkability.

26

AREA SPOTLIGHT: NEWBURGH

There’s more than architecture to love in this Orange County city.

Sponsored House Feature 72 41

ECOPHILIA AT AVAIL ABLE ITEMS IN TIVOLI

Constantin Boym’s ecohumanist design project is on view in March.

HOME PROFILE: BACK TO THE GARDEN

By Mary Angeles Armstrong

Photographer Winona Barton-Ballentine and designer Duncan Hamilton found their Craftsman-style Woodstock bungalow in 2013 after a short search. The “weird little short house” (BartonBallentine) was perfect for the couple. She wanted something quirky and worn-in, he wanted a canvas on which to ply his trade.

The 1926 home has seen an evolution over the past decade from blank slate to colorful family refuge.

4 • online at upstatehouse.com

70

THE MARKET I N D E X O F A DV ER T I S ER S / MAP OF THE REGION

PASSIVE HOUSE GUIDE

51 The Passive House construction standard is the most rigorous,

energy-efficient set of performance-based building technologies currently available. We highlight the innovations of the technology and provide resources on the regional level.

Hello, SunShine!

Some things are just better in a particular season, like wool socks, fresh tomatoes, and pumpkin spice lattes.

It’s true, too, if you want to go solar. While adding solar to your home or business is a smart decision at any time, spring is the ideal time to go solar and save money!

Fun fact: on average, there’s 15-20% more sunshine in March than in February, and those numbers only get better as we move into the summer months.

More sunshine plus more daylight means more energy fueling your solar array. And in New York, your utility even allows you to “bank” the unused energy you produce as credits toward your energy bill in the off-season. That means the solar goodness just keeps on giving all year round.

Need a few more reasons to check out solar? Going solar means moving away from fossil fuels and using the sun’s clean energy to power your life, which is huge for our communities and for the world…Not to mention you could reduce your electricity bill by as much as 90% and have nearly 50% of the cost of your solar installation covered if you’re eligible for New York State and Federal incentives.

Have we piqued your interest? If so, now is the time to maximize your investment, bank as many solar credits as you can, and cut your energy bill and carbon footprint to boot. Spring into action and contact SunCommon today to make your green dreams a reality!

Contact SunCommon today at solar@suncommon.com suncommon.com/upstate upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 •

5

M A RK ET WAT CH

EDITORIAL

Predict the Market

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Brian K. Mahoney brian.mahoney@chronogram.com

By Lisa Iannucci

W

elcome to the 2023 edition of “What will happen in the Hudson Valley housing market this year?” Will buyers stop panicking and overbidding for homes? Will there even be enough homes to buy? Will the market flip over and start favoring buyers? Will some unforeseen circumstances cause another major upheaval in the market or will there finally be some peace and quiet and normalcy after a tumultuous few years?

In this edition, we’ve asked four Hudson Valley real estate experts to give us their opinions as to what they see happening this year. But before we look at the future, how are things now?

Adam Bosch, president of Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, has his own analysis of the current market, but says that the answer will change depending on who you ask. “It’s all relative,” says Bosch, “If you ask a homeowner, the market over the past year has been great, because they accumulated more wealth as the present value of their home has gone up. However, If you ask someone who works in a service job, has a family, and pays for child care but is still looking to achieve the dream of homeownership, the market has been the worst thing to happen to them. The cost of a house has sprinted away from them faster than they’re able to catch up to it.”

Market Continues to Be Strong “We’re returning to more of a normal market and it’s a welcome relief to some of the agents and to the buyers and sellers, because the pace has slowed down somewhat,” says Lisa Halter, the principal broker and owner of Halter Associates Realty, who adds that Ulster and Dutchess Counties are the strongest markets right now. “However, it’s still a competitive market because of the lack of inventory.”

Inventory—or lack thereof—will continue to be one of the stars of the show this year, unless something changes. “Across the region, most of our counties are hanging around two or three months’ worth of stock, which is really bad; and out of the purchases that were made, 20 percent of them were in cash,” Bosch explains.

“I think the market is stronger than people realize,” says Hayes Clement, Associate Real Estate Broker with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Kingston. “There’s a lot of activity, but the corresponding decrease in inventory has made it as competitive as ever, so we’re not seeing price decreases at all at this point. We’re also still seeing multiple-offer situations, although those are a little less frequent than they were two years ago.”

6 • online at upstatehouse.com

Interest Rate Hike Partnering with lack of inventory is higher interest rates. As of this writing, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is just over six-and-a-half percent. “No one is expecting interest rates to go back down to three percent, but I think it’s going to settle somewhere between five-and-a-half and six percent for the rest of the year,” says Lino Mendogni, owner/ broker of Exit Realty in Wappingers Falls “One of the problems with higher interest rates is a homeowner is trapped in their house, not wanting to give up a three-percent mortgage for a six-percent mortgage. So the higher interest rates have had as big an effect on inventory as it’s had on the buyer demand,” says Clement.

Bosch anticipates that the market will improve later this year. “We’re starting to hear from housing folks, lenders, and appraisers that some of the appraisals are coming in too high for what people are qualifying for on a mortgage—and that’s usually the first sign that prices will begin to come down. They have outgrown people’s ability to pay.”

However, he says it’s hard to see a scenario where home inventory prices return to where they were prepandemic. “But we expect to see some backtracking on the prices either in the first or second quarter of this year,” he says.

But the prices of what? “There is very little housing supply, so unless we have interest from developers, planning boards, and town boards it’s going to be hard to see prices correct themselves this year into the range of what our neighbors can truly afford,” says Bosch.

An American Dream Deferred The good news, Halter says, is there’s less panic buying than there was before, so she’s also hoping that if there is a drop in interest rates, it helps the inventory problem. “Lower interest rates will also help people decide to put their homes on the market because now they will be able to afford to move somewhere else,” says Halter.

Even though he anticipates a little improvement, Bosch says that overall homeownership is becoming more difficult for middle-income buyers. “It’s farther out of reach for those who would traditionally own a home, and that’s really troubling because homeownership creates stability and better health and education outcomes. It’s the foundation for community wellness,” says Bosch.

Mendogni also takes his predictions of the housing market in stride. “I can’t predict pandemics and onetime world events, but I do think I think the Hudson Valley is really a sweet spot,” he says. “It’s out of the city and buyers get more space here, so if interest rates go down, buyers will come back in droves.”

CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Clark Perry david.perry@chronogram.com DIGITAL EDITOR Marie Doyon SPONSORED CONTENT EDITOR Ashleigh Lovelace CONTRIBUTORS Peter Aaron, Winona Barton-Ballentine, Anne Pyburn Craig, Lisa Iannucci, Joan Vos MacDonald, Hannah Van Sickle PUBLISHING COFOUNDER & CEO Amara Projansky COFOUNDER Jason Stern EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Jan Dewey CHAIR David Dell Upstate House is a project of Chronogram Media.

ADVERTISING & MARKETING (845) 334-8600 MEDIA SPECIALISTS Sam Brody sam.brody@chronogram.com Kaitlyn Lelay kaitlyn.lelay@chronogram.com Kelin Long-Gaye kelin.long-gaye@chronogram.com Kris Schneider kristofer. schneider@chronogram.com SALES MANAGER Andrea Aldin andrea.aldin@chronogram.com MARKETING MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER Margot Isaacs margot.isaacs@chronogram.com ADMINISTRATIVE FINANCE MANAGER Nicole Clanahan accounting@chronogram.com PRODUCTION PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Kerry Tinger kerry.tinger@chronogram.com PRODUCTION DESIGNER Kate Brodowska

ChronogramMedia 45 Pine Grove Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401 (845) 334-8600 | fax (845) 334-8610 chronogrammedia.com All contents © Chronogram Media 2023

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INTERIOR S

Kenise Barnes placing a painting by Yolanda Sanchez in a client’s home.

HOW ’S I T HA N G IN G ?

C H O OS ING ART FOR THE HO ME

By Lisa Iannucci

D

avid Rockefeller once said, “I think of art as the highest level of creativity. To me, it is one of the greatest sources of enjoyment.” Now, you might think that you need a Rockefeller-sized bank account to enjoy a great piece of art in your home, but think again.

“Literally anything can be art,” says Jennifer Salvemini, Principal of JLS Lifestyle Consulting in Shokan. “Art can be a found object or a memento from a vacation, whether it’s a postcard or a menu from a restaurant that you went to and that you loved. It doesn’t necessarily mean a framed canvas or photograph. It could be anything that is visually interesting, that brings you joy, or reminds you of something that has sentimental value, nostalgia, or however you want to define it.”

Molly McClarnon, administrative officer of Athens Fine Art Services in Hudson, says that once you can articulate why you like a piece, it is meant for you. “Have it reflect your personality and it will shine,” she says. “Trust your heart, buy what you like.”

Salvemini says that one of her favorite art pieces in her home is the cover of the India Times that she had delivered to her hotel room when she was traveling in India. “The cartoon on the cover has incredibly vivid, beautiful colors,” she says. “I carefully traveled with it for nine months. When I brought it home, I had it framed and every time I pass it, it reminds me of that trip and I really appreciate the imagery.”

Choose Art, Not Decor Keep in mind, when you’re choosing art for your home, that it’s not the same as picking the room’s decor, Salvemini says. “I would buy a pillow to match a couch, but I would not buy a painting to match a wall,” she says. “When art is selected for a commercial space—a hotel or a restaurant—it is designed to be experienced very intentionally by customers. There’s something very specific that the restaurant or the hotel is trying to convey about its brand identity. It’s not personal.”

Art in the home, however, should be personal and reflect the person who lives there. “The art should be whatever that individual loves,” says Salvemini.

If your art needs to be framed, Salvemini suggests framing for the art, not the room. “That art will outlive you and the frame is the house of the art, so the art needs to live inside its own happy home,” she says.

Jen Dragon, director of Cross Contemporary Art Projects in Woodstock, says the wrong frame can actually eat at your artwork. “A cheap frame will not cut it if you’ve just spent $1,500 on a drawing or watercolor” she says. “The acid will eat the artwork and if it’s not well sealed in you’re going to get condensation and little brown spots will show up.”

But whether you choose a piece of pottery or a framed painting, where, oh where, should your art go in the room?

upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 •

9

Kenise Barnes, director of Kenise Barnes Fine Art in Kent, Connecticut, suggests first looking at the size of the space where the art is going to go and consider different options. “Art is the single most unique thing in your home,” says Barnes.

“There is a lot to consider. Should you put one big painting up or a wall of several things hung salon style? Do you group two or three pieces by one artist or combine them with work by other artists? Or are you trying to integrate something into a collection you already have? When you think about hanging, you need to think about the specifics—what is the height, does it need to be lit, or is there any consideration to sunlight?”

For example, Barnes says if you have a big space over a fireplace, you need to decide if the art will hang vertically or horizontally. “How big will it be so it doesn’t overwhelm the room or feel too dinky for the space?” she says. “You have to get that balance.”

Dragon suggests that once you find that right piece of art, consider getting a professional installer to hang it for you. “I’ve been in many homes where the art is hung weirdly, and, once the person’s dissatisfied, they don’t feel happy with the art that they’ve got,” she says.

If you know you want a piece of art but don’t even know where to begin, Barnes suggests visiting a gallery or working with an advisor. “Tell them what your budget is,” she says.

“Does it let you acquire one piece or four pieces? Spend some time talking to the dealer or art gallery owner, who can provide you with lots of information about how the work is made and the biography of the artists you’re interested in.”

But what if there is a piece of artwork that you’re interested in and the price tag is a bit daunting? “It can be expensive,” says Dragon. “A large painting by a mid-career artist is often $5,000. And that’s the problem. People can’t necessarily write a $5,000 check to buy art.”

Instead, Dragon recommends a tool called Art Money that helps buyers purchase art and pay for it over time. “It charges no interest to the buyer but how much credit you get is based on your income,” she explains. “It helps buyers afford to own art. It’s a game changer. Older people don’t necessarily want to buy anything because they’ve spent a lifetime of collecting.

Those in their 30s and 40s are buying a new home and setting up their environment and want to buy art, so there has to be creative ways for people to be able to finance things.”

No matter the space you are looking to fill or the budget that you have, all of our experts agree on one thing—the most important aspect to hanging art in your home is the response that you—not your guests—have to it.

“Some people see something and don’t know why they like it, but you should find the artwork that inspires you to do what you want to do with your life,” says Dragon. “For example, you’ve always had a dream about writing a screenplay or a poem or even making a painting yourself. The artwork should be the thing that reminds you what it is that you really want to do with your life.”

Top: A Portia Munson artwork on silk called, Owl, being installed over a fireplace in a private home in Saugerties.

Bottom: A space designed by Jennifer Salvemini for the 2020 Kingston Design Connection Showhouse, “The Listening Room,” featuring custom art and found objects as art.

Photo by Ariel Camilo

10 • online at upstatehouse.com

SPONSO RED

H E A LTHIER HO MES BUILT W I T H H E M P WOODSTOCK HEMP CR ETE BR I N G S TH E BU I LD IN G M AT E R IA L OF T HE F U TU R E TO TH E H U D S ON VA L L E Y

F

rom textiles to bioplastics, industrial uses of hemp have been gaining in popularity in recent years. In Europe, the quick-growing, sustainable plant has come to prominence as one of the most eco-friendly materials you can build with today. While the technology has been slow to take off in the US construction industry, designbuild firm Woodstock Hempcrete is bringing the innovative new material to the Hudson Valley in the form of high-performance homes that are not only good for the environment, but also healthy to live in.

“It’s not easy to find a home that’s built with natural, healthy materials,” says Paul Petrov, founder of Woodstock Hempcrete. He started the company after his work in commercial interiors and high-end residential construction in New York City went on hiatus at the beginning of the pandemic. “But if you want a house free of toxic materials that’s not going to make you sick now or 100 years from now, I’m your guy.”

As its name suggests, hempcrete is a natural hemp-based building material. It’s made by mixing hemp hurd—the core of the plant’s stalk—with hydraulic lime mortar as a binder. Despite the simplicity of its ingredients, hempcrete has a wide array of benefits.

In Petrov’s homes, precast hempcrete blocks

from leading Belgian manufacturer IsoHemp replace synthetic foam or fiberglass insulation, resulting in a breathable building envelope that is nontoxic, noncombustible, resists mold and mildew, keeps temperatures stable, and regulates humidity at 55 percent year-round. “The energy performance of hempcrete is fantastic and goes well beyond ‘R value,’” Petrov says.

Hempcrete also combats climate change, absorbing carbon at multiple points in the process.

As the hemp plant grows, it sequesters carbon in the soil. During fabrication, as the lime mortar in the precast blocks cures, it absorbs atmospheric carbon in a process known as carbon-sinking. The blocks continue to absorb carbon as the finished house breathes.

The material’s carbon absorption is what sets it apart from typical multilayered Passive House assemblies, Petrov says. “The Passive House assemblies can be amazing and superbly built, but they can’t sink carbon from the atmosphere like hempcrete does,” Petrov says. “And the humidity inside a hempcrete house is controlled by the natural materials used, not by a machine.”

Petrov currently has one of his original energyefficient hempcrete homes under construction in Gallatin and four parcels in development in Stone Ridge. The home designs draw on the sleek

architectural legacies of midcentury California ranch houses, Japanese and Scandinavian cabins, as well as more modern multilevel homes that gracefully follow the landscape. “They’re not mudhuts,” Petrov says. “These are modern, efficient, and very well-built houses. The interiors are warmly minimal, open, and spacious.”

Bespoke layouts and finishes ensure individuality in the Stone Ridge enclave. Offerings range from an 1,800-square-foot, three-bedroom ranch to a two-story, three-bedroom “cabin” of 2,405 square feet. Larger multilevel designs are also available. The homes’ features include tripleglazed European windows, standing-seam metal roofing, wood-paneled ceilings, polished concrete floors and concrete countertops, custom kitchen cabinetry, and a two-car carport. Upgrades include a one-bedroom accessory dwelling and everything from a suspended fireplace and various exterior finishes to an 18-by-40-foot Gunite pool.

Petrov is also prepping land in Catskill, Saugerties, and Palenville for other sites this spring.

His eye is trained at the horizon line of offering a more affordable price point, allowing more homeowners to enjoy all the benefits of a natural, breathing building envelope.

Woodstockhempcrete.com

upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 •

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427 warren, hudson, ny • the gallery at 200lex, nyc info@finchhudson.com • 518.828.3430 • @finchhudson

Talo Architect’s Wish “What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subjectmatter, an art which could be for every mental worker, for the businessman as well as the man of letters, for example, a soothing, calming influence on the mind, something like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.”

—Henri Matisse

When I was trained early in my career by the masters in Architecture, Edward Larrabee Barnes and Philip Johnson, Matisse’s words were the finest example I had come across to describe the end goal for any architecture project. In any period or style imaginable, hopefully interacting with a garden or vista, in a passive architecture’s calm and comforting environment.

TAPANI TALO, AIA SCARSDALE, NY • (914) 645-2940 TALOARCHITECT.COM

1 2 • online at upstatehouse.com

TH E SO URCE

A design vignette at Foley & Cox Home in Hudson: The table is an Andre Arbus-style mahogany dining table; the tableware is Bordella Pinhero Cabbage Collection in beige; the drinkware is Nicolas handblown glass; Robert Escaleras’s Papercuts hangs above the sideboard. Photo by Brad Stein

T

he very first interiors Michael Cox fell in love with were those he spied on the silver screen. “It was really the sets of old movies that sparked my interest,” the veteran interior designer and principal at Foley & Cox Home says of his earliest influences, citing the dark and gloomy drama of Sunset Boulevard and the gracious, elegant living depicted in The Philadelphia Story as integral to fully understanding the characters who inhabited those respective spaces.

After two decades in an industry marked by constant evolution, Cox remains certain of one thing: Wellcrafted interiors bring the individuals who reside there to life. “We’re in the relationship business,” says Cox, whose initial approach hinges upon careful listening—in order to interpret a client’s dreams and aspirations— which has served as a springboard for collaboration since 2002 when he and Mary Foley (who retired from the business in 2017) launched Foley & Cox Interiors in New York City. Over the years, multiple project-specific buying trips took the pair to cities across Europe. At almost every turn, Cox came upon fabulous flea-market finds which—while not necessarily what he was looking for at the moment—could not be left behind. Suffice it to say, the Hudson store was born of practicality.

SE T T I N G THE STAG E CREATING A RESIDENCE WITH CHARACTER AT FOLEY & COX HOME

By Hannah Van Sickle

upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 •

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The Art of Architecture & Planning:

New York’s Hudson Valley and beyond •Woodstock Way Hotel - 23 guest suites, recipient of 2022 AIA W+HV Chapter Honor Award, Recognition in Architectural Excellence •Medo Woodstock - Japanese Restaurant — opened 2022

•Catskill Riverview Ma rina - 17 houseboat guest suites, land-based guest suite, hospitality center and park — planning approved •Va le Resta ura nt - Michelin Chef owned & operated farm-to-table Shandaken dining destination — planning approved and opening in 2024 •Li ve Edge Woodstock - 12 lot eco subdivision with conservation areas — in planning •Cala ma r H otel - 7 guest suites & gardens — in planning •B ea rsville Center - Architectural site design consultant; interiors, Tinker Street Tavern and Nancy’s Artisanal Creamery

•Woodstock Commons - 10 year anniversary, 52 unit geothermal intergenerational workforce and senior housing campus - 2013 Ulster County Project of the Year •Residentia l projects in Kingston, Woodstock, Wawarsing, Gardiner, Margaretville, Ithaca, Dryden, Freeville ( 845) 616-8664 • brad@ashokanarchitecture.com

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“Five years in, we had half a warehouse full of treasures,” says Cox, who decided a storefront was the best way to share his collection with a broader audience. Last year, Foley & Cox Home celebrated 15 years in Hudson—“an incredible community of art galleries and dealers” where Cox is proud to have established deep roots while “influencing the expansion and elevation of Warren Street,” citing his good fortune at finding a solid space in the 300-block—a desolate stretch in 2007, considering the concentration of premiere showrooms and galleries up in the 500- and 600-blocks—that suits his growing business well.

“One thing grew out of the other,” says Cox of the unexpected path his interior design firm forged from Manhattan due north to Columbia County. In the former, he’s committed to creating bespoke interiors from a wide palette of possibilities that become the most personal place of all for his clients: home.

In the latter, Cox and his team offer folks a shopping destination that reflects their overall aesthetic with inventory including newly produced pieces from skilled artisans he’s worked with over the years alongside collectible vintage and antique items—all carefully curated and design driven.

Exciting Collaboration Whether looking to freshen up your own interior or find a last-minute hostess gift for a long weekend upstate, Foley & Cox Home is well worth the trip.

Cox depicts just a sliver of what one might find while perusing the extensive inventory beginning with a one-of-a-kind antique desk, procured in Italy and embellished by Fornasetti in Milan with a custom key pattern over its top—evidence of both the designer’s characteristic style and an exciting new collaboration. Then, there’s the whole stack of vintage letters, “handwritten in beautiful calligraphy” upon patinaed paper that Cox stumbled upon in Paris and had framed as artwork—“almost like wallpaper—which has sparked a lot of conversation,” he says. There are charming ceramic lamps, direct from Brussels—boasting a beautiful, stony palette in an unusually diminutive size— and squirrels.

“I have this thing for collecting [them],” says Cox of a quirky theme that ends up in various places—at present in a rather life-like, hand-painted pitcher (complete with a brown bushy tail turned handle) from a line of Vista Alegre dinnerware made in Portugal. Suffice it to say, Cox now speaks the language of home. Literally. His first book, Language of Home: The Interiors of Foley & Cox, presents 24 projects that reflect the breadth and depth of the Foley & Cox portfolio. “It’s a very significant milestone,” says Cox of his firm’s first 20 years, the genesis of this newest project—“a visual celebration of the time, energy and effort dedicated to creating these beautiful spaces for our clients,” says Cox while underscoring the myriad collaborative partnerships with all the vendors and architects, artisans and contractors the design team has worked with over the years. The book, published by Monacelli, is due out this month.

Cox says he would be remiss if he didn’t mention another of his original influences, namely the “eclectic, eccentric, and constantly evolving interiors of Auntie Mame—a wholly unconventional and progressive woman whose environs (as evidenced by Number 3 Beekman Place, circa 1928) could be distilled to the far-flung places she visited around the world.”

“Decorating and interiors were part of her global travels and an indication of her [myriad] influences from different places and cultures,” says Cox, striking a chord that resonates incredibly well.

Foley & Cox Home, 317 Warren Street, Hudson Foleyandcoxhome.com Top: On top of a French mahogany cabinet in the style of Charles Dudouyt are a butterfly vase, ebony-striped boxes and Arcahorn ivory lacquer picture frames. On the wall, a painting by May Bender.

Bottom: On top of the vintage oak dining table, Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Collection tableware and handblown Duncan glasses. The table is flanked by French cane-backed dining chairs and a St. Germain settee.

On the wall, Padma sconces and Flatiron Building, a photograph by Jefferson Hayman.

Photos by Brad Stein

upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 •

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HOME SERVICES

I N T HE S W IM POOL-BUYING TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS

By Joan Vos MacDonald A classic rectangular pool with bluestone coping built by Scott Pools at an historic estate on the Hudson River.

I

t’s easy to imagine the allure of an inground pool, of summers spent in your own backyard, enjoying a few laps or floating under sunny skies. However, realizing this vision involves planning on the part of homeowners and making a number of decisions.

The first question that needs to be answered is where to place the pool, a consideration that involves more than aesthetics. Pool placement may depend on the terrain. In the hilly Hudson Valley, even a flat open space can seem ideal until you consider what’s underneath or nearby. “You can’t build an inground pool on top of a leach field or within 35 feet of it,” says Peter Jacobson of Mountain Pools in Woodstock. “So in the Catskills or the Hudson Valley, if you’re not right down in the valley, there’s a lot of varied topography.

A lot of homes are built on hillsides and what you’ll often find is that the flat spot near a home on a hillside often is the leach field for the septic tank. Which doesn’t mean you can’t put a pool in. It just means you can’t put it in that open, flat spot. Trees may need to be taken out and the land leveled.”

The final placement may also rely on municipal regulations. “If you have a big piece of land there are rules that say as long as it’s 100 feet from the road, it’s okay,” says Jacobson. “But in more suburban areas, there are more considerations and you may need to get a variance.”

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Keep Your Budget in Mind Before consulting a pool professional, a homeowner may want to calculate how much they want to spend on the project, while recognizing the budget may need adjusting once the site is surveyed and plans are finalized. According to Home Guide it’s possible to construct an inground pool for under $60,000, but an installation is also likely to top $100,000 and even reach $150,000, depending on needed site work and optional features.

“In the Hudson Valley, most of our potential customers have a city and country home, or are planning on relocating away from the city to raise their family or retire,” says Justin Scott, vice president of Scott Swimming Pools, based in Woodbury, Connecticut. “We have seen an increase in investment in these homes since 2020 to make the pool and yard areas more allinclusive since they are going to be getting far more use out of them. Because of this trend, more focus is being put toward the pool area than before. The pool area tends to be closer to the house and contain patios, pool/guest houses and outdoor kitchens, rather than an artistic addition to the property.”

Extra features are optional, but the pool will have to include fencing or a similar safety feature, which is a New York State requirement. An increasingly popular safety option is an electric pool cover, which also reduces heating costs, chemical usage, and as a bonus, covers extend the swimming season.

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“If the residence will be occupied longer than the weekends, extending the swimming season is always a consideration,” says Scott. “Considering a well-constructed, top-end, automatically retracting pool cover can extend the swimming season a month on both ends. It will also provide peace of mind if safety fences are extended out of sight from the pool area.”

Care and Maintenance While a pool can add to the value of a home, a poorly maintained pool will detract from a home’s value. Maintenance is key. In the Hudson Valley, pools need to be closed for the winter and opened again in the spring. As well as having an adequate filtration system, pools require cleaning every other week to remove debris and reduce algae. Operating costs can run between $2,000 and $3,000 a year, so that’s a figure homeowners should consider before a contractor starts digging.

“The cost and appearance of a pool over time depends on the length of use and how the pool is maintained by the homeowner, caretaker, or maintenance company,” says Scott. “If higher-end pebble finishes are used, along with energy-efficient equipment, the pool should hold up against variations in water chemistry care. These upgrades should never be foregone because the pool will maintain its luster even after a season of potentially sub-par pool maintenance.”

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Nejame and Sons has been installing pools in the region since 1954, like this luxury model with stone deck and threeseason mahogany pool house in Woodstock.

Maintenance requirements may depend on the type of pool.

“Maintenance will differ depending on the product you pick, whether it’s a concrete, vinyl, or fiberglass pool,” says Chris Nejame of Nejame and Sons, based in Carmel and Danbury, Connecticut. “If you do vinyl or fiberglass, you’re going to get a lot less maintenance. Also, if you do a saltwater pool, there’s less maintenance.”

A Koala-Shaped Pool?

Basically, inground pools fall into three categories: fiberglass, vinyl liner, and gunite, which is a concrete blend applied into a mold via a pressure hose. Each has its advantages, so the choice may depend on individual needs and the area’s ecosystem. “Gunite is the most customizable, since it is poured into a mold it can be made into any shape,” says Jacobson. If you’re somebody that wants an infinity-edge grotto and you want your pool to be shaped like a koala, that’s when you need a gunite pool, because there just aren’t going to be kits that have premade wall segments to create that. Vinyl liner is much less customizable than gunite, but much more customizable than fiberglass. With fiberglass, the mold is made in a factory, so homeowners are limited to what’s available.”

For Jacobson, climate and soil type factor in this decision.

“It’s not just the freeze-thaw cycle that’s important to consider in the Hudson Valley, but also the nature of our soil,” he says.

“We tend to have clay-rich soil, so when clay gets hydrated it expands, and when it dries out, it contracts. Both the expansion

and contraction of the clay and also the freeze-thaw puts pressure on the walls of inground pools.”

Fiberglass and vinyl liner pools have some give to them— instead of cracking they flex a bit.

“You’ll see more gunite pools in places that don’t have a freeze-thaw cycle, like Florida and Southern California,” says Jacobson. “You’ll also see more gunite in places that have more sandy soil, like the Hamptons.”

“For the Northeast, I would prefer doing a high-end vinyl liner pool,” says Nejame. “It’s a composite wall that’s engineered for winters with a freeze-thaw cycle.”

A consultation with a pool professional can cover options such as the pool’s ideal shape and what features to incorporate.

It’s important to clarify exactly what’s included in the project.

Edging around the pool and landscaping may not be considered part of the pool contractor’s project and require a general contractor.

“When developing the pool area, there will be more considerations than just the body of water,” says Scott. “If more than a pool is being constructed, a local general contractor who is familiar with all trades, including carpentry, land forming, and landscaping, should be hired to oversee the total project alongside the pool contractor. This will expedite the project as well as cover any site design issues that may be outside the scope of the pool company’s focus. A good design and implementation usually requires more than one perspective.”

upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 •

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RETAIL REIMAGINED

LARSON ARCHITECTURE WORKS’ DELIGHTFUL DESIGN OF TWO DUTCHESS COUNTY STORES PHOTOS BY PHILLIP REED

T

he art of retail design is in keeping the architect’s hand invisible,” explains Doug Larson, founder of Manhattan- and Ancramdale-based Larson Architecture Works.

“Rather than make our own grand statement, it’s our job to listen to our clients, problem solve around constraints, then come up with a physical manifestation that meets their objectives,” he says. “When we do it right, it’s almost like the architecture disappears and the focus goes to the product and the mood.”

With the firm’s collaborative approach to two retail spaces in Dutchess County—the upscale clothing store J.McLaughlin in Millbrook and interior designer Darren Henault’s home goods store Tent in Amenia—Larson and his team transformed two very different client visions into designs that delight customers from the moment they walk in the door.

The goal for the J.McLaughlin store was to marry its brand identity with Millbrook’s sense of place.

Once a temperance hall, the circa 1870 Italianate building the retailer purchased in the village had

been divided into separate storefronts. After reuniting the two, Larson devised a layout that balanced the company’s classic style with its relaxed, no-pressure sales ethic. “When shoppers come in, they’re greeted by something they can touch and see,” he says. “The sales desk is at the store’s middle, so help is readily available, but sales associates aren’t conspicuous.”

Couches near the desk invite customers to sit, while bold animal-inspired prints throughout nod to Millbrook’s strong equestrian ties. “At the store’s front there are vignettes of color and texture,” says Larson. “But the back wall, painted a rich caramel color, pulls people in.”

Sitting on a busy corner in Amenia, the one-time 1950s service station that Tent occupies included a drive-through fuel pavilion, garage, storefront, and office. With its design, Larson’s approach was more about supporting Henault’s vision. “Darren has very refined aesthetic tastes and he knew how he wanted to display his furniture and housewares, so I helped him with the tricks of the retail trade that include lighting and flow,” Larson says.

Larson transformed the garage, which is large enough for hydraulic lifts to suspend cars in midair, into a furniture showroom with recessed theaterlike spotlights.

At Henault’s suggestion, the fuel pavilion was reimagined as a garden folly tent—a permanent outbuilding found in European country estates, such as those at Chateau du Groussay and Sweden’s Drottningholm, painted to look like canvas or silk.

Larson created the effect for Tent by adding shingles to the pavilion’s exterior columns, which were painted in blue and white stripes. At the top, a wooden frieze cut in the shape of tent tassels showcases both Henault and Larson’s commitment to their vision and attention to detail.

While each store’s objectives are distinct, the creative process Larson employed in their creation was the same. “Both buildings were repurposed,” he says. “With each design, we discovered the opportunities that were already there.”

Larsonarchitecture.com Reedphotographic.com

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COM M U N IT Y

SAUGERTIES Making History

By Anne Pyburn Craig Photos by David McIntyre

I

n 1710, the area welcomed one of the largest groups of immigrants to arrive during the 18th century in the persons of some 300 families from Germany’s Palatine region. The group settled on both shores of the Hudson; the ones who landed in present-day Saugerties set about doing some logging for Queen Anne of England and opening their own mills among their largely Dutch and British neighbors. Residents who prospered built houses of stone, some of which still stand. In 1777, this was where the British fleet of Major-General John Vaughn dropped anchor after burning nearby Kingston, setting alight the sloops in the harbor and a few homes and barns—only to leave less than a week later after learning of Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga, never to plague the Hudson Valley again.

Some of the descendants of those early settlers are still here. Why leave? Henry Barclay’s mill and ironworks was a modern marvel. When iron and timber declined, there was still plenty of trade and manufacturing—ice harvesting, brickmaking, and the fine local bluestone, much of which found its way to New York City sidewalks, could keep a family fed. Martin Cantine’s Paper Company was worldrenowned, and would prosper into the 1960s. When it closed, there remained a charming park that would

2 4 • online at upstatehouse.com

grow, as the Cantine Veterans Memorial Complex, into a 127-acre multisport recreational complex.

A sculptor named Harvey Fite, working from the early 1940s until his death in 1976, made “one of the largest and most beguiling works of art on the entire continent” according to Architectural Digest. Now a nonprofit sculpture park devoted to Fite’s legacy, Opus 40 also hosts numerous events and concerts each year; Rolling Stone describes it as “the best outdoor performance venue in the Northeast.” The nonprofit recently acquired Fite’s historic home, adjacent to the 6.5 acre park, which will be renovated and opened to the public.

HITS, the international show jumping competition, hosts competitions from May through September, and Upriver Studios, a large-scale woman-owned film and TV production studio, has a long list of local vendors and talent on tap. A team of locals is working to create a mixed-use destination venue at the 800-acre Winston Farm, just across the street from Thruway Exit 20; they’re making progress, but environmentalists and preservationists have been holding their feet to the fire of best practices every step of the way.

Another proposal, from Kampgrounds of America’s Terramor division, would have turned

a 77-acre woodland into a glampground resort on the Woodstock/Saugerties border. Signs opposing the project popped up everywhere, and nearly 200 organized locals turned out at a planning board meeting to vocalize concerns about traffic, noise, light pollution, and the health of a seasonal creek that would have dumped treated effluent into a ceremonial pond used by the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, making it clear that they weren’t going away. In February, KOA announced that they were abandoning the idea, and activists are now raising money to purchase the parcel for a nature preserve.

THE SCENE Lifelong resident Kelly Ryan and a few of her friends had headed to Lake George for Winterfest a few times and found themselves wondering: Why not here? The group found that a February full moon festival sounded like a great idea and the first annual Snow Moon Festival took place in early February, featuring a slew of family-friendly activities, much of it free. The festival proceeds went to the community’s food pantries.

“Our sponsors have been amazing,” Ryan says.

“And so many clubs and nonprofits organized events of their own. People with all different interests, all

THE FACTS ZIP CODE: 12477 POPULATION: 18,628 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $64,441 PROXIMITY TO MAJOR CITY: Saugerties is 110 miles from New York City and 45.3 miles from Albany.

TRANSPORTATION: Saugerties is located on the New York State Thruway at Exit 20, and there are daily bus runs to Manhattan and Albany via Trailways; you can hop on an Amtrak half an hour away in Hudson.

The nearest airports are Albany International (50 minutes) and Stewart International in New Windsor (also 50 minutes).

NEAREST HOSPITAL: HealthAlliance Hospital of Kingston is 14.5 miles to the south. Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck is 13.5 miles away via the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge.

SCHOOLS: The Saugerties Central School District serves 2,388 students at its high school, junior high, and four elementary schools. Nearby independent school options include Woodstock Day School and Hudson Valley Sudbury School.

Downtown Saugerties has a quintessential village feel.

Opposite: Rodney Mazzella making a pie at Village Pizza.

different skills, from all different age groups and friend groups came together to just do something wonderful, with no barriers.”

Saugerties is loads of fun to explore. Landmarks like the Orpheum Theater (now run by Upstate Films), Saugerties Lighthouse, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, and Opus 40 offer a multitude of ways to work up an appetite, which can be satisfied in fine style at a variety of eateries: the Dutch Ale House, Miss Lucy’s Kitchen, and Lox of Bagels are all local favorites. Ryan and her crew are huge fans of the Southwestern menu at the Main Street Restaurant. For a grass-fed burger, try Buns Burgers out by the Thruway; for late night fare, check out the Cajun tuna or the fish tacos at the Pig Bar & Grill. Amongst all of this you’ll find stellar art galleries (Jane Street Art Center, Emerge Gallery) and multiple flavors of antiques, along with a fine indie bookstore (Inquiring Minds) and full-service shoe store (Montano’s.)

THE MARKET “Honestly, it’s been very busy since the new year,” says Angelica Ferguson, a listing agent with Four Seasons Sotheby International Realty. “The last quarter of 2022 was pretty slow because of the big rise in interest rates, so I don’t think we really expected January to start off with such a boom.

But it’s been very hot again up here.”

Turnkey properties that are priced right, she says,

are still drawing multiple offers in the first few days of listing. “Something that needs work or is priced aggressively might last a few weeks, even months, and I don’t think we’ll see the 30 percent year-toyear increases that we’ve had the last couple of years, but generally prices are still rising a bit, slowly but steadily, and inventory is extremely low.”

At press time, possibilities included a threebedroom raised ranch and a cottage in the Platte Clove foothills for under $200,000. In the $300,000-to-$500,000 range, one could find three- and four-bedroom ranch homes in good shape; a sunny four-bedroom in the village with Catskills views; and the 1840 Mill Keeper’s House, perched on a bluestone bluff and overlooking a waterfall, part of the Cantine’s Island Cohousing compound.

For $679,000, a buyer could snag an “immaculate” three-bedroom home on 21 acres of Blue Mountain meadow and woodland, with a big sunny kitchen and a brick fireplace fitted as a woodstove. A three-bedroom custom home on six acres with saltwater pool, gourmet kitchen, oak floors with radiant heat, and panoramic mountain views was priced at $895,000.

Right around $1.5 million, you could own a “mountain oasis”: a four-bedroom at the end of a half-mile private driveway on 11 acres adjoining state land, with views stretching into four states.

POINTS OF INTEREST: Saugerties Lighthouse B&B, Opus 40 Sculpture Park, Cantine Veterans Memorial Complex, Diamond Mills Hotel, Dutch Ale House, Saugerties Village Beach & Playground, Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, Saugerties Antique Center, Fed-On Lights Antiques, Pop Vintage Antiques, Jane Street Art Center, Emerge Gallery, Inquiring Mind Bookstore and Gallery, Olsen & Co., Bosco’s Mercantile, Chambers Vintage, Green, Miss Lucy’s Kitchen, Love Bites Cafe, Rock Da Casbah, Ginza Asian Fusion, Ohana Cafe, Upriver Studios

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COM M U N IT Y

NEWBURGH

A

n apocryphal tale says that George Washington’s Newburgh headquarters was where he “refused the crown.” Truth be told, the disaffected colonel who raised the question had no authority to appoint monarchs in the first place. What did happen, known to history as the Newburgh Conspiracy, involved Washington defusing anti-Republic grumbles among the officers by showing up unexpectedly to their meeting like the boss he was.

It wasn’t Newburgh’s last turn in the national spotlight. The city got a head start on most of the nation in electrification and telephony. In 1891, an observer named J. J. Nutt declared Newburgh “the most thriving city on the Hudson” with its “citizens full of spirit of public enterprise, with public institutions comparatively unequalled, and with apparently every factor and requisite to ensure its bright future as a manufacturing and commercial city of importance.” Other firsts—test marketing of televisions, Lucille Ball’s first turn on stage, the opening of the nation’s first truly all-in-one shopping destination—would follow, as would an exceptionally rough ride through deindustrialization and urban renewal.

2 6 • online at upstatehouse.com

City of Firsts

By Anne Pyburn Craig Photos by David McIntyre

Stunning river views, the second-largest historic district in New York and a long list of other factors have always inspired fierce love among lifelongs and newcomers alike, and today’s Newburgh is freshly vibrant. “We fell in love with Newburgh and wanted a place everyone could come and relax; at the time there was just nothing,” says Michele Basch, who opened a pub with her husband Dan Brown back in 2009. “When Dan, who’d been in the restaurant world for 20 years, would tell someone about his new venture on Liberty Street in Newburgh, they’d inevitably say, ‘Where?’ So it became The Wherehouse.”

Basch has a ringside seat thanks to her role on Newburgh’s Architectural Review Commission.

“People who come up and fall in love with the city and buy a house that they think is fabulous, with a great deal and more space and so on, do want to do the right thing,” she says. “And we work with them, not against them. We’re not this wall that opposes any changes—this isn’t Disneyland.”

Mixed-use developments are underway on both Broadway and Washington Street, where the former Washington Street School will be home to a small local brewery, retail, and market-rate housing.

Sullivan County-based Foster Supply Hospitality is creating an “urban resort” with hotel, spa, event space, and dining facility on Grand Street, in the former Masonic Temple, YMCA, and American Legion buildings. The outlying shopping mall that helped stifle city retail for decades has been repurposed as a Resorts World casino. And actress Natasha Lyonne chose Newburgh’s Umbra Studios as home base for the production of her smash hit Peacock series “Poker Face.”

THE SCENE “Newburgh has an enormously large number of Hispanic restaurants that nobody ever talks about,” says Basch. “Whether you want Mexican, Peruvian, Dominican or Jamaican; there are restaurants all over the place and they are very, very good. We may not have a major supermarket, but we have a butcher right on Broadway, amazing Mexican bakeries, grocery stores with incredible flan and sweetbreads and hot chocolate. We have real stores, old-school places like Hale’s Hardware and Home Supplies and Ace Drugs—full-service independent stores that have been serving the community for decades.”

THE FACTS ZIP CODE: 12550 POPULATION: 28,853 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $43,435 PROXIMITY TO MAJOR CITY: Newburgh is 60 miles from New York City and 90 miles from Albany.

TRANSPORTATION: Newburgh is located at the crossroads of Interstate 84 and the New York State Thruway. There are four commuter bus runs to and from Manhattan each weekday, and the NewburghBeacon Ferry connects to Metro North’s Hudson Line. New York Stewart International Airport is located just outside the city.

NEAREST HOSPITAL: Montefiori St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital is within city limits.

SCHOOLS: Newburgh Enlarged City School District serves 10,913 students in grades K-12 at its 13 schools. Independent schools include the San Miguel Academy and Nora Cronin Presentation Academy. Mount Saint Mary College and a SUNY Orange campus are located in Newburgh.

POINTS OF INTEREST: Washington’s Headquarters, Downing Park, Newburgh Free Newburgh’s waterfront is a major attraction for diners and boaters.

Opposite: Peter “DJ Pete Pop” Papageorgantis, manager/owner of Anna’s Restaurant on Broadway.

Library, Atlas Studios, Liberty Street, Thornwillow Press, Ritz Theatre, Waterfront Trail Urban Walk, Newburgh Wireworks, Waterfront Restaurant

The Liberty Street corridor where Brown and Basch kickstarted the resurgence has expanded, she says. “Right on Broadway, you’ve got Two Alices coffee shop and Mama Roux, which is amazing Cajun food. And there’s Newburgh Mercantile, which is mostly fantastic framing but also has some arts and crafts and gifts. On Liberty Street itself, we have Mrs. Fairfax—great food there!—and Seoul Kitchen, Korean food and marvelous ramen. There’s a new little grocery store about to open with grab-n-go, Going South, where until recently there was nothing.

And there’s Toasted, a bistro with some really happening nightlife.”

There’s still more nightlife down by the waterfront—a long strip of restaurants and pubs with five-star views that include Jet Ski, a recently opened tiki bar from Liberty Bistro owner Michael Kelly.

THE MARKET “If activity is down, it’s just because inventory is down,” says Chris Hanson, broker and owner at Hanson Real Estate Partners, “and that’s hardly unique to Newburgh—walkable town centers are very desirable right now, and there’s just not a lot of that available. People who come in with a set list of criteria and a certain budget, it becomes a

matter of whether the market has that right now.”

Newburgh, he says, is smoking hot. “We used to have to woo buyers who loved a specific house but were scared by the city’s rep into discovering that Newburgh is actually quite safe and lovely, usually by introducing them around,” Hanson says. “That’s turned on its head now—we have a fair number of people coming in who specifically want to move to Newburgh as soon as they can find the right house, which is really cool.”

At the time of this writing, there were a couple of three- and four-bedroom places in need of considerable TLC being offered for under $200,000. Turnkey homes, condos, and a few larger houses were available in the $300,000 to $500,000 range. A renovated 1930s Craftsman with four bedrooms, a grand staircase, and expansive river views was on the market for $699,000, and you could get your hands on a vintage brick with seven apartments for $669,000.

In the surrounding, eponymous town, you can find pristine, newly constructed four-bedroom Colonials and ranch homes in that range, some on larger lots, others in subdivisions. A grand new four-bedroom of stucco and stone, featuring river views and three-car garage was for sale in prestigious Balmville for $1,060,000.

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HOUSE PRO FILE

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INTERNATIONAL STYLE A Bauhaus-Inspired Contemporary House in West Park

By Peter Aaron Photos by Philip Jensen-Carter

B

orn in Germany immediately after World War I, the Bauhaus school of design and architecture is known for its sleek, simple geometric shapes and boxy, functional modernist constructions—a far cry from the rustic stone farmhouse styles that come to mind for many when they think of the Hudson Valley. But Bauhaus is exactly the aesthetic that German-born clients Christian and Catrin Jacobi had in mind when they signed on with New Paltz-based Kim Hoover of Hoover Architecture to design their beautiful contemporary three-bedroom home in West Park, a riverside hamlet in the Town of Esopus.

“To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about Bauhaus design since college when the Jacobis approached me about the project,” says Hoover, who received bachelor’s degrees in building science and architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has been practicing architecture in New York State since 1997. “Christian works for IBM, and he and Catrin love the area but were also missing Germany. They wanted to build a home with updated amenities that would be reminiscent of the types of houses they’d grown up in over there: simple and with a lack of ornamentation, but very functional—and very light and airy inside. It turned out to be a really nice combination.”

The line between interior and exterior is blurred through the use of floor-to-ceiling windows in this Bauhaus-inspired home in West Park designed by architect Kim Hoover.

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Above: The exterior finish is a traditional European white stucco with an eye-catching red asphalt roof.

Below: The large wraparound wood deck has LED lighting in its handrails and a built-in planter.

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Great Views from Every Angle A really nice combination, indeed. Sited on a peaceful parcel overlooking the Hudson, the 2,028-square-foot, two-anda-half-bathroom house has a fresh feel throughout, thanks to its clean lines, white walls, pale engineered ash and lighttoned ceramic tile flooring, and sun-soaking, tilt-and-turn windows and sliding patio doors that offer magnificent views of the glorious landscape; a clerestory on the second floor makes the upstairs seem larger and brings in extra light. The exterior finish is a traditional European white stucco with an eye-catching red asphalt roof, while the central feature of the house’s striking profile is the lofty, sharply angled rear roof section that makes for the grand, vaulted ceiling of the secondfloor family room. “Personally, my favorite space in the house is the open-plan living room/dining room/kitchen area on the first floor,” Hoover says. “You get great views [of the outside] from every angle, no matter where you are in there.”

The views get even greater when you step through the dining-room sliders and out back onto the 12-foot-deep, 40-foot-long elevated wraparound Ipe wood deck, which has LED lighting in its handrails and a built-in planter to provide fresh herbs for the kitchen. The walkout basement (currently unfinished) also has easy slider access to the back of the property and its lush, expansive lawn. Enhancing the exterior around the structure’s front door is a wall of natural cedar siding, which gives the main entryway a feeling that’s welcoming and warm.

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BRIDGING THE HUDSON VALLEY

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ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN

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The first floor features an openplan living room/dining room/ kitchen layout.

Maximum-Efficiency Craft And inside the Energy Star-certified home a literal feeling of warmth is certainly in abundance. The house’s heat is generated by a central Carrier Greenspeed heat pump system with an HRV gas-fired water heater and is augmented by a Hearthstone Bari woodstove; keeping all of the warmth snugly inside the cozy home is the supertight green Zip System R-sheathing and spray-foam insulation and the triple-pane windows made by Austrian manufacturer Rieder KG and imported by Cembra Windows and Doors in Accord. “Installing the windows was probably the biggest challenge of the entire project,” says Kathryn Whitman, who, with her contractor husband Mike Whitman, coheads Quatrefoil, the house’s Staatsburg-based builder.

“Many of the triple-glaze windows are very large and very heavy, and unpacking, moving, and installing them all takes a big, specialized team.” With modern homes a focus of the firm since its 2010 founding, Quatrefoil began building the West Park house in fall 2014 and completed the construction within nine months.

Another challenge along the way was a slight expansion to the home’s size, up from the customarily smaller European style, which turned out to be just the right move when it

came to increasing the comfort level. “The Jacobis wanted something in the 1,900-square-foot range, which is what I started out designing to,” says Hoover. “But during design development I realized if we simply added two feet to the overall length, adding about 128 square feet [overall], the rooms would feel exponentially larger. They approved the change, and it made all the difference in the feel of the spaces. They also agreed that the slightly larger size would be good for the resale value.” Bumping up the overall dimension ended up being a wise choice for another reason as well: The couple recently added a child to their household.

Each of the home’s appliances are Energy Star-certified and complement its maximum-efficiency craft, while its highly rated Grohe plumbing fixtures include waterconserving dual-flush toilets. Modern recessed and track lighting in every room dovetails perfectly with the house’s seamlessly smooth feel and sense of contemporary comfort.

The main staircase has risers that are open to the living room and faces a wall of windows, allowing more outdoor light in to make the overall space feel larger. The streamlined staircase’s stainless-steel cable railing matches the exterior deck railing, which is a simple but extremely effective way of tying the house’s interior to its exterior elements.

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Hands-On Clients Along with being open to the design change, the clients were dramatically helpful in other ways to the construction—and the building budget. From the project’s inception, the Jacobis had agreed with Quatrefoil that they would take on the interior painting and staining and installing the kitchen and bathroom cabinets and flooring themselves, as well as the building of the deck once the main construction had been completed. After a bit of research, the pair also decided to be responsible for installing the woodstove and, most significantly, the electric system for the entire house—the latter task made much easier by the fact that Christian is himself an experienced electrical engineer.

“While painting and flooring were busy work for the most part, the electric component of the job involved a lot of planning,” Hoover explains. “They needed to make sure each room would be lighted sufficiently and meet all the electrical code requirements. In addition, they needed to make sure to not interfere with the schedules of the contractors, so they quickly devised a plan and a work schedule. During the early construction phase, where they could not do much but

3 4 • online at upstatehouse.com

watch the house grow, they spent several hours shoveling snow for the framing crew. They visited the construction site every day to check on progress and, as soon as the framing was nearly completed, they started working alongside their contractors. Together with two very close friends, they worked long hours after working at their day jobs and on the weekends to install all the wiring, switches, and outlets. Interestingly, the greatest challenge they had was not with the complexity of the electrical system, but with the cold weather; more than once they worked in conditions where the temperature was below 10 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Besides saving significant construction costs, the clients’ being so hands-on with the work has given them extra pride in their home and, in many ways, has helped to make it an even more beautiful place for their growing young family to live in.

“I know Christian and Catrin aren’t planning to move any time soon, but whenever I think of their house I always say, ‘If they ever want to move out any of us would be more than happy to move in,’” quips Whitman. For a builder and architect with track records like Quatrefoil and Hoover Architecture, that’s high praise, indeed.

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S PO N S O R E D HOUS E FE ATUR E

NET-ZERO NIRVANA THE CATSKILL PROJECT IN LIVINGSTON MANOR OFFERS FOSSIL FUEL-FREE LIVING AT ITS FINEST PHOTOS BY WINONA BARTON-BALLENTINE

O

ne of the major appeals of buying a home in the Catskills is building a healthier, more sustainable life.

The mountain air is cleaner, there’s quick access to hiking trails, biking, fishing and more, and you finally have the space to garden and keep your kitchen in a steady supply of heirloom tomatoes and squash all summer long.

It’s unfortunate, then, that living in a country house is often defined by impracticality. Old cabins, cottages, and country estates are inefficiently designed and usually poorly insulated.

Even with systems upgrades or the addition of solar panels, they remain massive consumers of the energy it takes to power them.

For today’s climate-conscious homebuyers, that just won’t do. The Catskill Project is a new community of 11 homes situated on 90 bucolic acres of forest, meadows, and wetlands in the Sullivan County hamlet of Livingston Manor. Roughly

3 6 • online at upstatehouse.com

40 acres of the property have been set aside as permanently protected conservation property. The community’s Passive House design offers alignment with its residents’ sustainability-focused values. Each of the homes are as enjoyable to live in as they are energy efficient.

Constructing a Carbon-Neutral Community Traditional home construction is incredibly carbon-intensive.

Globally, the building and construction sector accounts for 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. By utilizing International Passive House building principles—the most rigorous, energy-efficient set of performance-based building technologies currently available—the Catskill Project’s allelectric homes offer the opportunity to live fossil fuel-free, with extremely low utility costs.

Opposite: The open-concept main level features a doubleheight living room with an airy loft space located above.

Above: The exterior of the model home is sheathed in native hemlock with a feature corner finished in a Japanese charring technique known as shou sugi ban, for rich visual contrast.

“The project’s carbon neutrality integrates it into a larger regional and, ultimately, global movement,” says Buck Moorhead, AIA, a certified Passive House designer and the principal architect for the Catskill Project. “We consider this a real step forward for mitigating climate change.”

The use of Passive House technologies such as tripleglazed windows, airtight construction, and dense-pack cellulose insulation means that the homes will have a 75- to 90-percent reduction in heating and cooling needs compared to a traditional build. “Passive House construction optimizes the building envelope,” Moorhead says. “It’s very resilient, extremely comfortable, and draft-free.”

Conserving resources from the building sites has also been a guiding principle of the project, further lowering the carbon footprint of the construction process. “Existing ash and cherry trees, salvaged during site preparation, are milled locally and reused as flooring, trim, and ceiling features in the homes themselves,” Moorhead says.

Minimalist Design Meets Maximum Comfort The Catskill Project’s homes are as sleekly minimalist as they are efficiently designed to fit in seamlessly with the woodlands that surround them.

Three interior layouts are offered for the 11 property sites: the Tremper, Overlook, and Balsam. Both the Balsam and Overlook offer 2,283 square feet of space and three bedrooms, while the Tremper provides just under 2,000 square feet and two bedrooms, and there are customization options aplenty for each. An additional model sized at 1,800

square feet will come to the market in April of this year.

The exterior of the model home—a Balsam layout—is sheathed in native hemlock. A feature corner is finished in a Japanese charring technique known as shou sugi ban, whose jet black hue creates rich visual contrast. The angled metal roof, available in six colors, heightens the dramatic effect.

“The finishes evoke the homes’ natural setting, from rich woods that showcase graining and color to the polished concrete floors that pick up on the rugged rock outcrops scattered about the site,” says Michael Stasi, an agent with Brown Harris Stevens, the project’s brokerage.

Each layout has an open-concept main level, which houses the kitchen, dining, and living spaces. The concrete floor (hardwood is also offered) is comfortable underfoot yearround, thanks to the dense insulation beneath the slab.

In the model home, the living room has a full corner of windows that stretch upward to the double-height ceiling.

“Oversized windows were designed into all four sides of the home. Natural light pours in from the triple-glazed, generously placed windows, so the interior spaces are bathed in warmth all day long,” says Stasi.

Adjacent to the living room is the chic, minimalist kitchen, with an entire wall of custom lower cabinets made from finished oak and floating open shelves in maple. The highcontrast black countertop and the center island counter with floating breakfast bar is made of Richlite Black Diamond, a heat-resistant, 100-percent recycled material.

The kitchen’s smart appliances, from a simple-yetpowerful induction range to optional Wolf and Sub-Zero

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high-end choices, are all electric—fueled either by solar panels on the home itself or through a community solar subscription.

In the Balsam and Overlook layouts, off the kitchen is a primary bedroom and ensuite bath. The room is a sunny oasis with wide-plank engineered wood flooring. The ensuite bathroom has a deep soaking tub, glass-enclosed shower, and a doublesink vanity. Dimmable, recessed cove lighting over the vanity is another high-end touch.

The spacious second floor is equally warm and inviting. At the top of the stairway is a glass door leading to an outdoor cedar-decked balcony. The full bath has a floating vanity, herringbone-pattern wall tile, and a soaking tub with an overhead shower. It’s shared by two bedrooms, each with recessed cove lighting to supplement the bountiful natural lighting and ample storage.

A space that unites the second floor rooms is an open and airy loft. Filled with natural light, it exudes relaxation. The loft is seamlessly connected to the outdoors via an elevated balcony. Step outside and become completely immersed in nature.

Additional spaces on the second floor include a flexible space perfect for a playroom, home office, or yoga studio; a laundry room; and the Zehnder energy recovery ventilation system (ERV), a heavyhitting Passive House technology that provides the

3 8 • online at upstatehouse.com

active outdoor air ventilation that is important to maintaining healthy indoor air quality in a wellsealed house. The ERV also enhances the house’s efficiency by controlling heat loss (or heat gain in the summer) that would otherwise result from the ventilation. The house’s envelope performance, when coupled with the ERV, is so efficient that only a single two-ton air-source heat pump is needed for the home’s additional heat and air conditioning.

To complete the home, an additional one or twostory garage/accessory building is also an option.

The second story can be finished as a 500-squarefoot home office, artist studio, and/or private guest room. The upstairs space is complete with a kitchenette and full bath.

Nestled in the Bounty of Sullivan County The Catskill Project prides itself on its sylvan setting as much as it does its finely crafted homes.

Each house is situated on its own three-to-sixacre lot of private woodlands, so there’s plenty of privacy and recreational space to be had. Nearly half of the acreage for the entire project is preserved forest, meadows, wetlands, waterfalls, and walking trails. Viewing platforms and clever steppingstone paths have been created throughout. These additional 40 rugged private and preserved acres will afford the community of homeowners a lifetime of exploration and connection with nature.

Escaping your cozy country haven and exploring scenic Sullivan County and up-and-coming Livingston Manor and nearby Roscoe is all part of the fun.

The diverse farm-to-table dining choices include the Arnold House and the DeBruce in Livingston Manor, both owned by noted hotelier Sims Foster. Further choices in the hamlet include the Kaatskeller, the Walk Inn, and the Smoke House, and in Roscoe, Northern Farmhouse Pasta and the Junction, which all serve up seasonal, locally sourced cuisine.

Pick up provisions or some excellent coffee and breakfast at Main Street Farm or Davidson’s General Store in Livingston Manor. The hamlet’s two craft breweries offer both excellent beer and food sure to satisfy any city gourmet.

Of course, you won’t want to miss a chance to cast a fly-fishing line in the Willowemoc Creek alongside Main Street in Livingston Manor, or head to the Beaverkill in Roscoe—both are world-class trout havens. Shop for clothing, gifts, and home goods at boutiques such as Livingston Manor favorites Concrete + Water, Nest, and Jitterbug.

Looking to head farther afield? A short drive will have you exploring the charming towns of Callicoon, Hurleyville, and Narrowsburg—each with a bounty of places to eat, drink, and have fun before you head back to your net-zero nirvana.

Opposite: With a large center island and floating breakfast bar, the chic, minimalist kitchen is designed for easy entertaining.

Above: An open and airy loft unites the rooms on the second floor. Filled with natural light, it exudes relaxation.

Right: Photo by Pavel Bendov Photography

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HOUSE P RO FIL E

BACK TO THE GARDEN A home photographer turns a lens on her Woodstock Craftsman

By Mary Angeles Armstrong Photos by Winona Barton-Ballentine

4 0 • online at upstatehouse.com

Opposite: Winona BartonBallentine and Duncan Hamilton’s 1926 Craftsman sits on former farmland within walking distance to Woodstock’s village green.

After nine years of living and raising a family in the house, both appreciate how the Craftsman’s design harmonizes with the surrounding landscape.

Above: Barton-Ballentine cultivates the home’s back garden, adding wildflowers and bulbs she’s found in her travels across the region. The couple eventually added a small potting shed at the side of the house. Next to their one-acre lot, open farmland and wild meadow offer views to nearby Overlook Mountain.

I

n 2015, while waiting for her husband to design a studio, Winona Barton-Ballentine happened on a wild patch of daylilies. “We only had one car back then,” she explains. “We’d driven out to Shandaken to finalize the studio blueprints with builder Bob Jones.”

The new outbuilding was for her husband, Duncan Hamilton, a book designer and professor, and was meant to replace a dilapidated painter’s shack at the back of their one-acre yard in Woodstock. While she waited, and to keep their napping infant daughter asleep in the backseat, Barton-Ballentine cruised along the neighboring backroads until the brazen, bright orange blossoms of someone’s forgotten flower garden caught her eye.

Both Barton-Ballentine and Hamilton were in the midst of one of life’s growth spurts—like when May sunshine warms Catskills soil and gardeners can almost see shoots and vines emerging in real time.

The two had met while working together at Urban Outfitters, a job both left for more creative pursuits.

Hamilton began teaching at Pratt institute and Barton-Ballentine enrolled in art school at Bard College.

Somewhere in there the two were married and shortly after earning her master’s degree, she was pregnant.

This all precipitated their search for a home upstate, a region where Barton-Ballentine has ample history.

They found their Craftsman-style bungalow on Zillow when she was six months pregnant. “It was

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The season dictates which part of the house the family can be found in. “I love the feeling that the house has been designed to function differently during the different seasons,” Hamilton says. In winter, the family often gathers in the living room around the central fireplace. The home’s first floor is designed to revolve around the chunky blue brick centerpiece. “I love that the downstairs is a circle and you can ride a little bike or roller-skate all the way around,” says Barton-Ballentine.

this weird little short house with a big chunky stone pillared porch and kind of a secluded feel,” Barton-Ballentine remembers. “I was looking for something quirky and he wanted a canvas. I wanted something worn-in, with creaky floors and secret nooks, and he wanted something from the 1920s with clean lines.” They could tell the home, built in 1926, had some history, but the most recent owner had rehabbed the wood floors, updated the kitchen, and whitewashed the walls. “It was historical but unusual, had good flow and was a bit like a blank slate,” she explains. With the birth of their daughter fast approaching, they bought it in early 2014.

The day she found the daylilies, the family had been in their two-story home for a year—time split between taking care of a newborn and upgrading the 1,600-square-foot, three-bedroom space.

However, they’d barely touched the surrounding acre. “It was completely overgrown with invasive knotweed and Japanese barberry,” explains BartonBallentine. “There were also eight or more dead ash trees killed by emerald ash borers.” Then there was the painter’s shack, which offered clear views to the top of Overlook Mountain, but which had fallen into disrepair. However, there was “one little square of a garden right outside the kitchen,” she explains. “So I dug up the lilies and put them in little pots in the

4 2 • online at upstatehouse.com

back of my car.” Later that day she transplanted the flowers to her patch of soil. “That was the beginning of my journey down the path to gardening, which was a huge endeavor for me.” Along the way she unearthed the roots of her new house, and also harvested unexpected creative fruit.

Wild Seeds The concept of home has long been the focus of Barton-Ballentine’s photography. “Home has always been my subject matter, literally, because my mom moved me everywhere,” she explains. She was born in Binghamton, near where her greatgrandparents had originally settled after leaving Lebanon. Her paternal grandparents came from Canada and settled in Wawwarsing at the beginning of the last century. Barton-Ballentine’s mother was a concert violinist, which led to various orchestra gigs. “We moved a million times and we had all these different experiences in different homes in upstate New York,” she explains. “It gave me the idea that a home can be created in many different ways and basically is created by investing energy in space and making it your own.”

However, home to her wasn’t just about what happened under a roof. “When fracking came to the central New York region, the land that I was born

on attracted a lot of speculators,” she explains. With close friends still in the neighborhood, she saw first-hand the conflict between competing smalltown priorities. “My focus in grad school was on the influence of geological and industrial history on homes in upstate New York, and how that shapes the people who live here.”

Hamilton, a native of Liverpool, ran an art gallery in his hometown before emigrating to the United States. When the time came, it was easy for his wife to convince him to move to the Catskills.

“There’s something about the Hudson River and the Catskills that reminds me of the countryside in the north of England,” he says. “It has the same feeling of once-cultivated land with farms that have been abandoned.”

Both husband and wife are intensely visual, home-oriented people but approached the reinvention of the home from different angles. “Duncan came to this home with a lot of experiences designing and organizing spaces for different purposes.

He approaches the space with ingenuity and research,” says Barton-Ballentine. “I tend to go on instinct and how things make me feel. As a photographer who shoots homes, I’m constantly studying people’s approaches to updating and personalizing, or depersonalizing, a space.”

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Your yard is an integral part of the environment and can be a healthy, thriving, beautiful ecosystem.

The interior of Hamilton’s studio. He designed walls of built-in book shelves for both the home’s living room and his studio space. “I walk to work from the back door to my studio most days,” he says. While he well utilizes the space for his multifaceted career, he admits the surrounding forest-scape sometimes gets the best of him. “The window above my desk looks out onto a big tree that’s home to a community of squirrels,” he says. “I’m constantly watching that soap opera unfold.”

Collaborative Craftsman Collaborating on creative projects is a natural process for the two, and their home was no different. “Much of creative process involves overcoming disparate opinions while being mutually inspired,” Barton-Ballentine explains. “We both love color, but in small, bold doses; and we both love textures.” The craftsman’s first floor flows from room to room around a large central brick fireplace, already painted dusky blue. “The first thing we did was install a wood stove insert,” says Barton-Ballentine.

The couple also added storm windows and screens, and eventually heat pumps. Downstairs, a street-facing bedroom included the original built-in cabinets. Hamilton constructed a wall of built-in bookshelves in the living room, and painted the wall behind lemon yellow. The couple painted the opposite wall terra cotta pink. The living room ceiling features the home’s original exposed wood beams.

Previous owners had bumped out the back of the house, replacing a back porch with an open-concept kitchen, mudroom, and additional bath. A large kitchen island divides the kitchen from the dining area. The couple painted the mudroom closets mustard yellow and upgraded the kitchen backsplash with Moroccan Zia Zellige tiles. Upstairs, both bedrooms having vaulted ceilings and skylights. The couple painted a wall of the primary bedroom forest green and the second bedroom blue.

A year after moving onto the property, the couple replaced a former painter’s shed with a new studio for Hamilton. It was one of Hamilton’s long-held dreams to design his own studio space.

“I luckily had the opportunity to design a space that works well for the different things I do— teaching, designing, building and making music,” he says. “It all fits together in one space. “

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Their back garden, as well as their understanding of the landscape they’ve found themselves in, has evolved over the years. After transplanting the daylilies, Barton-Ballentine planted purple Rose of Sharon seeds she’d harvested from her previous home in Brooklyn. She found a patch of deergnawed peonies at the side of the house and transplanted them to the back garden. Documenting the project came naturally, and she began a photo essay, 100 Days of Gardening, online. “Unintentionally, I created a hands-on, crash course on regional gardening,” she explains. Over the years she’s added more plants, and handbuilt stone walls. The couple also hired Bill Stack of Mountain Gardens to clear the yard, bury the brambles, and cut up the dead trees for firewood. He added a rustic cedar fence around the yard “to keep the deer and bears out and the kids in,” she explains.

Daylilies Inherit the Earth Meanwhile, Barton-Ballentine was conducting her own archeological dig into their home’s history. “I was fortunate enough to sit down with my neighbor, who is from one of the original Woodstock families and still lives in his family’s 1800s farmhouse next door,” she says. Once part of the

4 6 • online at upstatehouse.com

neighboring farm, the craftsman home was built on some of that original farmland. “He knew the names of everyone who’d lived here,” she says. “Including the winter landscape painter Walter Koeniger, who worked in the studio out back.” Researching Koeniger’s work, the family found their now familiar view of Overlook Mountain and the nearby streams and meadow, that they’d come to love and were both constantly inspired by. “We realized we actually replaced Koeniger’s studio with the new art studio,” she says.

“So there’s a certain symmetry in that.”

Barton-Ballentine’s garden photography project yielded lots of creative fruit—as well as some actual edibles. After completing her photo essay, she began to attract interest in her garden photography work. “I started photographing professionally designed and landscaped gardens and promptly lost the time to care for and photograph my own labor of love.” Over the years she’s come to accept and embrace the native plants—including her scavenged daylilies, that have started to take over—and taken a more relaxed approach to the plants that are growing. “It somehow turned into a 10-year project,” she says. “I guess you could say I accidentally inherited a garden.”

In warmer months, the family moves to the home’s exterior spaces. “We are either outside in the garden, on the back patio, or the front porch,” says Barton-Ballentine. The home’s deep front porch is a real draw in the summer. “The hammock is a great spot for an afternoon tea in summer, when the sun comes down through the tall pines across the street,” says BartonBallentine. “I love the scale of the house,” adds Hamilton.

“It’s small but it still feels possible to hide out in.”

PW DB

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S PO NSO SP OR NSO ED RED

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM KITCHEN DESIGN? Take Our Quiz and Find Out Which Kitchen Style Is Right For You

W

hen you’re dreaming of redesigning your kitchen, it’s easy to get lost in a Pinterest bubble or go down the proverbial rabbit hole on a home decor website searching for a picture-perfect setup. But falling for a gorgeous photo instead of following your own intuition can lead to making a design decision that doesn’t suit your lifestyle.

Instead of just copying current trends, it’s time to listen to your inner voice. “Taking stock of your personality and daily routine is a more practical and constructive way to kickstart your kitchen renovation moodboard,” says Kim Williams, SVP of Retail Operations at Williams Lumber and Home Centers.

With seven locations, including two kitchen and bath showrooms in Pleasant Valley and Rhinebeck that feature over

20 kitchen design displays ranging from traditional to ultramodern from quality manufacturers like Omega, Schrock, Crystal, and Hafele, Williams Lumber and Home Centers has been a go-to for home improvement in the Hudson Valley since 1946.

“At Williams, we have all types of customers with a variety of styles and tastes,” she says. “Our most important job is to educate them regarding their choices on functionality and aesthetics, so their kitchen design works best for their family and home.”

What do your kitchen habits say about your ideal new kitchen design? Take our quiz to discover the perfect match for your personal style.

WILLIAMSLUMBER.COM

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Kitchen Style Quiz 1. What’s your ideal weeknight meal at home?

A. A beautifully marbled steak with crispy roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts.

B. I’ve been hankering for a long-simmered curry with lots of fragrant spices, plus homemade naan.

C. I’m splurging a little and picking up sushi from our favorite local spot.

2. What’s your favorite way to entertain guests at home?

A. We’re all in the kitchen around the island, noshing on a charcuterie board and catching up over wine.

B. We’re probably outside on the deck grilling and enjoying the gorgeous views.

C. You better believe I planned out an elaborate spread, starring an adventurous recipe I’ve been dying to make.

3. What three kitchen appliances can you not live without?

A. My food processor, Dutch oven, and pizza stone.

B. My espresso machine, top-of-the-line coffee grinder, and high-powered blender.

C. My cast iron skillet, coffee maker, and toaster oven.

4. What colors, textures, and details do you gravitate toward in your interiors?

A. I go for a mix of soothing neutrals like white, taupe, gray, and navy and natural materials like wood and ceramics.

B. I love moody, saturated colors and interesting patterns for wall colors, textiles, tiling—you name it.

C. I’m a sucker for a sleek, monochromatic look and thoughtful but subtle accents.

5. Where did you get your favorite coffee mug?

A. I stumbled on it in this cute shop while I was traveling.

B. It’s an original design from a great local ceramicist.

C. It matches my plates and bowls because they’re all from the same set.

5 to 8 Points Contemporary Minimalist There’s nothing you love more than the clean lines and maximum functionality that keep clutter in your kitchen to a minimum. You’ll be right at home in an open floor plan with sleek and refined cabinetry, punched up with a bold monotone color scheme and highend, high-tech appliances. Hidden design elements like the clever pull-out storage solutions from innovative companies such as Rev-a-Shelf and Hafele offer maximum efficiency behind every door and drawer.

9 to 12 Points Traditional Farmhouse You thrill for the open and inviting look of a traditional farmhouse kitchen that blends solid materials and craftsmanship with a comfortable, lived-in look. Your ideal kitchen is defined by historic details, such as reclaimed wood, shiplap paneling, exposed beams, stone or wooden floors, and furniture-like cabinetry. Opting for allnew custom or semi-custom cabinetry from a quality company like Omega gives you the choice of the hand-selected woods, top of the line hardware, and hand-applied techniques that will help you achieve the rustically charming kitchen you’ve always wanted.

13 to 15 Points Casual and Eclectic You’re a bit of an indecisive maximalist, but that’s not a bad thing! Where others might balk at incorporating design elements from different styles and eras, you thrive on pattern-blending and mixing-and-matching.

Your dream kitchen might incorporate fun and funky details like a Moroccan-style tile backsplash, a hanging rack full of vintage copper pots, and boldly painted walls.

Cabinet manufacturer MasterBrand offers custom color capabilities in many of its lines, so you can create a complementary color scheme to perfectly enhance your artfully paired decor.

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ANSWERS 1) A-2, B-3, C-1 2) A-1, B-2, C-3 3) A-3, B-1, C-2 4) A-2, B-3, C-1 5) A-3, B-1, C-2

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A curated guide to Hudson Valley homes

upstater.com PART OF THE ChronogramMedia FAMILY

PASSIVE HOUSE GUIDE 2023

The Passive House construction standard is the most rigorous, energy-efficient set of performance-based building technologies currently available, centered on creating ultra-low-energy buildings that have a minimal ecological footprint. A philosophy that took root in the wake of the energy crisis in the 1970s and early 1980s, Passive House has gained considerable traction in our climate-conscious times.

A rendering of Groundworks, a Passive House retrofit in Gardiner designed by architect Ryan Enschede that is transforming a preexisting three-bay cinderblock garage into a general purpose studio space ready for gathering, dance, contemplation, and inspiration. Owners Kristen Leonard and Frank Leon Rose envision the space where people can come together to make positive ripple effects in the world.

The Passive House concept—which can reduce heating and cooling energy consumption of buildings by up to 90 percent—represents today’s most compelling option for counteracting climate change in the built environment.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

N E W YO R K

Since the first Passive House was built in the Hudson Valley over a decade ago, architects, builders, and home buyers have embraced the technology. New Passive House projects are being built across the state, from Hillsdale to Gardiner to Cooperstown, and beyond. Upstate House’s third annual Passive House Guide highlights the innovations of Passive House technology on the regional level, showcasing leadingedge architecture and building techniques. For more Passive House resources, see page 63 or visit Upstatehouse.com.

A collaboration between PASSIVE HOUSE ALLIANCE and upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 5 1

PASSIVE HOUSE GUIDE

5 2 • online at upstatehouse.com

Specialized software helped orient and delineate the size and placement of the southand southeast-facing windows.

Photo by Suzanne Levine

Opposite: Tasteful touches of wood trimming include the mottled cedar underneath the 30-inch eaves and an angled hemlock trellis that regulates heat inside the open first floor.

Photo by Suzanne Levine

Eternal Home

Forever House in Hastings-on-Hudson

BY MARC FERRIS

A

fter completing Westchester County’s first LEED Platinum-rated building in 2009, a two-unit condominium, architect Christina Griffin tried to convince her residential clients to consider eco-friendly alternatives like Passive Houses, but interest was tepid. “We’re a desert, it’s a little sad,” she says. “People want big homes. And the higher the income level, the more carbon is emitted. A lot of people think they’re living green, but there’s a lot of hypocrisy.”

In response, she retrofitted a tiny 1905 cottage in Hastingson-Hudson to create a prototype for affordable, fossil fuel-free living. Then, to drive the point home, she moved in. Griffin calls her model Forever House because the principles are replicable and the systems are durable. Last year, the project won a Passive Project Design award from the Illinois-based Passive House Institute US (Phius), which establishes strict, measurable standards and certifications for passive buildings.

She and husband, Peter Wolff, an environmental lawyer, used to live “in a big house nearby on the hill,” Griffin says, gazing subconsciously toward her former residence a half mile away.

“It was energy inefficient, so I figured I had to walk the walk.”

An avid environmentalist with many projects sprinkled around Hastings-on-Hudson, she spreads the word about Passive House and opens her home for tours. So far, a few dozen architects have visited.

A collaboration between PASSIVE HOUSE ALLIANCE and upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 5 3

The kitchen is accented with white oak and the open living area features large, southwestfacing windows that absorb the sun’s warmth.

Opposite: Despite being sited in the densely populated community of Hastings-onHudson, Forever House’s primary bedroom has large windows as well as a feeling of privacy.

Photos by John Maggiotto

5 4 • online at upstatehouse.com

To create Forever House, the couple retained two walls of the original 998-square-foot cottage and built a modern, 1,703-square-foot home with two new levels atop an unfinished basement. They also renovated a 187-square-foot former horse barn into a work studio for Wolff. It’s cozy, but not completely up to Passive House standards.

The first floor of the main house consists of an open, U-shaped great room punctuated by partitions (including the stairway) that create a mud room, a recycling closet, and a half bathroom. The main space is big and open enough to dance the tango with abandon—which the couple are known to do.

In the kitchen, faux concrete slabs that line the floor and part of the wall are really large-format porcelain tiles by Porcelanosa in Spain. Tasteful wood touches include white oak floors, sills, kitchen cabinets, and a serving/cooking island.

The second floor is more maze-like. The stairs ascend to a confined hallway, but cathedral ceilings add airiness. In addition to the master bedroom, two flex spaces can serve as an office, art studio, exercise room, or extra bedroom.

High Performance with Commonplace Materials Once she found the cottage that would serve as the basis of her Passive House retrofit, located a short walk from the quaint village business district and the commuter rail station, Griffin assembled the components to achieve her goal of creating a zeroemission home that earned Phius+ Source Zero certification, the most stringent at the time. Nugent Construction Management in Highland Falls helped with the build out.

To achieve the goal, she replaced the oil burner and gas line with electric components, including a Bradley heat pump water heater system, a compact Mitsubishi split system air source heating and air conditioner and a centralized Zehner ComfoAir Q350 energy recovery ventilation (ERV) unit, which fits neatly into one of the two walk-in closets and circulates the inside air to keep it from becoming fetid.

An array of 28 Hanwha Q Cells solar panels on the roof helps generate more energy than the home uses. After powering the inhabitants’ needs,

the system feeds three Generac PWRCell battery modules in the unfinished basement, which store power and send the overage to the grid.

According to Lisa White, associate director at Phius, there are many ways to devise an effective and efficient low- or zero-emission house. “People instinctively think they need to use exotic materials, but it is possible to achieve high performance with everyday building supplies,” she said. “The main key is thoughtful design and execution.”

Using WUFI modeling software, Griffin developed Forever House’s exterior insulating sleeve, oriented the floor plan for maximum exposure to the sun, and optimized room and window placement.

Energy-efficient appliances include a Fisher & Paykel refrigerator and induction stove. Wythe high-performance triple-pane windows and glass doors seal off drafts. “We use so little energy, the heat is off in the winter unless it gets below 30 degrees,” she says. “This project could have been accomplished with a geothermal system, but that’s too elaborate for such a modest project.”

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captions tk The backyard and rear view of Forever House. A former horse barn was turned into a work studio.

Photo by Suzanne Levine

Pushing the Envelope Located at the far end of a long row of homes arrayed right next to each other like dominoes, Forever House stands out due to its boxy configuration and sleek, space age finish, achieved with tongue-andgroove cedar cladding.

Inside the walls and underneath the first floor, the building’s thermal envelope ensures interior comfort and helps the home exceed its zeroemission goal.

The layers include gypsum board, horizontal furring, an Intello Plus vapor-control membrane, two double-stud walls sandwiching a layer of dense pack cellulose (18 inches in the roof, 15 inches in the walls), a sheet of CDX plywood, and Solitex Mento 1000 house wrap. A thick, heavy mineral wool blanket covers the ceiling of the unfinished basement and warms the ground floor.

High R-Values (one of a dizzying array of metrics and formulas that help determine a given space’s conformity to Passive House standards) far exceed typical building codes and attest to Forever House’s airtight seal.

Yet the insulation and weather-resistant barrier system act in concert to create a vapor-open set5 6 • online at upstatehouse.com

up that lets the home breathe as moisture escapes through air pockets and keeps things dry inside.

“For lack of a better term, it’s a smart technology,” says Griffin. “Back in the 1970s, some builders experimented with using plastic sheets to repel the elements, but then came the mold. There has to be some circulation, you can’t seal off the interior completely.”

Attractive and practical, wood accents adorn the home’s exterior. Expansive 30-inch eaves provide a passive cooling element, but the wide band of natural finish cedar wrapping the bottom along the edge also disguises a continuous ventilation shaft and contributes an earthy quality to the home’s exterior.

Strategically angled hemlock trellises above the first-floor picture windows and the south-facing roof deck add another aesthetic element that also shields the interior from the summer sun. Although their modest look suggests otherwise, the effect is palpable, according to Griffin.

A Retrofitting Mission Forever House showcases one way to bring a drafty 20th-century home into the energy-saving era. No

matter the cost to convert, many Passive Houses offset the expense over the long run by eliminating or dramatically reducing utility and heating oil bills.

“The initial hurdle is not that significant a jump and investments in quality insulation absolutely pay for themselves,” says White at Phius.

The carrot of financial incentives from the state and municipalities, coupled with the stick of stringent building codes for new construction— known as stretch codes, which surpass standard codes and sometimes edge into passive territory— will lead to a greater awareness and creation of low-energy use buildings, including private homes according to White.

Hastings-on-Hudson adopted a stretch code in 2020 and there are other signs that builders and homeowners in Westchester County are coming around: Griffin is working on a Passive House home in Yorktown and a mixed-use Passive House project in Yonkers.

But her main mission centers on upgrading or replacing older housing stock. “I can only do so much in my little home,” Griffin says. “My hope is that one small house can multiply and then make a big difference.”

SP ONSORED

FAST TRACK YOUR HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOME WITH EXPERT PRECISION AND PLANNING, NEW ENERGY WORKS FABRICATES BUILDING ENCLOSURES WITH LESS WASTE

A

fter months or even years of researching the benefits of high-performance homes, you’re finally ready to embark on the journey of building your own. You’ve found an architect who is ready to lead the design process, and you know that hiring a builder is another necessary step toward breaking ground. But what else should come between?

According to Bryan Bleier, an engineer at New York-based New Energy Works, collaborating with a specialist in building enclosures early in the design process can facilitate a faster, more sustainable way to achieve the high-performance home of your dreams.

Long known for its beautiful custom timber frame homes, employee-owned New Energy Works has been at the forefront of high-performance building enclosures for 30 years. “In the early 90s, we had a strong desire to enclose our timber structures with wall, roof, and floor assemblies as quickly as possible, so we began pre-panelizing enclosures by way of carpenters under roof,” Bleier says.

Now, New Energy Works is bringing the latest iteration of its pre-panelization technology, “High Performance Made Easier™” (or HPEz), direct to

homeowners, architects, and builders looking for an accessible path to complete a high-performance structure with less on-site labor, time, and materials.

“We have a passion for sustainability, and we want to make high-performance buildings more accessible to more people,” says Bleier.

How it works: During the conception phase or after your home’s initial drawings are complete, New Energy Works’ team evaluates the designs and provides guidance on how they can best be optimized for panel fabrication. They sit down with you and your architect to go over everything from basic drawings of floor plans to 3D models that offer a sense of all the spaces of the future home.

After plans are finalized, craftspeople fabricate your panels using semi-automated equipment, following a scrupulous quality control process.

The panels are made with renewable carbonsequestering materials such as wood fiber, cellulose, and hemp insulation that reduce impact on the environment. The result is a healthier and betterperforming structure built without the use of chemical foam-based products.

Once the panels are complete, the enclosure is

shipped out to your new home’s job site, ready to set, fit, and finish in significantly less time than building the assemblies in place on-site. “We can install the enclosure as soon as the site is ready as a partner service to the builder, architect, and homeowner,” Bleier says.

In a high-performance home, the building envelope is the key to unlocking its major benefits, such as a smaller carbon footprint, lower energy bills, interior comfort in every season, and impeccable air quality. “Execution of that assembly is paramount to performance,” Bleier says.

“Panelization is faster, easier, and more accurate, and in the long term your energy savings are going to be better.”

Anyone who still thinks of prefab as lower-quality can think again. “There can be a perception that panelized is lower-end, but there are a handful of us in the industry that definitely don’t fall into that spectrum,” says Bleier. “We push the limits on the materials and the approach because we’re passionate about what we do.”

Newenergyworks.com/high-performance-enclosures

A collaboration between PASSIVE HOUSE ALLIANCE and upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 5 7

PASSIVE HOUSE GUIDE

Family Flex

Passive Houses Designed for Change

BY JANE ANDERSON

P

assive House construction defines a cost-effective, sustainable path to a net-zero way of living. The team at North River Architecture & Planning demonstrates their dedication to that path in their most recent build in Stone Ridge: Basten Farm, two homes that have earned Passive House (PH) and other energy-efficiency certifications. And, embodying the “no person is an island” ethos, the North River team trained local contractors onsite in PH methods and invited local officials, realtors, and community members to visit during construction and learn more about the process.

The homes, each roughly 2,500 square feet, are modeled after North River’s “Flexhouse,” a design that features flexible living spaces and the ability to adapt the home to future needs.

The key is a simple shape, according to partner and design director Peter Reynolds. “We’re trying to get people to build energy-efficient envelopes, with flexible interiors,” he says.

“People really don’t need to have 25 gables and 16 corners.”

Inspired by the simple, low-cost, easily modified home design championed in Stewart Brand’s book How Buildings Learn, Reynolds and his team aim to create buildings that will last for 10 to 20 generations.

“Our homes are adaptable to changes in one family’s needs over a lifetime: A couple, children, multigenerational, and aging in place,” says North River partner and technical director Stephanie Bassler. “This came into focus in the COVID era, when more people began to work from home, in a dedicated space—not just in a corner of their home. We paid attention to that flexibility, and it turned out to become a feature of daily life: a 24-hour living space, instead of a place to leave to go to an office.”

5 8 • online at upstatehouse.com

North River Architecture designed and built Basten Farm, two Passive Housecertified homes in Stone Ridge that embrace the future of net-zero energy efficiency.

Net-Zero Living The Flexhouse’s features mirror the core concepts of Passive House construction. Thermal control is managed by its airtight building envelope: four-inch-thick polyisocyanurate insulation under the exterior siding and on top of taped Zip sheathing over plywood, with a 15-inch-thick, “floating” concrete slab. The wall cavities are filled with dense-pack cellulose, and the engineered roof trusses are insulated with blown-in cellulose. Zehnder energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) control the movement of air throughout the home, circulating fresh air and evacuating kitchen and bathroom exhaust. “The ERV recovers 90 percent of the heat from the air,” Bassler says. Both Flexhouses use Mitsubishi ducted heat pumps, which function better at low wintertime temperatures than ductless units, she adds. The final considerations in PH construction are radiation and moisture concerns; both are mitigated through tripleglazed windows comprising two layers of vacuum gas between three panes of glass. “These are not the 1970s south-facing glass panes that sweat and feel like a greenhouse,” Bassler points out.

“The attention we pay to the building envelope and triple-pane glazing is an investment in low-energy costs for the life of the building,” Bassler emphasizes. The base price for a Flexhouse is about $400 per square foot, but that includes site utilities: the septic system, well, and electric. The initial investment offers a payoff when the home’s annual energy costs are zero, Bassler says: “Once you invest in the envelope of the building, you can install smaller mechanical systems and reduce the costs of heating and cooling.”

“Solar-ready” roofing is a PH requirement, too, and the Flexhouses don’t disappoint: Their standing-seam metal roofs by Sheeley Roofing can support enough solar panels to fully power the homes on an annual basis.

“We can offer net-zero living to clients, which is meaningful in the Wild West of electrical costs in the Hudson Valley,” says Bassler.

The Prescriptive Path Guiding North River’s steps through the process was Phius, a nonprofit whose goal is to decarbonize the environment by mainstreaming passive building standards. The Basten Farm flexhouses were the first project to be “design certified” through Phius’s Prescriptive Path, a checklist detailing requirements for Passive House certification. The Prescriptive Path aims to simplify the certification process and encourage more Passive House builds in single-family residential construction. “All of those design standards made sense to us, with very clear goalposts, so we can clearly talk about net-zero buildings connected to renewables that offset the energy consumed,” says Bassler.

Now in their 14th year of designing and building Passive Houses, North River embraces a commitment to their larger community by providing an opportunity to make those building techniques transparent and available to everyone. “We’ve used every one of our houses as test cases for affordable passive house construction, so as many local officials and designers as possible can visit and learn more about it,” Reynolds says.

The firm sources local subcontractors for their builds, and trains them on the job. “The subcontractors have been trained by us, and now they know how to build Passive Houses and can bring that training to other projects,” Bassler says. “The outcome could be significant. The mechanical subcontractor, for instance, gained credentials as a qualified installer of heat pumps standard to Passive Houses.” North River also holds workshops in their buildings to train other builders, architects, and realtors.

“Subcontractor by subcontractor, and trainee by trainee, we’re building a cohort that recognizes the importance of energy efficiency,” she adds.

“There’s some skepticism at first, but that sparks conversation.”

Efficiency, Not Trends The homes themselves are as stunning as they are functional. Basten Farm was named after the family who first owned the property. The Flexhouses on the site are named Basten Farm North and Basten Farm South.

Forever House, a Passive House in Hastings-on-Hudson designed by architect Christina Griffin.

Pushing the Envelope March 23, 5:30–6:30pm, Virtual Join the conversation as we discuss the Passive House construction standard (the most rigorous, energyefficient set of performance-based building technologies currently available); highlight recent Passive House projects in the Hudson Valley; and examine the technology’s role in the roll-out of New York State’s ambitious climate goals.

The event will feature presentations by builders and architects and a panel discussion moderated by Chronogram Media editorial director Brian K. Mahoney.

Presented by

In partnership with N E W YO R K

Chronogram.com/conversations A collaboration between PASSIVE HOUSE ALLIANCE and upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 59

North River Architecture’s goal in design is eliminating visual clutter. That aim is exemplified in this Flexhouse stairwell/closet combo.

6 0 • online at upstatehouse.com

The design theme throughout both homes is minimalistic, with a nod toward Scandinavian light-wood construction, exemplified in the South home’s built-in office.

A collaboration between PASSIVE HOUSE ALLIANCE and upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 61

The North home measures 2,544 square feet on 7.75 acres, with three bedrooms and three baths. The exterior is LunaWood, a thermally modified spruce. It has a naturally golden color that will mature to a silvery grey. Lighting in the home is from Kingston-based RBW. The kitchen has SpaceTheory cabinetry.

The South home measures 2,400 square feet on 13.3 acres, with three bedrooms and 2.5 baths, plus a main-floor home office. Its exterior is a dramatic, black-painted pine. The kitchen and bathroom cabinets are from local cabinetmaker DCN Woodworking. Like many modern builds, this home has a Scandinavian minimalist feel with light wood accents throughout. Pops of amazing color show up in Popham Design’s Moroccan concrete tile that forms a kitchen backsplash and fills the walls of a walk-in shower in one of the bathrooms.

Both houses are sited to take advantage of outdoor views, recognizing again that beauty is as important as function. “For me, the design goal is always to make beautiful things that have Passive House principles baked in, rather than designing homes that make the technology apparent,” says Chris Ruel, North River’s operating director. “Balancing expansive views with tight-framed vignettes, modern detailing with warm finishes, and an honest palette—for example, concrete floors because it’s the most efficient floor within our system, not because it is a trend.”

The kitchens are designed with step-saving and adaptability in mind. The kitchens have movable islands, for instance, to accommodate larger dining events when needed. “What we offer is a highly flexible kitchen,” Reynolds says. “It’s a ‘onetouch’ kitchen, where dishes dry in place and space is used effectively.”

Other low-maintenance elements include waterproof plaster in the bathrooms, peastone gravel around the perimeter of the houses, and North River’s own wildflower mix—a proprietary blend that means no lawnmowing and fewer habitat for nuisance critters. “Our thing is zero energy, zero maintenance, and zero ticks,” says Reynolds.

North River Architecture’s techniques and passion are innovative, and they hope to lead the charge toward making net-zero living more mainstream.

“I think that our work as designers and builders gives us a unique seat at the table with families as we create their most intimate spaces,” Ruel concludes. “While this is a joy, it is also a responsibility. We must give them spaces that root them to a place, bring them comfort and enjoyment, but to also build in a way which shows the generation that will grow into these homes how seriously we take the charge to make sustainable stewardship the norm in our lives.”

Popham Design’s Moroccan concrete tile adds color to Basten Farm South’s bathroom shower and kitchen backsplash.

62 • online at upstatehouse.com

PASSIVE HOUSE GUIDE

A rendering of a Passive House multifamily development in Cooperstown designed by River Architects and completed in January. The 17,000-square-foot building has 13 apartment units but appears to be a single-family house when viewed from the street.

Principles

Benefits

Super-Insulated Building Envelope

Long-Term Cost Savings

Continuous insulation around the entire building reduces energy demands and increases comfort.

Because of the increased ability to retain heat through the building envelope (or block it in warm weather), the size of the heating/cooling system is significantly simplified and reduced.

High-Performance Windows

For single-family residential homes in the Hudson Valley (climate zones 4a, 5a, and 6a), triple-pane windows are usually necessary. In addition to better insulated glass, Passive House-approved windows reduce drafts through improved airtightness when they are pulled closed.

Airtight Building Envelope

The building envelope is extremely airtight, preventing infiltration of outside air and loss of conditioned air. A small change in the air-tightness of a building makes a big difference and it’s accounted for from the beginning of a project.

While the current building code already requires air-tightness verification, the Passive House standard is far more stringent.

Balanced Ventilation

Most homes do not have a system for delivering fresh air for healthy living. We have relied on air leaks at gaps that allow outdoor air to move in or out, such as leaky windows and doors, recessed lights and other openings, and where the house meets the foundation. These unintentional gaps also allow moisture movement, are a pathway for bugs and rodents, and introduce dust. Passive buildings use heat recovery ventilation systems (HRV), or, more commonly, energy recovery ventilation (ERV). In an ERV, exhaust air is replaced with outside air, but the heat and moisture of the air leaving the building pre-conditions the incoming air. The result is fresh indoor air with only minimal energy penalty. Incoming air is filtered, so if the windows stay closed the home will be surprisingly dust-free.

Even as building energy codes require higher insulation levels and greater air-tightness, the Passive House standard provides a 40 percent to 90 percent reduction in energy consumption when compared to a code-built home.

PASSIVE HOUSE RESOURCES

Reduced Carbon Emissions

Less energy use translates directly to less carbon emitted into the earth’s atmosphere. According to the AIA Architecture 2030 plan, the building sector accounts for roughly 40 percent of our total global carbon emissions.

Increased Durability

In the old way of building, we created a leaky building envelope and then oversized our heating equipment. When the building envelope is sealed and super-insulated, the movement of water vapor can no longer have a direct avenue to dry out and can no longer cause serious durability issues.

Improved Thermal Comfort

Thermal comfort is determined by the surface temperature of a surface. If it is within seven degrees of the living area, most people will find that to be very comfortable. Every interior surface in a Passive House is verified to fall within this comfort criteria.

Superior Indoor Air Quality

A requirement for Passive House certification is a balanced ventilation system. These systems, known as HRVs or ERVs (heat/energy recovery ventilators) bring fresh air in from the outside, move it throughout the house, and then expel the stale air to the outside. In the process, the air is filtered with a MERV 13 filter (minimum requirement) which has proven to drastically reduce allergens and other particulates from the air we breathe.

The Path to Net Zero

A prerequisite for Passive House certification is the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program. Whether renewable energy is immediately installed on the project or not, it is engineered for the smallest energy demand possible so that net-zero energy consumption can easily be achieved.

Phius Alliance-New York Given the momentum of certified passive building in the Northeast and with the support from NYSERDA and the national Phius organization, the Phius Alliance-Hudson Valley Chapter is rebranding in 2023 to expand its reach into all of New York State. Since January of 2023, the chapter has expanded its board of directors to include representation from Long Island (Metro NY) and Buffalo, and Rochester (Western NY) and has organized into regional committees to support ongoing Passive House specific programming in several regions. This new organization, now called the Phius Alliance-New York, continues to provide a robust membership-based network with members throughout the region and provides training, resources, marketing and advocacy support to its members. Its mission is to contribute to a low-carbon future through education, training and advocacy for the Phius standard and make it mainstream in New York and beyond.

For a complete directory of chapter members, consultants, builders and verifiers, visit PHA-HV.org.

A collaboration between PASSIVE HOUSE ALLIANCE and upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 63

Work with the #1 independent real estate brokerage in the Hudson Valley and Catskills! You’re closer than you think to finding your dream home, and we can make that dream a reality. Our team of leading real estate professionals will give you access to more distinguished listings and the individual attention you deserve. Give us a call to get started! >

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$1,977,000 | Amenia | Escape to the Countryside Charming farmhouse-style center hall colonial with all the amenities you would expect from a private estate. On 14 rolling acres, this 5-bedroom, 3.5-bath home has been completely renovated. Explore antique shops, farm stands and culinary grade restaurants and cafes nearby. Just 90 minutes to NYC, minutes to the Villages of Millerton, Millbrook and Sharon Connecticut, and Metro-North train. Ideal primary residence or weekend retreat. MLS#411467. George Langa m: 845.242.6314 | o: 845.677.3525

$1,649,000 | Saugerties | Rare Hudson River Waterfront Home Commands a splendid vista of the river, gazing to the sunrise over the hills beyond. Inground swimming and decks at water's edge; floating dock and private boat launch. Guest house has served as an exceptional AirBnB. Second parcel has 2,500+ sq.ft. foundation, buildable and grandfathered with almost NO SETBACK from riverfront. Rare opportunity for owner to build a new, sustainable home right on the banks of the river. MLS#20223757. Mark Kanter m: 845.332.7577 | Laurie Osmond m: 917.755.4023

$1,595,000 | Olivebridge | Classic Farmhouse on Quintessential Country Road Modern architect-designed home adjacent to open space conservation area, with staggering Catskill Mountain views. Ultra-luxe gourmet, custom kitchen; first floor spaces wrapped by windows on three sides; French doors lead to 26' covered porch. Luxurious primary suite. Walk-out lower level with media/rec room, two offices, full bath, laundry, storage. Sprawling yard with mountain backdrop. Near area destinations, orchards, farms, parks. MLS#20223548. Jeff Serouya m: 845.626.5000 | o: 845.687.0233

$1,350,000 | Red Hook | 224 Turkey Hill Road Hidden gem on 50 acres! Privacy galore with wonderful 20 + mile views. Private setting hidden at the end of a long meandering driveway. Builder's own home built with quality workmanship and materials. Featuring a massive stone fireplace in large living room with vaulted ceiling, large country kitchen. Home features an entertaining area with high ceiling and a built-in bar. Large 30x40 finished garage with a 20x30 attachment with overhead door. MLS#409400. Kevin Howe m: 845.229.2202

$1,320,000 | Standfordville | 90 Minutes from New York City Nestled in the woods, this stunning updated 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom California-style home offers seclusion, surrounded by farmland and wildlife. Large swimming pool, 3 fireplaces, an open plan living room, modern kitchen with new appliances and sunny breakfast room. Generator and 3-car garage. Minutes to Village of Millbrook and 20 minutes to Rhinebeck. Train lines within 25 minute radius. The best of the Hudson Valley! MLS#410756. George Langa m: 845.242.6314 | o: 845.677.3525

$1,100,000 | T/Wappinger | Dutchess County Gem with River and Mountain Views Conveniently located, this classic colonial home has 4,032 sq.ft. of living area. Included in this sale is a 5.4-acre property that guarantees you the views forever, with a total of 14.7 acres. Large attached 2-car garage plus 28x30 detached garage. Perfect property to do organic farming for your family and raise a chicken or two. Don't miss out on this “once-in-a-lifetime” property! Minutes to Beacon, Metro-North trains, I-84, shopping, parks, churches and schools. MLS#413227. Joan Sanford m: 914.475.2090

$850,000 | Holmes | 23 Acres on the Putnam/Dutchess Border Fabulous 2017 contemporary ranch features hickory hardwood floors, vaulted and cathedral ceilings, chef’s kitchen with walnut cabinets, stainless steel and granite. Finished walk-out lower-level with sauna and bath. 3-car garage. Screened porch, front porch, covered deck, stone patio with hot tub. Hiking trail, seasonal stream, waterfall and stone walls. https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=EuGtC14S79M&brand=0 MLS#411631/6214414. Kathleen ‘Kathie’ DeYoung m: 914.489.9199 o: 845.223.0617

$799,000 | Balmville | St Agnes Chapel Built in 1901, this once carpenter gothic church is a perfect blend of original detail and modern living. The main level is an open loft with soaring vaulted ceilings and a mezzanine with 1 bedroom/ 1 bath. The lower level is a 2-bedroom/1-bath unit with granite countertops and bar area. Can easily be converted to a single-family home. 2,677 sq.ft. MLS#6227899. John Ruggieri m: 917.608.2980 | o: 845.424.0146 upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 65

The CBS Team. Standing, from left: Maggie O’Neill; Kate Terkelson, Real Estate Salesperson; Leigh Bahnatka, Real Estate Salesperson; Bryn Bahnatka, Real Estate Salesperson; Trevor Naumann, Real Estate Salesperson; Jesse Chason, Real Estate Salesperson; Hayes Clement, Associate Real Estate Broker; Harris Safier, Associate Real Estate Broker; Donna Brooks, Associate Real Estate Broker; Robert Airhart, Real Estate Salesperson. Seated, from left: Jamie L. Corts, Real Estate Salesperson; Victoria Bourbeau, Real Estate Salesperson; John (Jack) Kralik, Associate Real Estate Broker; Patricia Dantzic, Real Estate Salesperson; Julie Mazur, Real Estate Salesperson.

Visit us at

www.unlockupstate.com or on Facebook and Instagram

$1,300,000 | Saugerties | Big Potential on the Hudson River Dreaming about building your own home on the river? Take a look at Dominican Lane, a 5000 sq.ft. home ready for complete renovation. Site work and infrastructure is all here. Town sewer and water, full basement and wraparound driveway. Dream kitchen, living room with stone fireplace that could open out to a porch facing the river, primary suite with sweeping views. Guests have their own space, with two apartments on the property. The 8 acres abut Scenic Hudson property guaranteeing much of the land around the property will never be developed. Robert Airhart m: 917.304.3864 | o: 845.340.1920

$3,100,000 | Rosendale | Lakefront Masterpiece If you have ever run the reservoir in Central Park then you know in your bones the value of DeWitt Lake, one of the last still in private hands in the Hudson Valley. Property includes running, biking and hiking, rock walls and solace from the outside world. Handcrafted lake house sits right at the water’s edge with two decks cantilevered over the surface. Cook in the kitchen with lake views and as the sun sets, fall asleep in the loft with the lake laid out below. Up the hill sits the Admiral's Cabin, a guest house designed as a state room. A perfect building site looks out over the entire lake. 40+ acres of privacy, 5 minutes from Kingston, 15 to New Paltz. MLS#20221431. Robert Airhart m: 917.304.3864 | o: 845.340.1920

Ideally Priced for the Next Legacy | West Kill | A Legacy Estate in Greene County Fall in love with this unique, 100-acre estate. The main house looks over the field, down to the pond and out across the Catskills. Having been in one family for a generation, the house is solid and ready for updates. This is where your friends will want to visit. There is a guest house, work studio and full barn. All of the beauty and lifestyle of the Hudson Valley is here. Swim, fish, hike, garden or simply sit with the stillness. Robert Airhart m: 917.304.3864 | o: 845.340.1920

16 HURLEY AVENUE | KINGSTON, NY 12401 6 6 • online at upstatehouse.com

GREAT HUDSON VALLEY HOMES

$1,875,000 | Marbletown | Custom Contemporary Sits Off Quiet Country Road Just outside of Stone Ridge in historic hamlet of Kripplebush. Bright and airy home filled with natural sunlight and nature’s vistas. Newly designed chef’s kitchen with 8-burner Wolf stove, custom cabinets, stainless steel sink, soapstone countertops and center island. Built-in couch nestled up against wall of windows for view of bluestone patio, rock walls and meadow. Exposed timbers draw your eye upward to bridge and 20’ floor ceiling in dining and living rooms. Primary suite with en-suite bath and laundry. Flex space for office, guest suite or artist’s studio. Outdoors is an oasis of 30+ acres with pond and hiking trails.

Centrally located to parks, golf, dining, rail trail. Donna Brooks m: 845.337.0061 | o: 845.255.9400

$1,500,000 | Kingston | A Rare Opportunity Available for the first time in more than 40 years, this beautifully restored shingle-style mansion on Kingston’s historic West Chestnut Street is one of only two remaining buildings attributed to British-American architect Calvert Vaux (Olana, NYC’s Central Park) still standing in Ulster County. The architectural splendor is still very much intact, with elaborate paneling in most rooms, all overlooking the Hudson River from a leafy, parklike setting. A 3-car carriage house, inground swimming pool and updated state-of-the-art systems are now part of a picture-perfect package. MLS#20223100. Hayes Clement m: 917.568.5226 | o: 845.340.1920. Harris L. Safier m: 914.388.3351 | o: 845.340.1920

$325,000 | Hurley | Sunny 1-Level Living Find simple single-level living in this mid-century ranch on a peaceful cul-de-sac in Hurley, convenient to Uptown Kingston, NYS Thruway, hiking, biking, dining and more. Sunny and bright throughout, the ranch features gleaming hardwood floors, upgraded kitchen with custom island, formal living and dining rooms, 3 bedrooms, plus mature landscaping. MLS# 20223565. Jesse Chason m: 845.532.5836 | o: 845.340.1920

$1,050,000 | Gardiner | Major Mountain Views This beautifully updated farmhouse features vaulted and beamed 17-ft. ceilings, 2 stone fireplaces and sweeping mountain views. The kitchen was renovated with custom Apuzzo cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Set on 5 acres with a gunite, heated, saltwater pool, a tool shed and 2-car barn/garage workshop. Escape to your private oasis where nature's spectacular beauty and serenity envelop you. MLS#20223431. Donna Brooks m: 845.337.0061 | o: 845.255.9400

$199,000 | West Park | 3.4 Acres on the Hudson River Ready for Your Dream Almost 300 ft of frontage for year-round views of Vanderbilt Mansion, passing ships and daily sunrises. Private road access, full riparian rights, rail-crossing permits and BOHA for 4 -bedroom house. 11 minutes to New Paltz; 12 minutes to Poughkeepsie train. MLS#20230143. Hayes Clement m: 917.568.5226 | o: 845.340.1920 upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 • 67

PUNTA CANA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BEACHFRONT

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STARTING AT $145,000

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6 8 • online at upstatehouse.com

127 State Route 302 Suite 2 Pine Bush, N.Y. 12566

s

516 Warren Street, Hudson $2,100,000

Hudson NY 4 BR/4 BA 3304 sf

Annabel Taylor C: 518.763.5020

We’re the Hudson Valley boutique realtors plugged into a global marketing powerhouse.

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s

12 Jacob Strasse Road, Windham $2,495,000

Windham NY 5 BR/6 BA 5021 sf

Oliver Helden C: 518.444.2109

508 Warren Street, Hudson $1,845,000 Pamela Belfor C: 917.734.7142

171 County Route 19, Hudson $589,500 Maria Barr C: 518.857.6396

s Hudson NY 4 BR/3 BA 5084 sf

s Hudson NY 3 BR/2 BA 2104 sf

www.fourseasonssir.com/hudson-valley

2234 Lucas Turnpike, High Falls $695,000 Angelica Ferguson C: 917.767.7705

10 James Street, Rhinebeck $999,000 Elizabeth Peters C: 845.235.3488 Joshua Briggs C: 917 213 9042

s High Falls NY 2.1 acres of land with barn

s Rhinebeck NY 2 BR/2 BA 1130 sf

19 Brick Row, Athens $647,000 Pamela Belfor C: 917.734.7142

42 Fox Lane, Tivoli $1,895,000 Annabel Taylor C: 518.763.5020 Angelica Ferguson: 917.767.7705

s Athens NY 5 BR/3 BA 3532 sf

s Tivoli NY 3 BR/3 BA 2150 sf

Tivoli NY • Hudson NY • Catskill NY • Rhinebeck NY • Kingston NY • O: 845.757.5000 Each office is independently owned and operated. upstate HOUSE | SPRING 2023 •

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INDEX O F ADVERT IS ERS INDEX O F A DVERTI S E R S Adirondack Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Herrington’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Peggy Lampman Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Arnoff Moving and Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Herzog’s True Value Home Center . . . . . . inside back cover

Peter Wagner Design Build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Ashokan Architecture & Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Hollenbeck Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Phinney Design Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Associated Lightning Rod Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Hot Water Solutions, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Pioneer Millworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Augustine Landscaping & Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

HPM Craftsmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Quatrefoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Hudson Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Rennie Cantine Overlook Benches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Hudson Valley Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65-67

Hudson Valley Forestry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Richard Pedranti Architect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Brenda Hotaling- Cetera Investors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Hudson Valley Hardscapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

British American Restorations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Hudson Valley Kitchen Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Cabinet Designers, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Hudson Valley Native Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Cracolici, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Janson Scuro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Custom Window Treatments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Jeff Wilkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Energy Conservation Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Koerner Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

EvolveD Interiors & Design Showroom LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Kyle Stark Painting LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

River Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Roman Professional Engineering PLLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Sash and Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Scott Swimming Pools Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back cover Stinemire Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Stone Wave Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 SunCommon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Exposures Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Larson Architecture Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Finch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Latitude Regenerative Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Sy Mujovic, Realty LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Four Seasons Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

L. Browe Asphalt Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Talo Architect, P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty . . . . . . . 47, 69

Malcarne Contracting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Tip Top Furniture Flooring and Bedding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Freestyle Restyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Mihai Radu Architects PLLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Whalen Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Glenn’s Wood Sheds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Milan Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Williams Lumber & Home Center . . . inside front cover, 48

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B ACK PO RCH ECOPHILIA

Constantin Boym’s Ecophilia, a series of modern habitats for plants and animals that anyone can build using materials and tools that are accessible, economical, and environmentally the sound, will be exhibited at Available Items in Tivoli, March 18-26.

I

nspired by Italian artist Enzo Mari’s Autoprogettazione, a manual of object designs that anyone can make without specialized training, designer Constantin Boym is releasing a new project, Ecophilia, in conjunction with Available Items, an interiorsfocused store in Tivoli. Ecophilia is a series of modern habitats for plants and animals that anyone can build using materials and tools that are accessible, economical, and environmentally sound.

The project took shape while Boym, who chairs the Industrial Design department at Pratt Institute, was on sabbatical at his wooded home in Esopus. He conducted extensive research on animal habitats and built a series of structures for various creatures on his property. Seeing the need for a visually coherent design system that encourages people to make objects and connect with nature in the process, he decided to make his plans accessible to the public. “Today, when we aim to apply these principles on a global scale, the very idea of humanity should be measured through our relationship with all living creatures. The Ecophilia project is but a humble step in this direction,” Boym says.

There will be exhibition of habitats made by Boym at Available Items in Tivoli, March 18-26. An accompanying book containing detailed instructions for building and installing each piece will also be available for purchase. Availableitems.com

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