parts warranty, plus we offer full service on everything we install. Contact us today to learn more about which heating and
options would work best for you and your home.
Meadowlark: Quintessential Upstate retreat on 27 sprawling acres, Clinton Corners. 3,471 SF, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, outdoor entertaining.
Lakeside: Sleek modern with lake access to Round Pond, 5 acres, Rhinebeck. 2,770 SF, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 2 car garage, outdoor patios and lounging.
Foxhaven: Modernist estate on 38 acres, Clinton Corners. 4,540 SF, 4 bedroom, 6 bath, 2.5 car garage, pool.
Fieldhouse: Meadow views on 10 acres, Clinton Corners. 3,635 SF, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom, 2 car garage.
PROFILE, PAGE 22
DEPARTMENTS
6 MARKETWATCH: ELECTION YEAR SLOWDOWN
The market has been quiet in the run-up to the presidential election.
FEATURES
22 HOUSE PROFILE: POOLSIDE ARCADIA
By Mary Angeles Armstrong
With the help of architect Carol Kurth, Gabby Slome and her family transformed a farm into a multi-functional, multigenerational retreat during the pandemic in Elizaville.
46 THE LUXURY LENS
Recent trends in the Hudson Valley and Catskills real estate market point toward its ascension as one of the nation’s most sought-after luxury home markets—thanks in part to the region’s low-key reputation.
Sponsored House Feature
36 APARTMENT PROFILE: RECTORY SET
By Joan Vos MacDonald
Two artists transform an empty stone rectory into a vibrant livework space, blending their creative talents to craft a personalized Hudson Valley cottage in West Park.
56 HOUSE PROFILE: THE WRITE WAY
By Mary Angeles Armstrong
Kingston resident Daniel Kanter began blogging about houses in 2010 and then gained the skills to rehab them.
62 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOUSE GUIDE
A guide for those seeking to build or renovate within their financial and practical constraints—both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible.
8 DESIGN: THE HANDWOVEN TEXTILES OF LA PEQUENA
Sara Collazo Romay’s Kingston-based brand features textiles she weaves by hand in her studio.
12 DESIGN: WALL-TO-WALL CREATIVITY
Debra Miller’s wallcovering firm, Project Designs, has executed wallpaper installations at restaurants and hotels across the region .
16 SOURCE: LA GROTTA BAZAAR
La Grotta Bazaar in Pawling is a flashy marriage of antique collectibles and vintage clothing.
18 BUILDING SCIENCE: EMPOWERING HOMEOWNERS
At a time when home-building techniques are advancing by leaps and bounds, an educated homeowner is their own best advocate.
25 HOME SERVICES: HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ROOF AND ROOFER Slate, shingle, or steel? There are myriad choices to work through when putting a new roof overhead. We work through some options.
32 AREA SPOTLIGHT: KINGSTON
Zoning changes in the city are hoping to ease its housing crisis.
34 AREA SPOTLIGHT: NEW PALTZ
The village and town are considering a municipal merger.
50 DESIGN HOUSE: A SPONSORED CONTENT FEATURE
A showcase for regional designers, builders, and architects.
80 BACK PORCH: KINGSTON DESIGN SHOWHOUSE
A center hall Colonial in Stone Ridge’s historic district will be this year’s Kingston Design Showhouse in October.
78 THE MARKET INDEX OF ADVERTISERS / MAP OF THE REGION
Architect Carol Kurth designed builtin climbing bars in the kids’ room at a poolhouse in Elizaville. Photo by Rikki Snyder HOME
Your Upstate Experts
Hudson. This stunning 4-bed, 3.5-bath contemporary home sits on 15.6 private acres with jaw-dropping views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. Meticulously transformed to fit seamlessly into the landscape, with salt pool, two ponds, cantilevered sunset viewing deck. $3.85 Mil. Call Greg Kendall, 954-804-9085.
Catskill. A stately 6-bed, 3-bath 1850’s farmhouse on 2 acres, meticulously restored with many of the original historic details intact. Set up currently as a 2-family, could be converted easily to a single family. Close to local hot spots, and 15 minutes to Hudson. $849,000. Call Martin Salerno, 917-734-8161.
Lanesborough. Located in the heart of the Berkshires with 102 acres on a pristine nearly uninhabited lake. Camp Mohawk is ready for it’s next incarnation as a resort, condos, homes. Includes 5 historic register buildings and numerous cabins. $3.5 Mil. Call Lisa Bouchard Hoe, 413-329-1162.
Athens. An outstanding Hudson River property, just over the Rip Van Winkle bridge from Hudson. With 40+acres, pool and gently sloping grounds, eye-popping River views. The Italianate style home has 11 beds and 6 baths. Development and family compound possibilities. $4.95 Mil. Call Lisa Bouchard Hoe, 413-329-1162.
Canaan. Unique and beautiful round home with separate round guest house. Tastefully restored, very private, down a long driveway. 3 beds, 2 full baths. Great wrap-around deck, potting shed. Quiet and peaceful, minutes to the Berkshires and close to Chatham. $729,000. Call Martin Salerno, 917-734-8161.
Hudson. This lovely 1860 Italianate Revival home is set on 30 acres with pond and frontage on the Stockport Creek. The 3,656 square foot house has been beautifully maintained, with 5 beds and 2 full baths. Close to downtown Hudson, Kinderhook and Chatham. What a beauty! $950,000. Call Janet Kain, 917-709-8724.
Election Year Slowdown
By Cloey Callahan
Alittle over two months out from the presidential election and the political climate is far from normal. The same goes for the housing market. Those macro impacts cannot be avoided for both home buyers and sellers right now. Most people are pausing their searches entirely until things settle down after the election. That, coupled with an already stressed-out market already due to the still-remaining impacts of the pandemic and a worsening housing crisis, is creating a lot more pressure in the region.
While that pressure is leading some people to continue their all-cash offers, others are waiting it out until either after the election or after the winter entirely. There is a continuous lack of inventory and high demand. Meanwhile, realtors are gearing up to see what the impact of the National Association of Realtors settlement will be.
“The latest is that the market has been very quiet,” says Richard Stoll, Associate Broker at TKG Real Estate, who sells on both sides of the river, focused on Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster counties.
Election Year Impacts
“Election years are typically an unusual market,” says Stoll. “The more unsure people are about the future, the more social and psychological unrest that people are experiencing, the fewer people get into the market, both as sellers and buyers.”
Stoll anticipates that as soon as the election is over, even as quickly as the next day, the market is going to bounce back and make way for the winter. Although winters are usually slower times in the housing market, during election years it looks different. The realtors we spoke with predict there will be more action between Thanksgiving through early March than usual.
“It doesn’t matter who wins,” says Stoll. “The uncertainty will be gone and with interest rates coming down, we’ll get people willing to get into the market.”
Sandi Park, real estate broker at Coldwell Banker Realty and Global Luxury and founder of Hudson Valley Nest, is noticing the same change in the market due to the election year.
“Any election can breed uncertainty,” says Park. “People tend to feel less confident making large purchases, and a house definitely falls into that bucket. So you do see people start to pull back a bit. The frenzy doesn’t exist anymore.”
The Low Mortgage Conundrum
The frenzy is certainly dying down across the region. Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress’s most recent report doubled down on what we’ve been seeing for quite some time: People are not moving. “Homeownership has increasingly sprinted away from the middle class in the Hudson Valley,” says Adam Bosch, president and CEO of Newburgh-based think tank Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress.
The report found that the housing availability and affordability crisis is deepening, affecting would-be homebuyers across a wide spectrum of incomes.
“There’s a clog in the pipe,” says Bosch. “The pipeline would be: You leave home for college, maybe live for a few years in an apartment, you get a spouse, and then you reach that first rung of the ladder of home ownership. That continuum is now clogged. It’s clogged at that graduation part from rentals to homeownership.”
Stoll is seeing the increased stagnation himself too, largely from people who currently have extremely low mortgages. If they decide to upgrade or move, they’re swapping a mortgage rate of around three percent and doubling it, if not more.
“A lot of sellers are not getting into the market at the moment because they would have nowhere to go with comparable expenses,” says Stoll.
That means there is very little inventory on the market. The days of people coming to the region and seeing seven or eight houses a day for a week straight are long gone at this point. More than ever, homebuyers want something that is move-in-ready. The domino effect is that buyers are willing to bend a little bit more than they used to with their wish list.
Middle-Range Homes Are Hot
One thing that’s clear is that those middle-range homes are hot. Both Park and Stoll have seen homes in the $300,000 to $450,000 range go fast. These people might be selling because they need to move for work, are looking to get their children placed in a new district before the school year begins, or another circumstance that is pushing them to sell at this very moment instead of waiting.
With fewer buyers on the market, sellers are hoping to entice buyers with a fair price. That’s not to say that those homes aren’t receiving multiple offers, including over asking price and in all cash. Cash buyers have kept the prices high, but “not artificially so,” Stoll says.
“In regard to houses that are in good condition and good locations that are well priced, there is a bidding war,” says Stoll. For example, he put an offer on a house two days ago for a couple and within a couple of hours, the sellers said they would go with the highest and best by 5pm. “That was it, they lost out. It was very competitive. I’ve seen that several times now. Good houses are still being treated like it’s 2020.”
Park has also noticed that certain homes remain bountiful with offers but for the most part, the number of buyers has decreased with the rising interest rates in 2022. Does that mean we are in a seller’s market now? Not exactly. “It’s not the same type of seller’s market that we were in,” says Park. “Houses that are going on higher than they should or are not effectively marketed are sitting. You are seeing houses that expire and don’t sell during the term of their listing agreement.”
For example, she had a house in Dutchess County that checked a lot of boxes: first-floor primary bedroom, private backyard, well-constructed home. She thought it would go at least $2,500 to $5,000 over the asking price. It only went $1,000 over. “It was a real signal to me that it’s not the level it was,” says Park. “It’s more contained.”
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Brian K. Mahoney
brian.mahoney@chronogram.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
David Clark Perry
DIGITAL EDITOR
Marie Doyon
BRANDED CONTENT EDITOR
Ashleigh Lovelace
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Jeff Eckes
CONTRIBUTORS
Winona Barton-Ballentine, Cloey Callahan, Anne Pyburn Craig, Ryan Keegan, Joan Vos MacDonald, David McIntyre, Devon Jane Schweizer
Weaver Sara Collazo Romay handweaves textiles under the brand name La Pequena, which is a term of enderament in Spanish meaning “little one.”
Opposite: Collazo Romay with one of her handwoven textiles.
Nowadays, most of us can’t trace the origins of anything in our homes beyond the shelves of Target or the homepage of Amazon. “I think about the idea of connection and what it would look like if we knew where the items in our house that we interact with every day came from. What difference would that make?” says weaver Sara Collazo Romay.
This line of reflection led her to found the handwoven textile brand La Pequena. The brand’s name is a term of endearment meaning “little one” in Spanish, reflecting the small and personal nature of Collazo Romay’s production. With her vibrant array of tea towels, pillows, placemats, and other textile goods, she is on a mission to inject passive domestic routines with connection with handmade items intended to be used and appreciated every day. “When you surround yourself with things made by hands and you know who made it, you have a bigger appreciation for anything that you own,” Collazo Romay says.
Growing up in the Galicia region of Spain, Collazo Romay spent countless hours reading the fashion magazines her dad sold at his newspaper stand. She came to the US for college with a love of fashion, graduating from Purdue University with a degree in apparel design. Postgraduation, Collazo Romay ended up in Boston working as a fashion designer for TJX for three years. In her work there, she would draw up designs and send them overseas for production. But with time, she found this approach
unfulfilling—she craved to work with her hands like she did in college.
Collazo Romay fell in love with weaving from her small Boston apartment, buying a small frame loom to create wall hangings as a hobby. From there, she sized up to a bigger frame loom and started making placemats, until she finally gave in to the craft and got an even larger floor loom. She began incrementally selling her woven textiles at local markets, launching La Pequena in 2021. But with limited time and space, the business didn’t fully take off until Collazo Romay moved to Kingston last August. Looking for a change of pace from the large and expensive city, Kingston had the perfect balance of vibrant culture and nature for Collazo Romay.
All woven, cut, and sewn by hand, La Pequena products are made using natural fibers like cotton and linen, and even alpaca. They’re available online and at a few stores in the area and beyond (Hops Petunia, Kaaterskill Market, Batterby House). Given how much connection is a part of the brand, for the past year, Collazo Romay has been taking her textiles to flea markets across the Hudson Valley, sharing her pieces and her insight on the textile making process with the community face-to-face.
Customers are often shocked to learn that the textiles before them are completely handmade. The process can take days—first warping (aligning the threads vertically, one at a time) before dressing the loom and weaving the threads
there. Then washing, pressing, and any additional sewing. It’s a long and sometimes taxing process, but a personal and more ecologically sustainable one. Everything Collazo Romay makes is created to last, and she even makes scrunchies with fabric scraps from other projects.
Her father’s Dominican roots and her own upbringing in coastal Spain are a big source of inspiration in Collazo Romay’s designs. While weaving isn’t a huge part of either culture, she centers her work around the color she saw growing up in Galicia—whether it was in nature, around town, or her own vibrant home. Though she may have found her father’s vivid outfits or pistachio-colored room embarrassingly loud as a teenager, she’s grown a new love for bold color in her designs.
“As I get older, I’m appreciating the joy that palette and living with color brought to my dad’s life,” Collazo Romay says.
“Growing up, he dressed in color all the time. That part of our culture really translates to my designs and what I gravitate toward.”
Every product tells Collazo Romay’s story. Striped green pillows along with burnt orange and lilac tea towels are colorful reminders of Collazo Romay’s dedicated process. Blue and white textiles are reminiscent of the Galician flag. Springtime pinks and yellows resemble the colorful flowers of the local nature. With La Pequena, she’s found her calling in brightening others’ homes.
“It’s so interesting to feel like something feels just right. I feel like I’ve arrived at my place and I want to do it for the rest of my life,” Collazo Romay says.
@LAPEQUE_TEXTILES
Collazo Romay at the floor loom in her Kingston studio.
Growing up in Woodstock, Debra Miller was immersed in a world of design and construction from a young age. Her father, a custom home builder, and her mother, with a creative flair for home decor, instilled in her the skills and inspiration that would shape her career. “I loved to help my father in his woodshop as a child,” Miller recalls. “My mom was always making our homes beautiful with her added touches—either handpainted tiles or making custom window treatments. I certainly credit them for my creativity and motivation.”
This foundation laid the groundwork for what would become Project Designs: Miller’s Saugerties-based business specializing in wall covering installations and painting services.
At 16, Miller began working as an assistant wallpaper installer. By 18, she had started her own business, The Wallpaper Lady, in Woodstock. Her career took a turn when she moved to Nevada in her late 20s to get involved in design work. In Las Vegas, she spent 11 years designing model homes and doing exterior colorizing for major builders like Toll Brothers, Greystone Homes, and Lennar Homes.
Miller returned to New York in 2007. “My mother was ill, so we decided to take her back to be with her grandkids and other children,” she explains. The transition was tricky, as there was so much less building activity compared to Vegas. “I was downsizing and having to start fresh from scratch again, so I decided to go back to installing wall covering and painting,” says Miller. “That way, I would simplify my life and have more free time to take care of my mom.” She then created Project Designs.
In recent years, Miller has expanded to selling wallpapers and fabrics, designing window treatments, and arranging furniture. Project Designs has a small team, with additional painters and helpers brought in as needed. Day-to-day, and depending on the project’s requirements, the wall covering work is handled by
just Miller and her nephew Victor Fauci.
While most of Miller’s work has been residential, she has also collaborated with numerous local businesses. In Kingston, she installed wallpaper and painted at West Kill Brewing and hung wallpaper at Sonder. In Woodstock, she applied wallpaper at Dixon Roadside and at nine rooms in Twin Gables. For Pretty to Think So in Rhinebeck, she put up a distinct wallpaper featuring suns, moons, and abstract figures. And at Local 111 in Philmont, her contributions included drapery, wallpaper, paint, and lighting. “Lately, all these restaurants have been a lot of fun,” says Miller. “It’s just been so nice because so many people get to enjoy it.”
Miller’s design philosophy centers around efficiency, functionality, and a naturalistic aesthetic. She believes in creating spaces that promote well-being and enhance quality of life. “I love working with different textures and woods,” says Miller. “Maybe because of my dad and his woodworking; it inspired me to love nature—trees and rocks and streams and grasses and things like that. I try to incorporate these things into designing a space, with all the textures.”
Two views of the wallpaper installation by Project Designs at Pretty to Think So in Rhinebeck, led by Debra Miller, pictured right.
Opposite: Project Designs led a redesign of the restaurant Local 111 in Philmont, including wallpaper selection and installation, as in the restroom shown here.
Her approach to balancing aesthetics and functionality is evident in her thoughtful selection of wallpapers and paints. “Wallpaper is more about creating a feeling,” Miller notes. “You want spaces to be fun and bring out color and light and happiness. You might want your colors or floral to be muted and simple if it was a workspace, or cheerful in a bedroom, or something that had movement for a nursery.”
In 2021, Miller purchased her home in Saugerties along with a neighboring property. She redesigned both homes, converting the second one into an Airbnb. “The redesign was great—we ripped up floors, painted cabinets, put in new hardware, and designed everything to make the colors work together,” she says.
As she looks to the future, Miller plans to lean in to the sales side of her business. “I’m building an office now—a small design and showroom space on my property,” she reveals. “I am getting older, and at some point, I’m not going to be able to do all this physical work, going up and down scaffolding and big ladders. So I’m trying to wrap my brain around that and adjust to that.”
But for now, she’s still out in the field. “I love hanging wallpaper,” says Miller. “I mean, I’ve been doing that for over 30 years; it’s been very rewarding for me. I really, really enjoy what I do.”
Clockwise from top left, Project Designs wallpaper installations: Twin Gables bed and breakfast in Woodstock, West Kill Brewing in Kingston, and Dixon Roadside in Woodstock.
VINTAGE VIBES LA GROTTA BAZAAR
IS A MARRIAGE OF VINTAGE AND ANTIQUES
By Devon Jane Schweizer
In a visit to La Grotta Bazaar, you might mistake the Pawling vintage clothing and antique store for the sanctuary of a maximalist time traveler. Vintage spelter lamps drench the space in color, whimsical blown-glass vases and ornate wicker chairs nestle themselves amongst racks of patterned ’70s jumpsuits, all beneath a giant bundle of disco balls hanging from the ceiling. A flashy marriage of antique collectibles and vintage clothing, La Grotta Bazaar takes vintage shopping in Dutchess County to new heights. New York City-born cofounders Jen Robbins and Blake Decker have always enjoyed collecting vintage and antique pieces, but didn’t have the space to fully build their collections while living in Manhattan. Robbins was working as a fashion photographer, shooting for magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue until a long recovery from a hand surgery left her yearning for a change of pace. She began selling her vintage clothes in the Hudson Valley, taking her collection—the Babe Cave Vintage—to various centers across the region. Decker, on the other hand, was working in the corporate world as a creative marketing VP in advertising and branding for Fortune 500 companies.
Decker and Robbins lived down the hall from each other growing up on Roosevelt Island, but besides following each other on social media, their paths didn’t cross until Decker saw an article about Robbins’s vintage collection in Chronogram By the time she reached out to Robbins, Decker had already attempted to open a vintage shop in her mixed-use property in Holmes with a different partner. She was “bordering on being a hoarder of cool stuff,” and wanted to turn her love of collecting into a business. The original concept, formulate in 2020, quickly dissolved when COVID hit, but connecting with her former neighbor gave Decker the “perfect answer” on what to do with the space after her first vintage shop failed to launch.
“When we did meet to talk, it felt like we had already known each other,” Decker says. “I couldn’t imagine a better business partner. To be able to work with someone with such a similar work ethic and aesthetic, doing something that we truly believe in and love to do, is just amazing.”
The two opened La Grotta Bazaar in June 2023, welcoming customers into the immersive space. Their distinct collections inhabit either side of the store: Decker’s Siren’s Trove feels like Ariel’s cave of treasures with its cool underwater-like tones, while Robbins’s Babe Cave gives a more retro feel, with in-yourface hot pinks and neons taking it back to the ’80s. Despite
their different collections, the maximalist aesthetic is cohesive throughout the store.
“We created an immersive shopping experience with both of our backgrounds where the vintage clothes and the antiques and all of that come together,” Decker says.
It’s more than just the gauzy dresses of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s or whimsical tchotchkes that bring customers in—the owners truly love what they sell, and the space, packed with decor, provides an intimate shopping experience that almost doubles as a museum. Everything at La Grotta is intentional, and nearly every two weeks Robbins and Decker spend their time redecorating the shop with new items.
“People come in to look and spend two to three hours here just hanging out,” Decker says. “For us, it’s so much more than just selling vintage and antique goods.”
Every Friday through Sunday, Robbins and Decker are at the location on 4063 Route 52 in the Holmes hamlet of Pawling sharing these bits and pieces of history with anyone who might want a new statement piece for their house or wardrobe. “Every little piece that we bring in is part of our heart and soul. I think that’s what really makes us different from other stores out there,” Decker says.
La Grotta Bazaar in Pawling is a flashy marriage of antique collectibles and vintage clothing.
EMPOWERING HOMEOWNERS
ADVANCED BUILDING TECHNIQUES FOR MODERN HOMES
By Jeff Eckes
Those of us of a certain age who grew up in New York fondly remember the catchphrase of the off-price clothing chain Syms—“an educated consumer is our best customer.” And why not? It is brilliant marketing help your customer feel like they are smarter than everyone else, just because they shop for suits at your business. Syms also backed up his claims with excellent service, despite some of the lowest prices found anywhere on name-brand menswear. I remember buying my first high-quality suit there, and the detailed responses to my questions by the tailor that was fitting me informed my clothes buying of all kinds for decades to come. Maybe Syms customers really were smarter, at least at buying suits.
Though that story seems to have little relevance to this magazine, it has more relevance than one might think. We are in an age of advancement in building science, which is all of the science related to building the structures that allow us to survive on this planet. Not just renewable energy sources, but window and door technology that can seal so well it all but seals your home from outside effects,
including most of the components of smoke and nearly 100 percent of dust and pollen. It includes the very floors, walls, and roofs we build the home from, and even the way a building is sited on a property and how deep the windows are to be mounted in the walls, and on each different side of the house as well.
The science is no longer a question, it’s just a matter of perfecting the processes, which brings costs down. This is one of the missions that I have taken on with LDR Group and what we do with high performance housing.
Computer simulation programs that have been developed specifically for these calculations are familiar to architects and engineers, and more and more of them, and even a few home builders, have embraced these building ideas and the systems that enable them. Training is becoming more accessible, and specialized materials that perform at several orders of magnitude better than the ones we have been using for decades, or even centuries, are becoming available at more and more suppliers at lower prices as they are more widely adopted. But no new building system,
or readily available materials, will matter if the people who own these buildings don’t know about them, or worse still, their hired professionals don’t. Or don’t care.
An educated consumer is their own best advocate. I know, not as catchy as what Sy Syms came up with (though after filing for bankruptcy in 2011, his phrase may be available) but it may be one that saves you a lot of money and heartache.
Learning about the science of a thing, as in nearly all other aspects of life, provides a deeper understanding promotes better decision making. That’s great you say, but who has time for a degree in building science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Fortunately, that’s not required.
Here are some resources to educate yourself on building science. If you are remodeling or building a house today, this information will help you understand how and why to build a home using the most advanced science. Upstate House will always be a great source of basic information, and as important, the local businesses that provide these advanced, science-based products and services, but to go deeper, consider these sources.
A minimalist home built to Passive House standards, which are the gold standard for energy-efficient buildings. Opposite: When building a house, an educated consumer is their own best advocate.
NYSERDA
This is the New York agency that deals with all things energy. They not only administer all the state and federal rebates and tax credits, they also support basic building science research though grants and symposia. It would do any homeowner well to familiarize yourself with this agency.
Energy Star Program
The Energy Star program is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It’s one of the largest and best-known energy savings brand the government has, recognizable from the label on just about any appliance. They provide lots of information about available products, but did you know that you can have a home built with an Energy Star rating? The EPA also administers the New Zero program, which aims to affect these important issues on a large scale, but is also chock full of terrific information on what’s coming and cutting edge that we will see in the general market in the future.
Passive House Institute
The original organization that began researching, designing, and eventually certifying
high-performance housing is based in Germany, but very active all over the US. Their website (Passivehouse.com) is a bit information-dense, but search can find you valuable science-based information on just about any aspect of this kind of building. Their website contains some of the best resources for Passive House education and certification, as well as connections to active regional members, like Passive House Empire State, the chapter that LDR Group is active in.
BuildingAdvisor.com
This is a very well-known site for builders and remodelers, and for DIY homeowners who are looking for practical advice on just about anything to do with buildings. Some of the archive articles are a bit dated, but all of the advice is solid, especially if cross referenced with the next resource.
PHIUS
The US-based outgrowth of Passive House Institute. The certification processes and requirements are similar, but different, some of which are more appropriate for some types of buildings than others. In reality, the agency
that certifies has more to do with the architect/ builder you choose. Both will result in a home that is light years ahead of the standard code-built home in comfort, energy use, and resiliency available from the vast majority of homebuilders. PHIUS also has a local chapter that is very active in the Hudson Valley.
Greenbuildingadvisor.com
Greenbuildingadvisor.com is a wonderful resource that is utilized by novice and advanced builders alike. I have been a member for years (if you are building or remodeling, it’s just $15 a month to join) and make extensive use of their drawing detail library to explain concepts to clients and sub-contractors alike.
Maybe under the warming light of all of these incredible resources that are available to us, we should adopt a new tag line? A self-educated consumer is their own best customer!
Jeff Eckes is the CEO of LDR Group, a Passive House a design/build/renovate contractor located in the Mid-Hudson Valley. His new podcast on high-performance housing technologies, “Passive Aggressive,” is available on podcast platforms.
ABOVE AND BEYOND
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ROOF AND ROOFER
By Anne Pyburn Craig
Take a moment to appreciate your roof. Through rain and snow, hail and wind and blazing sun, it keeps you, your loved ones and your belongings cozy. When was the last time you showed it some love? Whether you climb up there yourself, hire a pro, or send up a drone, it’s important to get a visual on your roof’s well-being every year or so, before minor problems morph into major messes.
“Keep an eye out for moss, and for shingles that are loose, curling up or missing, and flashing [the material used where the verticals meet the horizontals] that doesn’t look neat and clean,” says Patrick Sheeley, owner of High Falls-based Sheeley Roofing. “Generally, if your roof is over 15 years old, it may be time to have a professional take a look.”
You’ll also want to get professionals involved if you’re contemplating adding structure up there, such as a solar array or a green roof setup. “If you’re planning to install solar, it’s a really good idea to put a new roof on first,” says Sheeley. “You don’t want your roof to come to the end of its useful life before your solar panels do.”
To find the right contractor, Sheeley suggests
starting with anyone in your circle who’s recently re-roofed for word-of-mouth wisdom from trusted sources. “Word-of-mouth referrals are always most reliable. A good internet presence and positive reviews are also good indicators,” he says.
Beware low bids from people cutting the wrong corners: Just about every town requires a permit for roof work, and reputable contractors won’t advise skipping that step. They’ll also be properly insured, with workers’ compensation and liability policies that specifically cover roof work. “Always ask a prospective contractor if they’ll be getting the permit and if it’s included in the estimate,” says Sheeley. “When a homeowner signs a contract with us, they’re asked to sign a building permit application at the same time.”
A variety of factors will come into play when you’re deciding whether to use asphalt shingles or splurge on metal, which is costlier but can last over twice as long. A roof made of steel or galvalume (a patented zinc/aluminum blend) can easily maintain its integrity for 40 years or more, whereas shingles typically need replacing after a couple of decades.
“Metal does get you out of the asphalt cycle, where
you’re ripping off old shingles and putting them in the landfill every 20 years,” says Sheeley. “Metal is 100-percent recyclable. Modern shingles are excellent quality products and we’re proud to install them, but if you want a roof that will last for generations, standing-seam metal is the clear choice. There’s a myth that metal is loud in the rain; that may be true in an old barn. On a house with typical insulation and interior construction, it may sound a little different but it won’t be loud.”
Metal roof installation is a highly skilled trade, and requires snow guards that keep gutters from getting slammed with masses of slippery slush. All in all, it’s a good choice for a forever or heirloom home. Keep in mind that whatever material you choose, lighter colors will keep your home cooler.
The right contractor can help you sort this and other issues, then waste no time in getting you cozy again. “Having your roof done can be stressful,” Sheeley says. “Somebody’s literally pulling the covers right off of your life. A good roofing contractor will put you at ease and take the time to address all your concerns, from the initial phone call to the final clean up.”
The pool house on a large property was designed to create spaces for multigenerational enjoyment. The house’s inception and design was a collaboration between family member Gabby Slome, architect Carol Kurth and interior designer Hilary Matt. Inside a hallway and staging area Matt incorporated rock climbing walls from Project Playroom (and safety mats) for active use throughout the seasons.
POOLSIDE ARCADIA
An extended family leans into togetherness with a new pool house
By Mary Angeles Armstrong
Photos by Rikki Snyder
When Gabby Slome had her second child in late February of 2020, and her first child’s school went on a “ brief” hiatus two weeks later, she and her husband retreated to her parents’ extended-family farm outside Elizaville. “ We came up for what we thought would be a long weekend,” says Slome, who cofounded Your Cooper, a parenting, education and community platform. It was familiar terrain for Slome, who’d spent childhood summers in the property ’s original farmhouse. “It was sort of a silver lining timing-wise because I knew my parents would be around to help.”
The former farm property also included the original barn, a recently built, larger house, plenty of surrounding acreage to roam, and a small lake the family affectionately refers to as “the pond.” With space to accommodate youngest to oldest, Slome’s siblings eventually followed suit. Ten days quickly became 10 months. With everyone hunkered down together, Slome made a realization: She’d stumbled into something really special. “My husband had more time with us than ever before; my dad was teaching the kids how to swim; and my mom was playing with them in a way I don’t always have patience for,” she explains. “It was all really nice.”
So Slome and her husband decided to dive in. “The more time we spent here, the more we continued to love it,” she says. “ We wanted to invest in additional features to make the property more useful for everyone.” Their idea of how to successfully achieve their design goal came that lockdown summer, when they took a brief hiatus from their hiatus and visited the Hamptons for a week. “ We stayed in a house with a variety of spaces that just flowed from the house to the pool,” says Slome. “The design was an inspiration. It was a way to spend time together but also prioritize harmony and comfort.”
They realized with the right design, a pool house could provide relaxed spaces for adults, hangout areas for cousins to deepen bonds, and ample overflow space for guests. To manifest their vision, the family turned to architect Carol Kurth, who had designed the “ modernist, minimalist, barn-inspired” main house in 2017. Kurth quickly got onboard with the plans. “ The main house was a vision the family had to create a country home where they all could gather,” Kurth explains. “ They wanted to extend that vision to shelter in place, with the ability to have other family members shelter with them.” Directive in hand, Kurth set out to make the family ’s multi-functioning, multigenerational pool house a reality.
Just Dive In
First things first: By definition, a pool house required a pool. Kurth set out to site the project so it was both accessible and aesthetically pleasing. “ We wanted to preserve the panorama from the main house to the lake,” says Kurth. “But we also didn’t want the family walking a mile to get there.” They chose a spot adjacent to the foot of the lake, down slope from the main house. Kurth angled the 55-foot-by-25-foot pool so that one long edge would offer a water view, then designed submerged seating along the length. The opposite side accommodates a lap lane and the pool’s shallow end has an extended submerged sun shelf for safely splashing around. The pool’s proximity to the lake required closely coordinating with the Department of Environmental Protection to minimize the project’s environmental impact on the nearby wetlands. The lakeside setting also influenced Kurth’s aesthetic choices. “ We wanted the pool’s surface to mimic the color of the nearby lake,” says Kurth. “ We didn’t want it to be a bright Florida blue.” Kurth chose a French gray shade of gunite for the pool’s inlay and, to further blur the aesthetic boundary between lake and pool, added a waterfall infinity edge along the deep end that visually flows into the setting (but actually flows to a catch basin below). “It gives a
The pool house was carefully sited at the foot of the property’s small lake. In her planning Kurth had to thread the needle between capturing the stunning setting but not obstructing the vistas.
“Selecting the location was a study in both design planning and field surveying,” she says.
“The views and relationship to the lake were paramount. We also wanted to preserve the vista from the main house.”
very natural, soft water effect,” says Kurth. “On some days the pool water and lake look exactly the same.”
Left: The playful, multi-functional bathroom has both interior and exterior entrances and focuses on an all-ages aesthetic. A doublewide trough sink makes washing up easy and Matt incorporated open shelving to ensure pool towel accessibility. The wallpaper, from “Walls Need Love” adds a pop of color and whimsy to the design. “We wanted to create a functional bathroom for running in and out of the pool,” says Matt. “But we didn’t want the space to be taken too seriously, which made designing it so fun.”
Right: three of the pool house bedrooms emphasize serenity and maximize the lakeside setting. (The fourth serves as an oversized bunk room for kids.) In one room Matt paired a hanging Articolo hanging pendant with a natural wood side table by Leann Ford. The CB2 bed features Cravat Lee Jofa pillows and RH Italian linens.
Double Duty Design
The pool was finished in 2021 and the next year Kurth broke ground on the 2,560-square-foot pool house pavilion. The siting had been planned in coordination with the pool, and the design took its cue from the property ’s main house.
“The property ’s peaked roof barn inspired the architecture of the main house which we wanted to carry over to the pool house,” says Kurth. “So we worked with the gable-andwood truss effect to create a modern, barn-like structure, infused with a playful-yet-refined aesthetic.” Incorporating shade was vital, so Kurth extended one gable to create a covered patio poolside and added deep overhangs to keep the interiors cool during summer.
Kurth clad the structure in rustic horizontal Thermory beams which blend with the wooded surroundings but provide superior weather resistance. “The family wanted to use the house during the winter months as well,” says Kurth. “So we fully winterized the rooms.” Throughout the structure oversized windows and full-glass walls provide abundant, unimpeded views to the landscape and pull the outdoors inside. The structure’s outdoor spaces were just as carefully planned, with a cascade of stone steps leading from the main house to the pool pavilion, and natural wood and bluestone elements incorporated throughout the patio design.
True to its anti-hierarchical nature, Kurth incorporated
a series of entrances leading to multi-use spaces that are designed for double duty. One side door leads to a mudroom with a long bench and concealed storage. “It can accommodate both pool supplies and suitcases,” says Kurth. “I also added a concealed laundry here for convenience.” Another door provides direct access from the pool to a full bathroom, which can be closed off alternatively from both the interior and exterior for swimmers or guests. “It’s a compartmentalized design that allows flexibility for multiple users,” says Kurth. A double-wide trough sink and a full bathtub add to the space’s flexibility. Throughout the house, additional sliding glass doors lead directly poolside or to the surrounding meadow.
Climbing the Walls
To further the interior ’s summer camp aesthetic, Slome enlisted interior designer Hilary Matt. Matt, who’d worked with Slome on previous projects and understood the family dynamic, got the idea right away. “It’s a free-spirited weekend retreat,” she says. “The family ’s main focus was to create fun gathering areas for the kids and family that remained sophisticated and appealing to adults.” That meant incorporating durable, kid-friendly surfaces that could easily be wiped down throughout the interior and exterior spaces (”I pictured wet kids sprawled all over the spaces,” notes Matt) but keeping the color palette soothing for the grownups and infusing a warm, welcoming vibe throughout the complex.
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1
Crescent Lane, New Paltz, New York
Private and serene 4 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, 3200 sf Colonial style home in New Paltz on a .69-acre lot bordering the 8,000-acre Mohonk Preserve. is roomy, airy house was expanded, modernized and fully renovated in 1998. Key features: open kitchen with custom cabinets & granite topped central island, a large dining area facing the wooded back yard, sun- lled family room, formal living room with wood-burning replace, 3-season enclosed sun room. Ground oor study has full wall of custom cherry builtin book shelves. Expansive master bedroom has a cathedral ceiling, large walk-in closet, and master bath with Jacuzzi tub. Other features include: 2 car enclosed garage, hardwood oors, central A/C system with remote controlled thermostats for heating and cooling, whole house Generac generator, well with its own pure mountain water, 8-foot deer fence surrounding the entire property. is house is situated in a small community of homes built in the 1960’s with a shared mowed playing eld, large pavilion for picnics and gatherings, trout stocked pond. e house is a 10-minute drive from downtown New Paltz and the campus of SUNY New Paltz.
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With floor-to-ceiling windows and an 18-foot vaulted ceiling the dining area feels immersed in the lakeside surroundings. Both Matt and Kurth maximized the setting throughout the design details, both small and large. “The linear architecture of the pool, landscape, and pool house leaves off where the nuanced soft interiors begin,” says Kurth. “Keeping with a minimal color palette of gray and cream creates visual harmony, drawing your eyes outdoors to the changing surroundings.”
Matt also wanted to maximize the structure’s indooroutdoor flow, pulling as much of the surroundings inside as possible. “The property is such an important part of the design,” says Matt. “ We didn’t want to take away from the expansive views so we kept the interiors minimal.” Kurth centered the pavilion around the open-concept family room 18-foot-high vaulted ceilings. At one end, a dining area with an eight-seat table offers direct views of the lake through walls of windows. Matt hung pendant lights encased in basket weaving to add charm. At the rooms opposite end, ample sofas and seating are perfect for family movie nights. A mini kitchen is set in-between, along the wall.
Matt outfitted the four bedrooms for a variety of sleeping arrangements. In the primary suite, soft fabrics and softer tones complement the view through sliding glass doors. A tiled walk-in shower and minimalist fixtures provide stark contrast to the structure’s lively shared bathroom, which Matt
finished with blue jewel tiling and wallpaper festooned with a swimming motif. Two additional bedrooms match the suite’s serene styling.
Kurth designed a large bunk room for the younger set with two sets of double bunks accommodating maximum kid overflow. Matt added monkey bars along the wall and ceiling for light roughhousing and tucked a reading nook in the far corner. Matt also incorporated climbing walls into the design of the adjacent staging area. “Both the monkey bars and climbing wall are unexpected and fun, something a pool house can pull off that a regular house might not,” says Matt. “Also I know from experience how much use they both get with kids around. “
Slome is happy with the results and continues to add to the property ’s flex spaces. Next is an outdoor kitchen project for everyone to use. “ We love how the property has grown and evolved with the family,” she says. “I hope my kids eventually bring their kids too.”
RENOVATION RENAISSANCE
Three Home Improvement Trends On the Rise
The 2020s have officially ushered in the golden age of renovation. Thanks to the continuing shifts in work-life routines post-pandemic and higher mortgage rates keeping more homeowners in place, home improvement spending has increased by more than $150 billion since 2019. All that investment has revealed some pretty intriguing renovation trends over the last few years.
“Homeowners today are refreshing their spaces in a whole new light,” says Kim Williams, Senior VP of family-owned Williams Lumber & Home Centers. With seven locations, including two design centers in Pleasant Valley and Rhinebeck, Williams has been a go-to for home improvement in the Hudson Valley since 1946. “Homeowners are redesigning their spaces in ways that not only cater to their practical needs and their home’s resale value, but also better support themselves and their families’ physical and emotional wellbeing,” Williams says.
One leading company that Williams recommends for their customers’ renovations, due to its commitment to quality and forward-thinking design, is family-owned window and door manufacturer Marvin. Earlier this year, Marvin published a report that tracks renovation trends that are on the rise. Here are three that Williams is seeing herself, paired with the Marvin products that are helping Williams customers transform daily life at home.
Spaces that Center Wellbeing
“In a busy world, it’s more important than ever to carve out space at home for hitting the reset button,” says Williams. Whether it’s a peaceful spot to take a break from the home office or a nook that feels like it’s worlds away from the kids’ clutter, homeowners are increasingly looking to curate a sense of calm in any renovation project. Additionally, Williams says, homeowners are remodeling to increase their access to natural light, which has a positive effect on
everything from mood to productivity to regulating sleep cycles.
“Marvin’s award-winning Skycove is a retreat all to itself,” Williams says. This new take on a bay window is an energy-efficient, self-supporting glass structure that projects into the open air. It provides up to 20 square feet of additional usable space and can stand up to harsh weather and the temperatures of any climate. According to Williams, Skycove is designed to maximize natural light and provide a breathtaking panoramic view. It makes a handy hideaway for enjoying a cup of coffee, escaping into a book, or taking in the changing seasons.
Smart Home Solutions that Enhance Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency has long been a priority for many homeowners embarking on a renovation. The rise in interest in Marvin’s high-performance triple pane windows and doors, which better insulate and keep
Family-owned window and door manufacturer Marvin creates products that respond to a range of lifestyle needs and emerging design trends.
Opposite: Many homeowners are now renovating their spaces with wellbeing in mind, adding or expanding existing windows and doors to increase their access to natural light, which has a positive effect on mood, productivity, and regulating sleep cycles.
heat and air conditioning inside, are one testament to that, Williams says. Now, homeowners are also looking to integrate smart home technology into their renovations as an easy, automatic way to reduce energy costs while tailoring their spaces to their specific lifestyle needs.
“Marvin’s Awaken skylight is the first skylight to offer built-in, tunable lighting that mimics the ideal color temperature of natural light,” she says. Awaken’s energy-efficient LED lighting can be adjusted via panel, app, or smart home system, so homeowners can seamlessly support their circadian rhythms and ease transitions from day to night. Its innovative, four-sided venting system, which only surrounds the perimeter of the unit instead of obscuring the glass, is also designed to quickly circulate fresh air into the home, and is equipped with smart sensors that detect rain and airquality issues.
Design for Aging-In-Place
Many homeowners want to stay in their homes as they
get older, so that means that renovations that center aging-in-place are on the rise. According to Williams, incorporating additional windows during a remodel will help optimize lighting, boosting visibility and reducing risks for falls. Widening both interior and exterior doorways and implementing zero-threshold entries can also eliminate tripping hazards and enhance accessibility.
Williams loves Marvin Essential windows for their large sizing and clean sightlines, as well as its multislide doors, which can reach heights up to 12 feet tall and widths over 50 feet—offering expansive openings and panoramic views that homeowners are sure to love for years to come.
As the Hudson Valley’s premier dealer of Marvin windows and doors, the Williams Lumber showroom in Rhinebeck offers homeowners the opportunity to find inspiration and explore options for their next project in person. Williams’s expert design team are on-hand to guide customers through the process of selecting and ordering the right windows and doors for their home.
KINGSTON
IA New Era
By Anne Pyburn Craig Photos by David McIntyre
n August of 2023, Kingston adopted zoning changes that had been seven years in the making.
Dubbed “Kingston Forward,” the form-based code updated regulations in place since 1961 to allow mixed-use neighborhoods and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), loosen parking requirements, and otherwise encourage incremental infill rather than sprawl. The plan drew approving nods from land use organizations like Planetizen and Strong Towns, and last spring was singled out for awards from the New York Conference of Mayors and the Congress for New Urbanism.
“This makes it much easier to build new housing in Kingston,” says Bartek Starodaj, Kingston’s director of housing initiatives. “The old code was very regimented: only single family homes here, only industrial there. This code is all about the mixing of uses and lifting restrictions on density: Multifamily, corner stores, and small-format commercial businesses can be anywhere, which is a return to our historic urban fabric. Our goal is to approve 1,000 units of new housing by 2029.”
The clock on that count started in January. Since then, 50 new units have been approved, and Starodaj says there are larger projects on the drawing board that, once fully approved, will add significant numbers to that count. Two previously approved
projects—164 workforce and affordable units at Golden Hill, site of the former county jail, and the 100-unit mixed-use and mixed income Barrel Factory proposal slated for Cornell Street—received grant funds totaling over $14 million from the state’s Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund. A city-sponsored design contest yielded pre-approved plans for an ADU that moderate-income or lower-income property owners can get grants to build in exchange for charging affordable rent for 10 years. And in June, the Kingstonian, a mixed-use project approved in 2022 that includes 143 apartments, a hotel, and 8,000 square feet of commercial space Uptown, emerged from years of lawsuits that sought to block it.
No one move will solve the supply issues that have driven an affordability crisis that’s been building for a couple of decades, hard on the heels of the IBM departure that cut over 7,000 jobs, but no one could accuse Kingston officialdom of not trying, on this or a number of other fronts: the city’s website Engagekingston.com invites citizens to weigh in on a long list of projects, initiatives, and issues.
THE SCENE
Last spring, Anne Sanger teamed up with two like-minded entrepreneurs and reinvented her art gallery as a component of Kingston Social,
a cafe/mercantile/gallery space ensconced in a vintage space directly across the street from the county office building. “It’s been amazing,” she says. “After two months open, we’re still seeing a steady, increasing flow, and we’ve got a good mix of regulars—from young parents to office workers on break to seniors—who’ve adopted us as home base. We get people from all over Ulster County, of course, wanting to relax after handling whatever business; then we get old-school Kingston residents who are happy to have a spot serving great coffee. And we’ve been discovered by a lot of Italian visitors who come in and say ‘I feel like I’m at home.’ Then my business partner Helena [Palazzi], who does our coffee, starts speaking fluent Italian to them and their minds are blown.”
When Kingston Social participated in Upstate Art Weekend in July, Sanger was thrilled to have so many spots all over town to recommend to artminded visitors. “I told people not to miss the spots on the official map, but I also gave them a bunch of suggestions for places that are just popping up and getting started—they can be in on whole new discoveries. The scene is burgeoning, nascent, and crackling. I’m absolutely loving every bit of it.”
Another of Sanger’s favorite kinds of fun is all things vintage. “We have Red Owl and Kingston
ZIP CODE: 12401
POPULATION: 24,018
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $62,071
PROXIMITY TO MAJOR CITY: 100 miles from New York City; 56 miles from Albany
TRANSPORTATION: Kingston is accessible by Exit 19 on the New York State Thruway. Adirondack Trailways buses stop in Kingston. The nearest Amtrak station is 11 miles away in Rhinecliff. Nineteen miles away in Poughkeepsie, both Amtrak and Metro-North stop. Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) buses run throughout Kingston and to New Paltz and Saugerties.
NEAREST HOSPITAL: HealthAlliance Hudson Valley operates a newly refurbished campus on Mary’s Avenue on the site of the former Benedictine Hospital.
SCHOOLS: The Kingston City School District includes seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. Private schools include Kingston Catholic School, Good Shepherd Christian, Montessori School of Kingston. SUNY Ulster County operates a satellite campus near the high school.
Consignment, Lovefield Vintage, and Capitol Vintage and Reracked. There’s a lot of really fantastic vintage shopping here, from high-end to bargain, and it’s becoming a great spot to hunt for furniture, decor, and clothing. It makes sense, after all—you have art fiends and you have vintage fiends, and we’re often the same people.”
THE MARKET
“Right at this moment, Kingston has 38 current active and contingent listings, 13 of which have accepted offers, so that leaves only 25 that are fully available, ranging from $177,000 to $1.8 million,” Halter Associates realtor Brian Cafferty told us in late July. “And there are an additional 14 homes currently pending in contract, from $170,000 to $899,000, so it’s quite a price spread. Properties aren’t sitting around, either; our average days-on-market dropped by almost a week from last year. Cafferty says that most sellers are getting their asking prices. “Of course, in this kind of market, you’ll find a few sellers who get irrationally exuberant with their pricing and end up having to adjust. But if you compare sale price to initial list price, even with that included, it comes out to 97 percent, around the same as 2023.”
With supply so tight, Cafferty says, potential buyers need to be prepared to compete— multiple offers are still a thing in Kingston. “Sadly, you can probably forget about an FHA mortgage—in these conditions, those offers are bound to go to the bottom of a pile of 20-percent-down-in-cash possibilities. I ask people if there’s anyone they know who can help; once they own the property, they can refinance and repay the rich uncle or whoever. Sellers expect 20 percent down, and when a house costs nearly half a million, that’s $100,000 cash—it’s just not a really affordable market right now.”
At press time, a 1,350-square-foot threebedroom in need of considerable TLC was contingent at $159,000, and a 150-by-150-foot corner lot in the Rondout with river views, a “slice of heaven waiting for your visionary touch” could be purchased for $150,000. A two-bedroom cottage in the heart of Uptown, with room for a garden, was on the market at $275,000. For $699,000, one could consider a 3,200-square-foot mixed-use brick with two apartments and a turnkey restaurant, and a well-kept six-bedroom Tudor with stone patio and Juliet balcony had just hit the market for $1.2 million.
POINTS OF INTEREST: Ulster Performing Arts Center, Senate House State Historic Site, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Rondout Lighthouse, Pine Street African Burial Ground, Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History, Stockade District, Forsyth Nature Center, Matthewis Persen House Museum, Kingston Point Beach, Old Dutch Church, Rondout-West Strand Historic District, Empire State Trail.
Cindy Hoose opened Red Owl Collective, a multi-vendor antique and vintage emporium, in Midtown Kingston in 2023. Opposite: The River Pavilion restaurant is part of the renovated Hutton Brickyard, a riverfront hotel and event venue on Kingston’s former industrial waterfront.
• Great Barrington
NEW PALTZ
FFully Engaged
By Anne Pyburn Craig Photos by David McIntyre
or the third time in two decades, the village and town of New Paltz are considering consolidation. The town occupies 34.3 square miles; the village packs much of the commercial and historic core and about half the population into less than two, and was incorporated two centuries after the town’s founding. Fire and police coverage are handled by single entities; both town and village are Climate Smart, Housing Smart, and share many other concerns. To an unversed observer, it might seem that merging governing boards and departments would be a simple way to save a few dollars.
Village Mayor Tim Rogers thinks it might be simpler now that new facilities have been constructed for the police and fire departments, resolving issues that drew ire during the previous attempt back in 2013. But the devil’s in the details, from budget lines and tax codes to the precise terminology involved. The merger concept, every time it’s come up since the 1970s, has flopped; none of the people working on the proposal will really know until the planned referendum in 2025 whether they’ve found the secret sauce.
“This town is not without its issues,” says educator Bianca Tanis, who arrived in 1994 to
attend SUNY New Paltz and never left. “We have all of the same social and economic issues as anywhere else. But there’s a lot of intelligent conversation around them, which is one of many things I deeply love. And having a young adult child here, watching him grow up and engage, become active and aware of the community, is really heartening.”
Tanis, whose older son just graduated from her alma mater, still recalls her very first impressions of the place. “I grew up in the downstate suburbs, and when I was 15, my parents took us to Mohonk to see the leaves and we drove through. I saw kids hanging out on the street, playing guitars in doorways, people dressed, you know, however. I was enthralled.”
One of her fondest memories just turned 20. “I remember when Jason West performed the gay marriages—I was there, with my son in his stroller— and the Westboro Baptist Church came to town. Jason had put the word out—don’t engage, don’t counter-demonstrate, just ignore them. The town was of one mind on that, and it was beautiful—their screams of hatred just fell into the empty air. A community that’s active and engaged isn’t always easy. Sometimes it gets heated. But I’d never want to live somewhere where people weren’t engaged.”
THE SCENE
As you’d expect in a college town, New Paltz is well supplied with pizza shops and bars, well-blended with other cuisines and recreational options. Many people, Tanis included, are here for the great outdoors—and a great outdoors it is, with the Shawangunk Ridge at the far end of a six-mile loop trail that connects the edge of the village to the Mohonk Preserve. “Whether you’re walking or driving, you have the ability to escape to a beautiful spot in the woods,” she says. One of the things I love is that ease of access seems to be increasing. And if some people don’t like that, well, it’s New Paltz. There are going to be people who don’t like anything.”
Walter Marquez grew up just half an hour away and has spent the last quarter-century working here, first running a small independent shop, then running the Antiques Barn and Antiques on Main at Water Street Market, where he manages the overall operation of 20 or so indie shops and eateries for owner Harry Tabak. “When I started here 20 years ago, we didn’t get a lot of traffic,” he says, “but the property owner and I got together on a promotional campaign, and now the weekends are mob scenes. We don’t really do outdoor movies anymore—we
ZIP CODE: 12561
POPULATION: 15,067
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $86,091
PROXIMITY TO MAJOR CITY: New Paltz is 83 miles from Manhattan.
TRANSPORTATION: Adirondack Trailways offers frequent bus service to Manhattan and Albany. Ulster-Poughkeepsie LINK buses connect to Amtrak and Metro-North. New Paltz is located at Exit 18 off the Thruway.
NEAREST HOSPITAL: Vassar Brothers Medical Center is 12 miles away in Poughkeepsie; HealthAlliance Hospital is 14 miles away in Kingston.
SCHOOLS: Students attend Duzine Elementary through second grade and Lenape Elementary for grades three through five, then move on to New Paltz Middle School and New Paltz High School. Mountain Laurel Waldorf School serves children in grades pre-K through eight.
POINTS OF INTEREST: Mohonk Mountain House, Mohonk Preserve, Water Street Market, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, SUNY New Paltz, Historic Huguenot Street, River-to-Ridge Trail, Dorsky Museum of Art, John R. Kirk Planetarium, Shawangunk Wine Trail, Elting Memorial Library, Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary, Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.
have the Denizen Theater now, and they just had a whole film festival—but we do our Fourth Friday celebrations, bring in a band and vendors. We have a magician who comes and performs for the kids, and people come whenever they feel like it and just start playing music.”
Marquez says he enjoys managing both the 35-vendor Antique Barn and the total of 60 stakeholders and is never bored with his work. “It’s a fascinating place, because everyone involved brings something a little different to the game,” he says. “And so do the visitors—we have people from the other side of the planet, we have locals who are here every day, show up in the morning for their coffee and breakfast and then just hang out, cruise the shops.”
“I love walking down the street and running into people I know,” says Tanis. “And I love living in the kind of town where you go for an evening stroll and a total stranger might walk up to you and recite a Ferlinghetti poem.”
THE MARKET
Matt Eyler’s firm, New Paltz Properties, handles mostly commercial real estate, but he handles a few houses and keeps his eye on the big picture.
“There’s still a tight supply,” he says. “I think a lot of it has to do with interest rates; people don’t want to give up their low-interest mortgages. It feels like there’s a bit of “wait and see” involved, with buyers hoping interest rates will come down. But there are people who have to move, so there’s still a strong market, although not at the kind of fever pitch we saw before.”
Eyler says that if things aren’t quite cooling off, they are getting a bit more rational. “Price point matters; middle-range stuff is selling really well, whereas some of the more expensive places take time to find a buyer. And sellers who overestimate, who expect the market to just keep hitting new highs, might need to pivot to a strategy where the property is clearly a good value, at least by today’s metrics.”
At press time, Realtor.com had a total of 80 listings in New Paltz, ranging from a threebedroom mobile home at $125,900 to the 88-acre Bontecou Farm, with historic stone farmhouse, greenhouse, fruit orchards, and views of the Shawangunk Ridge and the Wallkill River, on the market for 82 days at $3.4 million. In between, condos and three-bedroom ranches and colonials were listing between $250,000 to $500,000.
Melissa Scheibner, community manager at Tweenfontein Herb Farm. Opposite: Smiley Tower atop the Shawangunk Ridge is an iconic partof the New Paltz landscape.
Eric Ehrnschwender and Hannah Vaughn outside their stone cottage. The official rectory of the Episcopalian Church of the Ascension in West Park, the threestory cottage sits on the church’s riverside property. Since moving there in 2019, the couple have begun volunteering onsite and enjoy the congregation’s welcoming atmosphere. “They’re glad to have someone here who appreciates the building,” says Vaughn.
RECTORY SET
A quest for a rental leads to a a cottage with a higher calling
By Mary Angeles Armstrong
Photos by Winona Barton-Ballentine
Taking basic materials, let’s say clay or metal pipes or even ventilation tubing and vinyl material, and then throwing out (or just reworking) the instruction manual to create something surprising and a bit sublime is a talent sculptors Eric Ehrnschwender and Hannah Vaughn share. In 2019, when the two went searching for a rental halfway between their respective Hudson Valley work studios, they immediately saw raw potential in an ethereal stone house above the Hudson River. The rectory of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in West Park, the cottage had been sitting empty but still proselytized charm. Spread out over three narrow stories, it had two bedrooms under the eaves, a dirt-floor garage and windowed storage at the ground level, and lots of extra potential nooks and crannies in between.
“I think we are both pretty scrappy,” explains Ehrnschwender, who primarily works with clay. “I’m more craft oriented. I really love shop furniture, things not precious that can take a beating—things made with care out of scrap and leftover bits. “Vaughn, primarily a furniture designer who is “drawn to texture and raw materials” is equally gifted at detecting beauty in the mundane. “I love straight geometric shapes riffing off elemental square, circular and triangular forms,” she says.
“I like to see the force that things are made with—straight forward, brutal designs.” The stone rectory had all the raw material to become a cozy, vibrant cottage for two working artists—it just needed Vaughn and Ehrnschwender ’s slightly off-kilter creative ministrations to become polished stone.
Higher Ground
Vaughn and Ehrnschwender first met while attending graduate school at Cranbook Academy of Art in Michigan. Just friends during their studies, they parted ways after graduating in 2016 and each made their way to the Hudson Valley separately in the year to follow. Ehrnschwender, an Ohio native, got a job working for a sculptor in Woodstock immediately after graduate school and moved to an apartment in the heart of the village. Vaughn took a slightly more circuitous route, spending time in Chicago and her native California before landing in Newburgh temporarily after a breakup. “I went everywhere wondering ‘ Would you be my home?’” explains Vaughn. “My mom is a bookbinder and has lived in Newburgh for about 15 years so I already had plenty of friends in the area.” She quickly realized relocating
to the Hudson Valley on a full-time basis would be a savvy career move. “For me, landing in Newburgh was a strategic decision,” Vaughn says. “It was a place I could afford to have an apartment and a studio with space to make large furniture pieces and retain connections to the New York design world. “
The two reconnected after running into each other and then soon began dating. By 2019 they were tired of the hour commute to see each other, and so decided to find a place to share half way between Atlas Studios in Newburgh, where Vaughn runs a contemporary furniture studio, and the studio Ehrnschwender was managing at the time in Woodstock. “Both of our buildings were changing ownership or renovating and so our leases were up at the same time,” says Vaughn. “It was kind of perfect.”
Small problem: The halfway point fell somewhere along the long stretch of 9W in Espous, which had very few rental options. Vaughn was determined anyway, poring over the range of online classified sites until she stumbled across a listing on Zillow. “The pictures weren’t that clear,” she says. “ You couldn’t tell that it was a stone house, even. But the location was perfect.” So she went to check the place out.
The couple in their corner kitchen. Vaughn, a furniture designer and sculptor, runs her own furniture design studio at Atlas Studios in Newburgh. Vaugh crafted the wooden kitchen table. The abstract print above is by her father, Phillip Vaughn.
Top: In the living room a pull-out couch was a hand-me-down from Vaughn’s mother. The couple didn’t like the couch’s puffy arms, so they tore them off and added plywood. Above the couch is a print by Amy Rinaldi, a metal sculpture by Ehrnschwender, and a print by Phillip Vaughn. Ehrnschwender made the metal chandelier and Vaughn built the coffee table.
Bottom: The expansive bathroom has a clawfoot tub and penny tile floor. “It’s easily one of the biggest rooms in the house,” Vaughn says. In the corner, Vaughn’s tube chair was made of ventilation tubing stretched over with vinyl.
Left: In Ehrnschwender’s workshop various ceramic works are in a state of creation. Ehrnschwender tends to mix and match objects and purpose in his work. His work is “suspended between the blunt logic of the mechanical and the slippery radiation of the interpersonal,” he explains.
Right: Vaughn and Ehrnschwender with some of his ceramic work. Through his creative process Ehrnschwender often compares and reinterprets objects and their meaning. “A pillar is pen, a wheel is a dinner plate, a leg is a branch, a hand is a magnet,” he says.
“As soon as I pulled up and saw the three story stone building I wanted to sign the lease immediately,” she says. The cottage had a front porch and plenty of wooded land around it. The materials and architecture echoed the neighboring gothic style Ascension Church. “I had to then try to play it cool, not a strong suit of mine, to convince Eric that this was the place.” But he soon saw her point, and the two decided to go for it.
Ministry of Art
The couple moved in during October of 2019 and got to work transforming the space into their own personalized live-work abode. They began by tackling the first-floor garage, cleaning out the rooms and transforming them into two workshop spaces. “ When we first saw this place there was a dead possum in here,” says Ehrnschwender. “It was terrible and the space required a lot of cleanup to make it usable.” After giving the wildlife a proper burial, Ehrnschwender sealed the dirt and gravel floor, then built out shelves to create a high functioning and versatile studio space. The addition of power tools and a small kiln completed the garage’s transformation to full work from home capability for Ehrnschwender, who uses it for his ceramic sculptures.
When the 2020 lockdown hit, the couple used their stayat-home time to uncover and recover the surrounding landscaping and terrace garden. Built into the side of a hill,
the gardens on each side of the house are on a downhill slope ending in a clump of bushes falling down the hill. They decided to clear out the brush at the bottom of the slope and discovered a stone retaining wall. “It had fallen down the hill,” explains Ehrnschwender. “I worked to pull it back up the hill and discovered a collection of stamped bricks in the process. “After restoring the wall, Ehrnschwender collected the bricks and then incorporated them into a new walkway entrance for the home.
Meanwhile, Vaughn decided to experiment with shade gardening alongside the house. Using additional bluestone they ’d uncovered, she built terrace gardens along the sloping hillside and planted various shade tolerant plants. The couple also established a mushroom log colony and built a raised bed for flowers in a sunny location next to the church food pantry.
On the home’s second floor, the couple’s kitchen and living room are filled with friends’ art and their own furniture creations. “At least half the pieces of furniture in our house are either made or adapted by Eric or myself,” says Vaughn. In the living room a large pullout couch handed down from Vaughn’s mother would make it possible for the couple to host guests. The only problem—Vaughn hated the couch’s round puffy arms. “So we took a Sawzall to it,” says Vaughn. “ We cut out the arms and then rebuilt the couch with big square Douglas fir plywood ends.”
The room’s modernist metal chandelier was also creatively adapted by Ehrnschwender. “It was based on a DIY chandelier plan from designer Lindsey Adelman’s Grand Bass website,” he says. “I liked it but realized it would be much too small for the room. “ So Ehrnschwender mapped out an expansion of the design’s connected metal tubes and added his own twist—making sure to counterbalance the extension with a piece of oak painted to match the brass tubing. One of Vaughn’s wooden tables completes the living room.
Upstairs two bedrooms and the home’s primary bathroom show signs of the couple’s creative lives. Vaughn built milk crate-style side tables out of salvaged wood which the couple now use as storage on either side of the bed. They converted the second bedroom into a sewing room and additional craft space for Vaughn who uses it for her smaller, softer creations. Since moving both Ehrnschwender and Vaughn have shifted careers. Ehrnschwender now runs the studio at Fall Kill Creative Works in Poughkeepsie. In addition to her own furniture company, Vaughn now also manages Sylvie, an online antique and design startup. However, even though it’s no longer their middle ground, they love the rectory and won’t leave it anytime soon. “ We both love the house and the community of folks in and around Ascension church,” says Vaughn who volunteers at the church’s food pantry. “Hannah gets all the credit on this one,” adds Ehrnschwender. “ We are really lucky. “
Top: Ehrnschwender converted the cottage’s former garage into a studio space after clearing it out and covering the gravel floor. Outside, work clearing overgrown landscaping revealed a trove of bricks. The couple salvaged the brick and used them to create a new entrance for the cottage.
Bottom: Inside, one of Ehrnschwender’s wooden works sits in the foreground. After clearing out the garage he added the workbench and shelves and is able to work there throughout the year.
ADIRONDACK DESIGN ARCHITECTURE
ADIRONDACK DESIGN ARCHITECTURE
ADIRONDACK DESIGN ARCHITECTURE
MICHAEL L. BIRD, A.I.A. ADIRONDACK DESIGN ARCHITECTURE
MICHAEL L. BIRD, A.I.A.
MICHAEL L. BIRD, A.I.A.
MICHAEL L BIRD, ARCHITECT PC ADIRONDACK DESIGN
ADIRONDACK DESIGN ARCHITECTURE
FRO M CO U NT RY ESTATES , TO SOP HISTICATED
MICHAEL L. BIRD, A.I.A.
TOWN HOUSE S , AND RUSTIC R ET REATS .
THE LUXURY LENS
UPSTATE CURIOUS TRACKS THE REGION’S HIGH-END REAL ESTATE BOOM
A renovated modernist home in Shandaken, recently listed by Upstate Curious and marked contingent in less than five days, offers a distinctive blend of high-end design and connection to nature valued in the region’s widening luxury market.
Photo by Phil Mansfield
Opposite Above: Curated spaces for outdoor living are one of the features that attract luxury buyers according to Upstate Curious. This contemporary home in Saugerties features a custom bluestone patio sourced from a local quarry and a firepit area.
Photo by Andrew
Arthur
Opposite Bottom: A contemporary home in Accord finished in 2024, recently listed by Upstate Curious, features hand-hewn beams reclaimed from a Victorian-era barn on site.
Photo by Phil Mansfield
When interviewed on a podcast earlier this year about her Ulster County farm, actress Amanda Seyfried compared the rural upstate abode where she lives full-time to being in a Mary Oliver poem. Just across the river in Dutchess County, actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton own a historic farmstead, along with a Rhinebeck candy shop in partnership with pal Paul Rudd, who also lives nearby.
For several years now, the Hudson Valley and the nearby Catskill Mountains have been a hidden haven of luxury homes owned by film industry stars and creatives of all stripes searching for a life that is unplugged, but connected. “The luxury lifestyle in our region is slow, not fast. It’s subtle, not flashy. It’s aspirational, but not exclusive. It’s not trendy, it’s evergreen,” is the description of upstate luxury coined by Megan Brenn-White, associate real estate broker and founder of the Upstate Curious Team at Compass, which covers 12 counties across the Catskills and Hudson Valley
While many people associate high-end real estate with the Hamptons or South Florida, according to Brenn-White, trends in Hudson Valley and Catskills real estate over the last two years are pointing toward its ascension as one of the nation’s most sought-after luxury home markets—thanks in part to its low-key reputation.
“When I started in real estate, there were barely any properties listed over $1 million here. Now, there is a large segment of listings between $1 to 2 million—and many that are much higher” she says. “We have seen a dramatic increase in the sale of luxury properties in our area, with incredible renovations, new builds, and very special properties commanding prices that were unheard of even a couple years ago. ”
Compass’s 2023 Ultra-Luxury Report, which profiles over 80 markets nationwide, says of the region’s outlook: “Once the best-kept secret in the luxury market, the Hudson Valley is now firmly on the radar of discerning buyers both nationally and internationally.”
Last year, Brenn-White’s team represented the buyers and sellers in the highest Compass Regional Sale of 2023. Sold for $4.88M was the 19th-century Accord farmstead owned by prominent British artists Gary Hume and Georgie Hopton. The bucolic 41.5-acre property included a meticulously updated farmhouse situated next to a spring-fed pond, several antique barns, and a 4,500-square-foot Corten steel-faced contemporary studio space.
But just what goes into the region’s luxury home je ne sais quoi? “To some extent, luxury is not just a price point,” says BrennWhite. “It’s in the character, the design, the setting, and so much more. People love this region, with its farms, beautiful landscapes,
access to nature, great restaurants and shops, and cultural offerings—and there is more to offer in that respect than ever.”
Living Close to the Source
From furniture makers to farmers, the Hudson Valley and Catskills have long attracted passionate creatives and entrepreneurs of all kinds. “My whole childhood, I always just wanted to be living up here,” says Brian Persico, a high-end furniture maker based in Windham. In 2015, he and his wife moved from Brooklyn to the Greene County property his family purchased when he was a kid. “All my living expenses went down, which made me able to be more creative. I didn’t have to hustle so hard. Being around nature all the time is the base inspiration for everything I make. It’s just so much more inspiring up here.”
“Over the last 10 to 15 years, the Hudson Valley has become such a haven for makers, and it has become much more desired by homeowners on the high end of the market,” says Bree Chambers, a real estate agent on the Upstate Curious Team who specializes in luxury listings. “People want to know the story behind everything, not just buy the product, and that’s especially true for people looking to buy a luxury home here.”
Anne Sanger, founder of Pinkwater Gallery in Kingston, has noticed that more than just viewing art as an investment, people in this area crave a connection to the pieces that will decorate their homes. “A couple recently came into the gallery who just bought a modern house in Stone Ridge. We started chatting as they were looking lovingly at a few paintings by Karen Barthes, and they wanted to hear about her life and what
prompted our retrospective,” she recalls. “People want the good things in life, but they want substance. It’s not just about the price tag.”
A Property with Room to Grow
It’s common knowledge at this point that the pandemic drove intense interest in Hudson Valley and Catskills real estate. The rise of remote work redrew the boundary lines of where many workers could live, but it was just one of several real estate trends that have defined the region’s luxury market in the past few years.
According to Merill, the investment and wealth management division of Bank of America, the greatest wealth transfer in history is already taking place, with $84 trillion in assets set to change hands over the next 20 years. But the Baby Boomer generation isn’t waiting for their wills to kick in to start passing on wealth to their families. The trend of “giving while living” means that Gen X, the Millennials, and Gen Z are already seeing help in the form of down payments for homes and real estate purchases that make room for the whole family.
“We’re seeing that it’s often the parents that want to buy a place for their kids and their grandkids to be close to them the way they were able to be together as a family during the pandemic,” says Diana Polack, an Upstate Curious real estate agent who partners with Chambers on listings. “They’re buying 30, 40, 50 acres. They want multi-generational living on one lot, but not the same building. Maybe there’s one main house on the property, and either there are already substructures on the property or something they will build in time.”
This modern farmhouse recently sold by Upstate Curious in Callicoon Center features a floorto-ceiling glass gable wall with dramatic Catskill Mountain views.
Photo by Phil Mansfield
Opposite: Founded in 2019 by CEO and associate real estate broker Megan Brenn-White, the Upstate Curious Team has expanded to 19 agents and eight support staff who cover 12 counties across the Catskills and Hudson Valley.
Photo by Kate Callahan
Putting the Quiet in Quiet Luxury
In a 2023 article that tracked the rise of quiet luxury in contemporary culture, the New York Times wrote that “As trends go, ‘stealth wealth’ was one well suited to a moment in which social media has made us all into de facto voyeurs,” and that the baseline requirements for the movement toward a more inconspicuous lifestyle are “privacy, discretion, and to a large extent anonymity.”
Anyone who has wandered far enough down a country lane in the Hudson Valley or Catskills knows the exact kind of anonymous, off-the-grid vibe that can still be had within a two-hour drive of New York City. “One of the major differences in this luxury market is the landscape—the remoteness of the hills and mountains and spread out nature of our small towns,” says Polack.
Georgian stone house in Hurley currently on the market with Upstate Curious. Originally built in 1688, the 3,569-square-foot home has been renovated throughout with modern interiors that include high-end appliances and custom cabinetry. Though sequestered on 13 pastoral acres with a saltwater pool, the property is just a five-minute drive from Uptown Kingston.
In Shandaken, in the northwest Catskills, a newly renovated modernist home designed by a German architect in 1976 that was recently listed by the team was marked as contingent in less than five days. Perched in the mountain treetops and surrounded by thousands of acres of public land, the home’s tall ceilings and walls of windows offer a carefully considered relationship with the natural environment.
For current availabilities or to talk about listing a home, contact:
Upstate Curious Team at Compass Upstatecurious.com (838)-UPSTATE Info@upstatecurious.com 5145 Route 209 Accord, NY 12404
“You can’t get that in the Hamptons,” says Chambers. “You can’t get 20 acres, you can’t get privacy.”
Design That Delights
Then, of course, there are the homes themselves. While Chambers and Polack acknowledge that there’s no one design feature that all high-end homebuyers are attracted to, the luxury properties that sell quickly and create lustworthy reactions among Upstate Curious’s 63 thousand Instagram followers all have an incredibly high level of materials and craftsmanship.
On the historic end of the spectrum is a five-bedroom
When it comes to the new construction homes that Upstate Curious represents, a sense of character is a must. A jet-black, 2,625-square-foot open concept home in Accord finished in 2024 currently on the market features handhewn beams that were reclaimed from a Victorian-era barn on site, blending the property’s rich past with top-of-theline contemporary design.
“The quality of the homes that are entering this end of the market is on a level that we’ve never seen before,” says Chambers. “People really care about the details.”
Featured on the Cover
Nestled in the woods of Saugerties, this new threebedroom contemporary home at 18 Diamond Court is currently on the market with the Upstate Curious Team at Compass.
Photo by Andrew Arthur Styling by Madelynn Hudson
A Window into the Future
VS1 GLASS HOMES ARE A REVOLUTION IN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
PHOTOS BY JULIAN SAFFORD
Safford’s second VS1 house has made glass-based, residential construction a plug-and-play possibility.
About the Engineer
Franz Safford Vs1home.com (845) 366-8466 Instagram @vs1glass
Almost every aspect of human life benefits from natural light: mood, sleep, productivity, and vitamin D levels just to name a few. The traditional design of homes, punctuated here and there by slivers of window, offers but a little taste of the sunshine that the mind and body needs—and often requires intensive and inefficient uses of natural resources, too. For the past nine years, architectural engineer Franz Safford has been exploring the benefits of living in a home made entirely of glass—a powerful nexus of technology and environmental consideration.
Safford’s VS1 Glass House in Tivoli, the first of its kind, followed almost four decades of his work to entirely reconceptualize the conventional building envelope.
Inspired by the Philip Johnson Glass House and I. M. Pei’s Louvre Pyramid, Safford spent 28 years developing a solution that responded to the modern architectural and environmental needs of buildings at an achievable cost.
In 2006, he invented VS1, an innovative curtain wall system that utilizes blade-shaped mullion and cast aluminum fittings to support the use of insulating, laminated, and monolithic panes of glass as the primary material for a building’s envelope. Safford founded
architectural services company Innovation Glass to bring the concept and its standard parts kit to boundarypushing buildings across the globe.
Since its introduction, VS1 has revolutionized the look and feel of dozens of large-scale commercial projects, as seen in the Central Bank of Ireland’s Dublin flagship building and the United Airlines terminal at LAX. High-profile New York projects include the feature facade at the new Resorts World Casino in Queens, and the glass walls of the new Statue of Liberty museum on Liberty Island.
In 2013, Safford purchased a property near Tivoli and began work to bring VS1 to the residential market. His own 4,200-square-foot home and Innovation Glass’s headquarters would be the model.
Living in the home, Safford says, has been glorious— especially when the weather’s intense. “There was one heavy rainstorm that was so dramatic that it looked like I was inside a waterfall,” he recalls. “I grabbed my camera to film and suddenly the waterfall disappeared and was replaced by all this green. A tree had snapped and landed on the roof. All it did was make a little thud— no crash, no cracks.”
The sense of immersion in nature, he says, is unimaginable. “When it thaws and then freezes, you get these icicles on the glass that make incredible light patterns when the sun hits,” he says. “When it snows and drifts, you’re inside the drift and completely toasty warm.”
The house’s primary source of heat is the passive energy of the sun coupled with radiant heat in all floors, while solar panels generate additional electricity. A smart home app controls the home’s shades and window coverings, and regulates the heating and cooling system in 12 different zones by responding to a rooftop weather station’s cues with automatic adjustments.
With the recent completion of the second VS1 house (dubbed “VS2”) located in the Catskills, Safford has officially made glass-based residential construction a plug-and-play possibility. “We needed certainty before we promoted this concept,” says Safford. “Now, we can do a kit, which can be assembled easily by anyone who knows building construction. It’s in the spirit of the IKEA concept, only all made in the USA and engineered for your climate conditions, and costs are about the same as stick-built. Or we can do a custom house that will be beyond your wildest dreams.”
Upstairs Oasis
FREESTYLE RESTYLE CRAFTS A TRANQUIL RETREAT ABOVE CHLEO WINE BAR
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Kate Cummings
Freestyle Restyle, Kingston Freestylerestyle.com
Instagram and Facebook @freestylerestyle
As the founder of Freestyle Restyle, a fullservice interior design studio based in Kingston, Kate Cummings’ philosophy is about finding the path to personalized design.
Her approach is what drew Hope and Charles Mathews, owners of Kingston’s popular Chleo wine bar, to work with her on the redesign of their apartment, which is located above the restaurant. “A lot of firms design in a way that’s specific to their look, but we loved how each project she did was an individual expression,” says Hope Mathews.
The result was a complete transformation that gave the Mathews a comfortable, sumptuously designed refuge from the hustle of restaurant life.
When the couple purchased the circa 1880s building, it had lived an eclectic life as a gift shop, ladies’ tailor, shoe store, travel agency, and pizza parlor—and showed it. “They knew that the building needed some updates, but didn’t realize the extent,” Cummings says. “There were five different floors laid atop of one another and even a large hole in the bathroom floor covered by a shower stall.”
The project became a full gut renovation of the
1,600-square-foot space, providing a blank slate that allowed Cummings to design responsively to the couple’s needs.
Previously two separate apartments, the residence was unified and expanded by removing several walls. In the process, they exposed an original brick wall in the living room that adds historic ambiance. A skylight was added to bathe the dining room in light and doublehung windows were replaced with casements to provide an Old World aesthetic. The flooring was removed and replaced with wire-brushed wide-plank wood. A cozy new breakfast nook now doubles as a home workspace. Throughout the space, Cummings used the Mathews’ desired color palette of rich, romantic jewel tones. One delightful surprise was the discovery of a muted pink tin ceiling that was too damaged to be used, so the designer recreated the ceiling in the kitchen and referenced the pink tone in a backsplash behind charcoal cabinets.
“The pink kitchen is a favorite feature,” Mathews says. “It’s totally different from what I’d typically go for—this rusty, dusty pink—but I love how it came out. Our home is everything we hoped for.”
Cummings designed this Kingston apartment as a refuge from its owners’ busy restaurant life. Photos by Kyle J. Caldwell. Styling by Gina Ciotti.
Mike Fanelli’s family album includes photos of him using a chop saw when he was only 10 years old. That’s the kind of skill you learn early on when your father and grandfather are in the trade. At 13 he helped construct the log cabin home his family built from the ground up.
“I was old enough to have a really good hands-on experience and it just stuck with me,” says Fanelli. “I was amazed by all the creativity that goes into it, so I decided to start my own company.”
In 1999, at the age of 23, he honored the family legacy by founding 3rd Generation Builders, which initially specialized in log cabins and timber frame homes. The construction company grew over the years, but after the ‘08 financial crisis, Fanelli decided to expand their services into all facets of construction. Challenging times offered the opportunity to employ tried-and-true skills in new and exciting ways.
“We’re doing a lot of high-end contemporary homes now, which I love to do,” says Fanelli. “But I still love that traditional log home feel.”
Prime examples are the Woodstock, Saugerties, and Hunter homes that 3rd Generation Builders constructed
Creative Craftsmanship
3RD GENERATION BUILDERS BLENDS TRADITION WITH MODERN DESIGN
in collaboration with Kalesis Design Studio and Barry Price Architecture. The interiors feature beautiful, contrasting hues and textures from the juxtaposition of wood (often milled on the property from trees cleared for the homes), stone, and other materials, while picture windows that capture the light enhance these stunning spaces.
“It’s been an inspiring journey to work with such a variety of contrasting materials and construction techniques at the forefront of building design and science,” Fanelli says.
The Lake Katrine-based company has earned acclaim for the craftsmanship employed in recent work, which includes private estates, passive certified homes, popular restaurants such as Medo in Woodstock, and wooded hideaways. Fanelli believes that passion and a commitment to excellence drive success for both his team and 3rd Generation’s clients.
“What I like to make sure of is that everybody is here because they love the craft,” he says. “They love to build and there’s something about it that resonates with them. I want to make sure that it’s about what you love first because that is always the start and end of everything good.”
Mike Fanelli 3rd Generation Builders, Lake Katrine 3rdgenerationbuilders.com
@3rdgenerationbuilders
3rd Generation Builders
Three stunning homes that 3rd Generation Builders constructed in collaboration with Kalesis Design Studio and Barry Price Architecture are a marriage of contemporary architecture and traditional craftsmanship.
An ApproachAward-Winning
FW INTERIORS DESIGN BRINGS STYLE & SOPHISTICATION TO EVERY PROJECT
As one of the most-sought-after design firms in the Hudson Valley, FW Interiors Design is dedicated to turning their clients’ dreams into reality. Their friendly and fun team of designers has over 20 years of experience, and offers full-service interior design services from offices in Wappingers Falls and South Florida.
Whether a client needs help selecting a few pieces, designing specific spaces, or creating a whole-home concept, FW specializes in highly customized interiors that balance beauty and functionality. The firm’s diverse and imaginative portfolio of projects spans residential, hotel, restaurant, and office environments, many of which have graced the covers of design magazines, been featured in numerous publications, and earned recognition through national awards.
“In the Hudson Valley, we’ve had the pleasure of designing interiors for beloved spots like Billy Joe’s Ribworks, Lola’s Cafe, Kelly’s Bakery, Crew, the Poughkeepsie Grand, the Culinary Institute of
America, Grandview, Lolita’s, and Aspire Brewery,” says owner Perry Sasser.
“We’re also excited about our premier design for the upcoming Hudson Valley Pickleball Facility.”
FW’s office designs include spaces for Berkshire Hathaway in Beacon, Arlington, Woodstock, and Rhinebeck, as well as the Sparrow’s Nest Charity Corporate offices in Hopewell Junction. “One of our proudest achievements is the complete design of the new Community Based Services art center in Patterson,” says Sasser.
In sunny South Florida, FW’s portfolio features projects ranging from oceanfront condominium foyers and common spaces to private homes along the Gulf and East coasts. No matter the location, the team consistently delivers quality, individualized interiors while honoring their clients’ needs and budgets.
“These principles are the cornerstone of our success and what sets us apart,” says Sasser. “Let us help you create spaces that inspire and delight. Together, we’ll bring your vision to life with style, comfort, and flair!
Wappingers Falls-based FW Interiors Design’s projects have graced the covers of magazines, the pages of numerous publications, and earned recognition through national awards.
Like all great designers, Mari Mulshenock and Hannah Shafer can envision the potential in any space, from converting an old garage into a beautiful venue to creating the kitchen of their clients’ dreams.
Mulshenock, owner of Evolved Interiors Design & Build, brings over 30 years of expertise to her work. As a member of prestigious organizations such as the National Association of Home Builders and the American Society of Interior Designers, she excels in creating exceptional customized spaces, both residential and commercial. In 2021, Mari welcomed Shafer to the team. “Hannah has since become a standout designer,” says Mulshenock. “From the Schein Studios in Saugerties to extensive remodels, her exceptional design skills and client collaboration are making a significant impact, establishing her as a formidable talent in the industry.”
Collaborating with Immuneschein owners Jason and Corinna Geib, Mulshenock and Shafer recently transformed an old six-car garage on the shared
From Garage to Gourmet Venue
EVOLVED INTERIORS DESIGN & BUILD BRINGS A MULTI-USE SPACE IN SAUGERTIES TO LIFE
lot of the Immuneschein Tea Haus on Route 212 in Saugerties into Schein Studios, a multifunctional space for the award-winning maker of ginger elixirs to host cooking classes and events. The venue now features a commercial kitchen, ADA-compliant bathroom, production room, and a dining/classroom area.
The space is a testament to the duo’s ability to turn any vision into reality, blending functionality with beauty. Anticipating its use for a diversity of events and activities and need to accommodate high traffic, the space was designed with versatility in mind. The two designers chose a simple and clean aesthetic, characterized by flat-panel cabinet doors, warm wood tones, and deep ink accents throughout.
With Mulshenock’s extensive experience in commercial design, she guided Shafer in creating a memorable space where groups can come together to cook, celebrate, and more. “From concept to completion, Hannah communicated thoroughly with clients and contractors, ensuring a smooth process and a stunning result,” says Mulshenock.
ABOUT THE DESIGNERS
Mari Mulshenock & Hannah Shafer
Evolved Interiors Design & Build, Woodstock
Evolvedinteriors.com
Instagram @evolved_interiors
Facebook @EvolveDesignShowroom
Schein Studios in Saugerties was designed with versatility in mind. Simple, clean flat panel cabinets, warm wood tones, and dark accents accommodate a variety of activities and high traffic use.
THE WRITE WAY
How Daniel Kanter Blogged About Rehabbing Houses and Then Learned How
By Joan Vos MacDonald
Photos by Daniel Kanter
Daniel Kanter has renovated several homes, but it wasn’t a career path he expected to take or necessarily had the required skills for. When he bought his first house in 2013, an 1865 Greek Revival in Kingston, it lacked a working toilet, a functional kitchen, a certifiable electrical system, and a sound roof. Despite feeling daunted by the project and the funding it required, he realized he never felt so excited in this life.
“I like an underdog,” says Kanter. “I thought, oh my God, this is a beautiful house that really needs some love.”
During the subsequent decade he removed dropped ceilings, exposed brick walls, and restored the home’s original floor plan, all the while blogging about the transformation. Kanter’s blog Manhattan Nest began as a joke in 2010, before he owned a home or had any renovation skills. At the time, he noticed the online trend of conservative women bloggers who were renovating homes and talking about their renovations.
“And so, in my 20-year-old-sort-of-stoner way, I thought it would be really funny if this Jewish kid from New York took that genre, but did it on my own terms,” says Kanter. “I had no budget and all of these people are in the Midwest and have rich husbands. I just thought this was a hilarious idea and then the joke was sort of on me. People actually started reading it.”
Restoring Bluestone Cottage was a 10-yearlong labor of love, requiring Daniel Kanter to work at other jobs to subsidize its renovation.
Left:
Right: Kanter added timely historic elements to the home, such as the simple yet elegant mantel over the living room fireplace.
Photo by: Nils Schlebusch
Left: The condemned structure was in bad shape when Kanter purchased it. The home had no plumbing, no heating system, no insulation, and a dodgy electrical system.
Right: Despite the extensive structural rot, the building offered salvageable elements such as the tin ceiling covered by a layer of white paint.
At the time Kanter, a creative writing major, was moving into his first apartment so he wrote about setting up his personal space. He mostly blogged about decor, but his engaging writing style and willingness to experiment attracted attention and landed him decorating gigs. Purchasing his Kingston home, however, forced him to acquire actual renovation skills. He had not grown up in a do-it-yourself home.
“I grew up in a brand-new house where the only thing I ever did with my parents was change the light bulbs,” says Kanter.
Gaining skills involved a lot of trial and error.
“My early work on my house was hilarious,” says Kanter. “I had no idea what I was doing. I was basically skimcoating my entire kitchen with the product called Ready Patch, which is just for patching holes. And someone commented on the blog, have you ever heard of joint compound? Since then I’ve learned a little bit of everything. The thing I probably like doing most is carpentry and woodwork, but I’m a pretty decent plumber now. I’m a pretty good electrician. I can frame, I can roof, I can set up siding.”
Do and DIY
Followers of his blog and on Instagram offered practical advice, and he has since paid that kindness forward via the DIY projects he explains on his blog.
“I can’t think of too many other things that bring so many different people together,” says Kanter. “I may not agree with your politics, but if you know how to restore a window and I
need to learn how to restore a window and you’re super nice and willing to tell me, we will get along.”
Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein followed his blog before launching their successful Cheap Old Houses brand. It sparked the kind of friendship Kanter says often exists between people who love old houses. Naturally, his own house appeared on the first season of their HGTV show.
“The old house community is a thing and the people in it are generally all cut from the same cloth,” says Kanter. “We all have rescue animals because we rescue houses, we rescue dogs, we rescue parakeets, whatever. Generally we’re very supportive, very into sharing knowledge and information. Some of my absolute closest “ride or die” friends came from the blog. Some of them I’ve never even met in person, but I feel like we’re super close. So it has been great for developing personal relationships and sometimes professional ones.”
Respectful Restorations
Kanter, who refers to himself as a “serial renovator,” recently completed a 10-year project, transforming a mid-19th century house named Bluestone Cottage. When he purchased the urban cottage, it lacked a heating system and plumbing, but it did have plenty of structural rot. After making it livable, he focused on making it beautiful, restoring existing historic elements, such as hardware and fixtures, and adding salvaged architectural materials to create wainscoting and moldings, then updating a tired kitchen with fresh white tile and a white apron sink.
This labor of love took 10 years, because he kept running out of money and had to take time-consuming renovation jobs to finance subsequent rounds of work.
“I bought it in 2014, thinking in my 24-year-old little brain that I could do this in six months for 50 grand,” he says with a self-deprecating laugh.
Kanter is not just a serial renovator. He’s an optimist, who can’t help but commit to the possibilities in old houses. That’s what led him to volunteer for the nonprofit Kingston City Land Bank, which acquires distressed properties, renovates them, and sells them to provide affordable housing.
“At the end of 2018, I was appointed to the board of the newly founded Kingston City Land Bank,” says Kanter. “And our mission was basically to get vacant, abandoned, derelict, foreclosed properties back on the tax rolls. And the form that ended up taking was primarily doing a full rehab on single family homes. Then we sold them as an affordable first time home ownership opportunity.”
During his five years as chairman he wore many hats, designing, managing construction, and physically pitching in on a variety of projects.
“Basically, what I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to demonstrate is that quality renovation work and even restoration work does not have to include an enormous budget,” he says. “This felt like a perfect place to put what I’d already been doing to work.”
Each house was respectfully restored with utmost respect for its heritage.
“We put really high-quality stuff in there, within budget, but
we did lots of creative sourcing to get there,” says Kanter. “I designed 15 kitchens where every single thing in the kitchen cost under $10,000. Fifteen very different kitchens. It was a great experience. I’m really proud of the work we did. We won the Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Preservation League of New York State that year. Pier 47 in Manhattan also was a recipient of the award, which is a multimillion, maybe billion-dollar project. And then there’s us and our very ordinary little vernacular houses in Kingston.”
For two years he has cohosted a podcast called “True Tales from Old Houses,” an entertaining and educational show for lovers of old houses.
“This season we talked to a paint spectrum analyst about trying to figure out original paint colors,” says Kanter.
“We talked to a conservator from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Museum last season. We talked to a guy renovating the first commercial cruise ship produced by Germany after World War II, which somehow landed in southern California.”
He also video interviewed area homeowners with extraordinary houses, a project that began during the pandemic and one he hopes to resume. In the near future Kanter plans to focus on consulting work, offering advice on renovations.
“I’ve done enough of these, so I think I’m pretty good at just helping people really wrap their minds around a project.”
Now that he’s sold the cottage, Kanter also plans to spend more time on his own house. But there is a property close by that might be fun to renovate. And it might not be that hard or expensive to fix up. For a serial renovator, an opportunity like that is hard to pass up.
Left: Salvaged materials were used to create wainscoting and moldings in the dining area.
Right: The newly renovated kitchen features white Carrara marble countertops, a wall mixing sizes of subway tiles and a generous apron front sink.
ELECTRIC HOUSE STONE RIDGE
North river Architecture
Architect: Peter reynolds
PhotograPhy: christiaN harder PhotograPhy
Since its construction in 1840, this Stone Ridge storefront on Route 209 has sold everything from dry goods to gas for Model Ts. Today, the building, known as Electric House, serves as office space for the eco-conscious design/build firm North River Architecture and a showroom extolling the value of all-electric net zero structures, buildings that produce more energy than they use. While North River has designed Hudson Valley homes since the `90s, for the last decade they’ve only worked on all-electric projects.
“The sun is the only renewable energy readily available in our region,” says Peter Reynolds, North River partner and design director. “Some areas have wind, some have tidal. We have the sun, and the sun produces electricity and it’s now relatively
inexpensive to produce energy-efficient houses that can be fully powered by the sun.”
While it’s simpler to build a net zero house from scratch, it is possible to retrofit a historic structure. Electric House is a good example. To improve the building’s energy profile, North River pared down interior walls and blanketed the 4,400-square-foot building in several inches of high density eco-friendly insulation.
“Net zero energy homes are so well designed and insulated that they can affordably produce more energy than they use on an annual basis, using renewable resources, free and on site,” says Reynolds. “No fossil fuels, operating carbon footprint, or energy bills.”
—Joan
Vos MacDonald
The historic brick building is a good example of an older structure that can be retrofitted to produce more energy than it uses.
Top: Electric House offers the community a zero carbon co-working space and will soon feature a permanent exhibition on the benefits of all electric houses.
Bottom: To retrofit the building for energy efficiency, the walls were stripped away and insulated with multiple layers of ecofriendly chopped newspaper insulation. The design/build firm North River designed Electric House with ample, airy, inviting workspaces.
Photo credit:
Monika Kratochvil
Top: The all-electric net zero building provides more than proof of concept. The building offers enough space to hold workshops for builders, architects, realtors, and homeowners.
Right: The building features an enclosed garden in the rear for warm weather meetings and gatherings.
BULLY HILL HOUSE NORTH BRANCH
studio MM Architect
Architect: Marica McKeel
PhotograPhy: BrAd FeinKnopF/otto
Bully Hill House is situated on a hillside, in the middle of six acres of farmland in Western Sullivan County. When architect Marica McKeel of Studio MM Architects was asked to design the North Branch home, the homeowners specified there would be no air conditioning. The house faces south to take advantage of the sweeping views, but also because it’s the best orientation for temperature control.
“They studied the site for a year before we ever built on it,” says McKeel. “It faces due south. So, it was designed intentionally for cross ventilation. With a concrete floor, it’s a thermal mass and it also holds the Earth’s temperature. It’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter. And then they heat it with radiant
heat, which is also very efficient. So we have no need for air conditioning. It is not a passive house, but because of the way we designed it, it works passively.”
Air currents flow freely from the large sliding doors on the south side through easily operable windows. A breezeway connects the living space with the couple’s art studio/office, encouraging ventilation. The home is clad in maintenancefree Corten steel.
“[The Corten steel] can be reused,” says McKeel. “It’s not going to go into a landfill and has longevity as a material, therefore we don’t have to replace it or anything like that because it will last so long.”
—Joan Vos MacDonald
The Bully Hill House was designed to maximize cross ventilation, as the homeowners did not want air conditioning. The home’s facade features black-stained pine and low maintenance Corten steel, which is recyclable.
Opposite, top: The home’s concrete floor has a high thermal mass which holds the Earth’s temperature, so it’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Opposite, bottom: A breezeway between the studio and living quarters encourages air circulation and offers outdoor space for seating.
Top: The homeowners embrace the studio space as a place for creative focus and enrichment.
Bottom left: The house is heated with radiant heat, making it comfortable to stroll barefoot into the bathroom during the coldest months.
Bottom right: Water for the home is heated with an efficient, closed-loop system.
BULL RUN HOUSE MARGARETVILLE
AshoKaN Architecture And PlAnNiNg
Architect: BrAd Will
PhotograPhy: FrAnco vogt
Brad Will, principal architect at Kingston-based Ashokan Architecture, recently spoke to the owners of Bull Run House, the energyefficient home he built for them in Margaretville. The homeowners were happy to report that it costs less than $1,000 a year to heat their 2,500-squarefoot home. Will’s design gently nestled the home into the hillside to make the most of surrounding views, but he also worked with a certified building performance professional, Pasquale Strocchia, to incorporate energy savings into the design.
“It’s a combination of active and passive performance,” says Will. “The active is a very highly efficient electric heat pump. We put in a hybrid electric water heater that is unbelievably efficient.”
The passive part of the energy-saving endeavor is the facade. “On the side of the building that faces southward, there’s a lot of glazing at both levels, and that is essentially a passive solar gain component,” says Will. “So in the heating months, the house benefits from that lower sun coming through those windows and doors, warming the space. Then if you look again at the design of the house on the south side, there’s a very deep overhang.”
The six-foot overhang is integral to the design because during summer months, when the sun is high, it provides shade for the glazing and for enjoying that balcony with the southern views.
—Joan Vos MacDonald
The southern side of the house features a six-foot overhang to provide shade during the warmer months.
Opposite, top: Extra glazing on the windows acts as insulation, enabling the homeowners to enjoy the surrounding view without heat loss.
Opposite, bottom: The house was constructed with an advanced framing technique that uses greater spacing, 19.2 inches instead of the usual 16. This technique requires less material.
Top: Materials used in the house’s construction have zero off-gassing and emissions, resulting in a very clean interior environment, refreshed constantly with an ERV ventilation system.
Bottom: The home’s first level is built into the ground, into grade with an insulated concrete form wall that has a very high R-value for better thermal performance.
Mastery of the Craft.
1. MAGNIFICENT CATSKILL VIEWS
376 Hollow Road.
Stuyvesant, NY. 4BR. 2.2 Baths.
$2.9M. Web ID 23096819.
Chris Pomeroy 212-381-2531
Maret Halinen 518-828-0181
2. MAGICAL 17-ACRE ESTATE
1081 Wittenberg Road.
Mt Tremper, NY. 4BR. 3.3 Baths
$2.43M. Web ID 23097398.
Chris Pomeroy 212-381-2531
Nancy Felcetto 917-626-6755
3. ICONIC HUDSON RIVER VIEWS 127 Mount Merino Drive.
Hudson, NY. 4BR. 3.5 Baths.
$3.995M. Web ID 22935950.
Nancy Felcetto 917-626-6755
4. 1920’S ESTATE ON 14 ACRES 108 North Smith Road.
Union Vale, NY. 4BR. 3.0 Bath. $1.25M. Web ID 23059699. Stephan Delventhal 518-660-1306
5. STUNNING MODERNIST HOME
2 3
294 Synder Pond Road. Copake, NY. 3BR. 2.5 Baths. $2.55M. Web ID 23086176. Stephan Delventhal 518-660-1306 Suzanne Wright-Kelly 914-456-5443
6. MIXED USE - HISTORIC HOME 2279 US State Route 9 Livingston, NY. 4BR. 2.0 Baths. $995K. Web ID 22900427. Nancy Felcetto 917-626-6755 Robin Horowitz 917-626-6755
7. PRIVATE LUXURIOUS ESTATE 29 Reed Road. Chatham, NY. 4BR. 5.0 Baths. $1.8M. Web ID 22993848. Jean Stoler 518-660-1309 Erika Blake 917-324-5966
8. RARE 12-ACRE FARM 183 -187 County Route 14. Hudson, NY. 8BR. 3.5 Bath. $1.495M. Web ID 23075264. Norah Burden 212-588-5617 Owen Davidson 917-783-2009
9. CHARMING SUN-FILLED HOME 8 Brick Row. Athens, NY. 3BR. 1.0 Bath. $349K. Web ID 23008316. Norah Burden 212-588-5617 Owen Davidson 917-783-2009
10. GREEK REVIVAL FARMHOUSE 623 Argusville Road. Sharon Springs, NY. 5BR. 2.0 Baths. $225K. Web ID 23036066. Stephan Delventhal 518-660-1306
11. 1900’S VICTORIAN FARMHOUSE 26 Chatham Street. Kinderhook, NY. 3BR. 2.5 Baths. $629K. Web ID 23062221. Scott Olsen 718-613-2059
KINGSTON DESIGN SHOWHOUSE RETURNS—IN STONE RIDGE
By Devon Jane Schweizer
Since Maryline Damour launched Kingston Design Connection nearly six years ago, the project has been doing exactly what the name promises—connecting. Their annual showhouse brings together local designers, tradespeople, vendors, makers, and artists to transform a Hudson Valley home, with the objective of connecting new collaborators and clients as well as boosting economic development.
KDC took last year off from staging the showhouse to focus on building their partnership with Ulster County’s Habitat for Humanity, plan more year-round programming, and hone their long-term vision. But the beloved showhouse will be making its highly-anticipated return come October—only this time, it won’t be in Kingston. This year’s location is at 3714 Main Street in Stone Ridge, part of a designated district that joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. “The Hudson Valley is huge and there are some people who will never come to Kingston even if they’re right across the river,” Damour says. “Moving in various parts of upstate New York
means that we can connect and reach more people.”
Built in the early 1700s, the center hall Colonial is flanked by windowed parlors shedding light onto the heart pine floors. KDC will be renovating three of the four parlors, the kitchen, a primary bathroom, a hall bathroom, three bedrooms, the back porch, the basement, and an outdoor space. The designers for these spaces have not yet been chosen.
In their geographic expansion, KDC is leaning into its identity as “America’s Main Street Showhouse,” a nod to how embedded they are in the local community. “The showhouse has really become a display of the region’s talent, whereas other showhouses really don’t have that,” says executive director Jennifer Salvemini. “It was really awesome for us to also find our showhouse this year on an actual Main Street.”
Local economic development has always been Damour’s goal, and branching out to new neighborhoods is only broadening the project’s impact on the community. KDC is reaching out to engage businesses in Stone Ridge specifically in the project. Every permanently installed design
element from the renovation (landscaping, wallpaper, lighting, tiling, cabinetry) is gifted to the owner of the home as a way to increase the property’s value.
With KDC’s collaboration with Ulster County Habitat for Humanity this year— including designing a Habitat-built home to bring awareness to the nonprofit’s work—proceeds from the showhouse will benefit their partnership.
Engaging the businesses and residents of the busy, artistic, and walkable City of Kingston was never an issue for KDC—moving to other areas of the Hudson Valley presents a new, but thrilling challenge. “We’re excited to see how the Kingston Design Showhouse can activate Stone Ridge and the surrounding hamlets, engage with local businesses there, and to see what we can do and what partnerships we can create,” Salvemini says. “It’s a very exciting prospect.”
The Kingston Design Showhouse runs October 11-27 in Stone Ridge.
This center hall Colonial in Stone Ridge’s historic district will be this year’s Kingston Design Showhouse.
Custom Designed and Crafted Timber Frame, Hybrid and Panelized Homes, Out Buildings and Commercial Structures
