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SUMMER 2023

FEATURES

30 REGENERATIVE DESIGN PROFILE: FUTUR

By Melissa Esposito

Eliot Livingston Wilson has launched an ambitious home design company to build affordable, regenerative houses.

DEPARTMENTS

6 MARKETWATCH: IN FLUX

Experts say the real estate market will likely not normalize until 2025.

9 DESIGN: WALL POPS

What started as a home redeign project for multihyphenate creative Jen Hewett has turned into a wallpaper business.

13 THE SOURCE: MAGIC HILL MERCANTILE

Maor Shefer and Bruce Mishell recently opened the second location of their Mid-Century retail brand on Wall Street in Kingston.

17 HOME SERVICES: HOW TO WORK WITH A CONTRACTOR

36 UPSTATE ABUNDANCE

Ten bucolic acres in Ulster Park provide a tranquil retreat that includes a pond and certified organic farm.

Sponsored House Feature

40 HOME PROFILE: MODERN CLIFF HOUSE

By Marc Ferris

Studio MM has built a stunning glass house in West Saugerties.

50 BOOK: COUNTRY LIFE BY WILLIAM ABRANOWICZ

By Jane Anderson

Margaretville-based photographer William Abranowicz documents gorgeous homes in his latest book.

58 DESIGN PROFILE: JEWEL BOX ON THE HUDSON

The private gardens at Hortus Arboretum in Stone Ridge will be open to the public on multiple dates this summer as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program. 51

By Mary Angeles Armstrong

Michael and Kelli Prichinello brought in designer Nick Spain of Arthur’s to help them finish renovating their historic home.

Contractor Jeff Eckes offers some tips on working with his peers.

20 RESTORATION: A STAIRCASE RESTORATION IN NEWBURGH Woodworker Peter Moffa rescues some ailing steps.

22 THE MAKERS: ALEMAN/MOORE’S SEWN STRAW CREATIONS

Luis Aleman and Jeffrey Moore create fully functional works of art that evolved from a humble, oversized hat brim.

26 AREA SPOTLIGHT: BEACON

Dia turns 20 this year, and city residents reflect on recent changes.

28 AREA SPOTLIGHT: RHINEBECK

Quaint tranquility mixes with entreprenurial verve in this town.

72 BACK PORCH: GARDEN CONSERVANCY OPEN DAYS

Private gardens in the region open up to visitors this summer.

70 THE MARKET INDEX OF ADVERTISERS / MAP OF THE REGION

In Flux

By Lisa Iannucci

We’ve spent the past few issues discussing the low-inventory real estate market, but how did we get here, and what needs to change to move forward? We asked real estate experts Sandi Park, an associate real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Realty & Global Luxury who lives in Rhinebeck, and Brian Cafferty, an associate real estate broker with Halter Associates Realty in Kingston, to get their viewpoints.

We Need Homes

“We continue to be very tight in inventory which is holding us up,” says Park. “Some pockets of the country, and even in Westchester County, are finding themselves transitioning out of a seller’s market and moving more toward a neutral market, but I haven’t seen that happening as much in Dutchess County.”

Cafferty says that today’s real estate market is still unpleasant for everybody involved, except maybe for the sellers still getting record home prices. “It has been a very difficult time for several years now for buyers, particularly buyers dependent on getting a mortgage that involves a mortgage contingency,” he says. “The environment remains competitive, because there really has been no movement in the inventory.”

Cafferty, who compiles research on the Ulster County real estate market, says that comparing 2022 to 2021, the total number of units sold was down by 320. “Fifty percent of that decline came from the lower end of the market—homes below $200,000,” he says. “The number of available homes priced between $200,000 to $300,000 dropped by 37 percent, and then it starts to trail off as it gets into the higher prices.”

This directly affects those who live and work in Ulster County and just need a place to live. “These aren’t people looking for a second home, and the inventory for them is just gone,” he says. “The problems with today’s inventory started in 2008, with the collapse of the real estate market. When that market crashed, prices stayed down for years, homebuilders stopped building homes, and developments stopped.”

Bumps to New Builds

Today, Cafferty says it’s still hard to get new homes built. “I’m involved in a development project of 154 homes in the town of Rosendale, and it took seven and a half years just to get through the environmental review process,” he explains. “Another project to build 1,700 homes didn’t get built, and Sailor’s Cove, a mixed-use development project on the City of Kingston’s waterfront which consisted of 350 housing units, hasn’t gotten built. It gives you an idea of just how difficult it is to get large-scale projects built.”

Prices Are Still Climbing

Cafferty says that the available resale homes are now causing a new problem. “Prices are up 40 percent from 2020 and the mortgage rates are double that now,” he says. “So there are people who want to sell their home but who can’t afford to because they are going to have to pay a 7 percent mortgage instead of their current mortgage rate of 3.5 percent. So unless you’re significantly downsizing, it’s challenging to sell a home and replace it with a new home in the same market.”

Looking back only five years ago, Cafferty explains that you could buy a home for $250,000 that didn’t need to be completely rehabbed. “Now, $250,000 is a fixer-upper— it’s habitable, but needs work.”

Overpriced Listings Will Sit

Even though sellers are getting bids above their asking price, buyers are more knowledgeable about the right price. “If a house comes in aggressively overpriced, the chances of it sitting on the market are high,” says Park, who has been in the business for over 20 years. “You can lead a horse to water with the most effective marketing, but if the house is not priced right, the buyers will walk.”

Fortunately for sellers, the market still includes multiple offers over the asking price. “Houses that come on the market in desirable areas, uptown Kingston, for instance, and are priced reasonably, will get many offers,” Cafferty says. “I listed one for $419,000 and there were seven offers over the asking price.”

Sitting Listings Look Pretty

With some homes sitting on the market for a longer period of time now, compared to 2022 and 2023, Park says this works to the buyer’s advantage. “I love sitting listings that have been on the market for over 30 days,” she says. “Buyers think something must be wrong with the house, but there might be condition or location issues that factor into pricing, so I urge my buyers to go after these listings.”

Locals Looking

The biggest shift Park has noticed is the increase in local buyers. “They may be looking to sell in one town and buy in another, but regardless, they are local,” she says.

This is a big difference from the market during the pandemic, when many buyers were escapees from New York City and other suburbs, looking for bigger homes and more outdoor space in the Hudson Valley.

“Before the pandemic, buyers came to Northern Dutchess and Northern Ulster to have their weekend homes—their retreats. But with remote work, it made these areas a much more viable option for buyers to live full-time,” says Park. “Certain towns, such as Rhinebeck, were already in favor, but Millbrook, Woodstock, New Paltz, and Kingston have grown substantially. ”

Cash is (Not Always) King

There’s an expression—“cash is king”—and while that might have been an accurate statement a few years ago, it’s changed in today’s market. “There was a period a few months ago where there were noticeably more cash buyers who were trying to negotiate prices down further because they had cash,” says Park. “Cash still has leverage, but sellers aren’t willing to take a big difference in the purchase price for a cash buyer.”

Park explains that nobody has a crystal ball to see into the market’s future, but she predicts continued corrections that will lead toward a more neutral market in 2024. “2025 will be the first year the market is normalized,” she says. “There will be milestones, and there will still be some setbacks to get there.”

EDITORIAL

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David Clark Perry david.perry@chronogram.com

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Marie Doyon

SPONSORED CONTENT EDITOR

Ashleigh Lovelace

CONTRIBUTORS

Jane Anderson, Winona Barton-Ballentine, Anne Pyburn Craig, Jeff Eckes, Melissa Esposito, Marc Ferris, Lisa Iannucci, Joan Vos MacDonald, Naomi Shammash, Hannah Van Sickle

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CHAIR

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COOL TO HANG JEN HEWETT’S NATURE-INSPIRED PEEL-AND-STICK WALLPAPER

By Naomi Shammash

Printmaker, surface designer, textile artist, author, small business owner, HR consultant—Jen Hewett’s career resists attempts at categorization; most recently she’s been making wallpaper. When moving to Hudson almost two years ago, Hewett bought her first house, a former artist residency space that struck her as “a big white box” and moved her to design wallpaper of her own. After posting a picture of the finished product in her dining room on Instagram, “a flood (okay, a stream)” of requests came from her followers asking if they could buy it, along with an invitation from WallPops—a peel-andstick DIY home decor brand—to make a collection.

The wallpaper available for purchase from Hewett’s collaboration with WallPops comes in four natureinspired designs to spruce up your home’s interior, each available in three colors—a total of 12 options. “Poppy Field” and “Strawflower” each depict neat floral arrangements, while “Parrot Tulip” and “Superbloom” feel more abstract, the latter a pattern of rough-hewn interlocking circles. The color palettes manage to be both earthy and bright, swathing the pink petals of poppies in navy blue or pairing the ochre strawflowers with muted green stems. (A 20.5-inch-by-18-foot-roll of wallpaper costs $47.99.)

Multihypenate creative Jen Hewett has collaborated with WallPops on a line of nature-inspired wallpaper. Poppy Field peel-and-stick wallpaper in Navy Pink is pictured at left.

As with the wallpaper Hewett put up in her house, all the options are peel-and-stick: They can come directly off the wall without leaving adhesive residue, allowing users to forgo an expensive installation by putting up and taking down the wallpaper themselves. As a renter for 25 years before settling in Hudson, she understood that the need to leave no trace and the desire to personalize one’s living area often come into conflict. Even as a homeowner she shied away from picking something permanent. “I wanted to make the space my own,” she said, “but also, your taste might change after five years!” And if it doesn’t, WallPops can last pretty much indefinitely as long as it’s installed properly.

Nature and color weave common threads through all of Hewett’s work. A California native, she grew up taking advantage of the year-round good weather to play outside, then turning to walks in the park as she grew older to solve problems and clear her head. “It was a way for me to get out of being wrapped up in my thoughts, to be in my body, a way to process work ideas without sitting in front of a computer screen or a piece of paper,” she recalls. She would collect leaves, twigs, and nuts to viscerally take in the changing of the seasons—“what that means for texture and color has always impressed me.”

Hewett’s artistic process is often scattered, a stitching of many disparate ideas into a cohesive whole—she gathers photos, magazine cutouts, social media posts, sketches, and revisits old drawings she’s previously cast aside. “It can take anywhere from two weeks to five years,” she says. “There comes a point where I’ve been swimming in this ocean of ideas long enough that I start to draw.” Her best work, she says, often happens when she sits absentmindedly doodling in front of the TV at night, half-drawing while watching “Abbott Elementary.”

Hewett is a full-time artist—she runs an online shop, licenses work to manufacturers and retailers, and sometimes creates illustrations for large companies—but she took the long way. Facing familial pressure to pursue a more traditional path, she worked corporate jobs, signing up for a printmaking class on a whim and subsequently realizing that she wanted that to be her career. She committed to honing her craft while working other jobs—“most artists do something else to support themselves, until their art can support them.”She transitioned to art full-time in 2017. “I feel pretty darn proud,” she reflects. “I’m in my late 40s. You can make changes to your life. It’s never too late. I figured that I had the full lifetime of trying, and failing, and trying again.”

Top: Strawflower peel-and-stick wallpaper in Navy Aqua.

Bottom: Parrot Tulip peel-and-stick wallpaper in Gray.

MAGIC HILL MERCANTILE CASTING A MIDCENTURY SPELL ON KINGSTON’S WALL STREET

By Joan Vos MacDonald

Sinatra’s “Girl from Ipanema” provides just the right soundtrack for viewing the carefully curated Midcentury Modern furniture found at Magic Hill Mercantile in Uptown Kingston. That’s why cofounder Maor M. Shefer can’t help but sing along as he shows off the silky white fur on a reupholstered Russel Wright chair or the loveseat he rehabbed in contrasting sections of black-and-white Holly Hunt boucle.

“The whole vibe of the store is ’50s-’60s-’70s with lots of colors and brightness,” says Shefer, a jazz vocalist, home stager, and interior designer known to his friends as Myron. “I always liked Midcentury furniture. I like to change things. I like fabric. I like to experiment.”

Every two to three months, the store receives a container of vintage Swedish and Danish furniture,

which gets a woodworking and upholstery makeover before winding up at one of the two Magic Hill stores. Shefer cofounded the first Magic Hill brick and mortar in Hudson in 2015 with his best friend and business partner Bruce Mishell, an interior designer and Abstract Expressionist painter.

“We were antiquing in Hudson, which we had done for years, and I said, ‘Isn’t it magical?” Shefer recalls. “‘It would be a great place to open a store.’” The first shop has successfully focused on sophisticated Mid-Century furnishings since opening eight years ago. But over time, it became obvious there were more mercantile opportunities to explore—if only they had more room. So, six months ago, the store owners opened a second location: Magic Hill Mercantile on Wall Street in Kingston.

Magic Hill Mercentile features a proprietary line of clothing, accessories, and home goods as well as Mid-Mod furniture.

Mishell, a prolific painter, initially limited reproductions of his paintings to prints and giclees, but Shefer convinced him there were more ways to marry art and the art of marketing, and thus a proprietary line of Magic Hill clothing, accessories, and home goods was born using Mishell’s art.

While visitors might come in initially for the vintage furniture, Shefer receives many compliments on the store’s happy profusion of colors. The glimmering discs of an orange chandelier center the retail space, while vividly colored paintings and prints, mostly by Mishell, fill the surrounding walls. “We decided that since I own my artwork that it would be beneficial to the store to use my artwork,” says Mishell. “Initially I wasn’t going to do it, but it’s worked out really well for both of us. He’s gone crazy with it as a creative director. Now we have our own brand.”

As a result, the Kingston location carries a wider variety of products than the Hudson store. There are accessories, clothing, homewares, and gift items galore—many of which reproduce the fluid patterns and Fauvist palette of Mishell’s paintings. “It’s actually absolutely amazing to see that my work could be on utilitarian objects,” Mishell says. “I’m very happy my work is out there for color therapy and to help people. People who come into the store feel the energy of the colors and many people have told us it brings happiness to their lives.”

Mishell’s lush colors emblazon mulberry silk ties, lacquered trays, silk scarves, and even pima cotton T-shirts. Shefer continues to find new ways to present his friend’s art—and expand the definition of what art is. “As an artist, you redefine art every second,” says Shefer. “Life is about defining, about changing, transitioning. Why stay the same? We want to experiment. Whatever we see we filter.”

The store’s abundance of colors is not limited to Mishell’s art and the products it inspires. A pair of men’s penny loafers sports joyful primary colors a la Mondrian. Vegan leather loafer slip-ons, fit for a prince, sport detailed embroidered flowers. Color blooms throughout the store—in plush velvet, down throw pillows and monogrammed velvet-lined coasters. Display shelves feature vintage hand-blown Blenko glassware in jewel tones.

“We’re not for everyone,” says Shefer of the colorful and retro wares. “You need to like colors, you need to not be afraid of colors. We’re bold and edgy.”

Along with some fashion classics, like a 100-percent wool trench coat, a selection of cable-knit sweaters, and a lavishly embroidered opera coat, there’s a sampling of vegan leather bags with the Magic Hill logo, even retro scents inspired by the “Mad Men” era. “Everything here we designed and created,” says Shefer, wearing a sweatshirt he designed that reads “Music is Magic.” “We don’t carry other people’s clothes. It’s our brand, our style.”

The store occupies two floors and a third floor will eventually serve as a gallery, featuring works by Mishell and other artists. “I’ve already hung the show that I’m going to be calling 23 for 2023,” says Mishell. “It’s going to be 23 paintings from over the last 23 years. A retrospective that will be opening sometime in May or June at the latest.” After that another show is on the agenda, possible musical events, maybe even poetry readings.

“We took a leap of faith going to Kingston,” says Mishell. “And we’re very happy here.”

Magic Hill Mercantile sells everything from Mid-Century modern furniture and accessories to coffee and juices at its Kingston location.

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home renovation is an exciting opportunity to reshape your home to fit your family and lifestyle. But bringing a contractor into your home for any length of time is a huge commitment, and with trust in contractors at an all-time low—only members of Congress, car salespeople, and lawyers have a worse reputation—it’s as important to prep for a successful work relationship with a contractor as it is to plan every detail of your dream space.

The good news is that with a bit of knowledge and some thoughtful planning, homeowners can feel confident hiring contractors to get exactly what they want done. I’ll share my advice, gleaned from over 40 years in the trade.

Is working with a contractor the right choice for you?

Deciding whether to work directly with a general contractor or an intermediary design firm who manages the relationship with the contractor for the homeowner is a big first step for any larger renovation or construction project. Working directly with a contractor can save some money and be more efficient since there’s only one line of communication between the homeowner and the team doing the work, but it also can require the homeowner to do more legwork to achieve their design vision, and can require a more hands-on approach to project management.

Working with a design firm tasked with doing that work on behalf of the homeowner can take the onus off the homeowner to familiarize themselves with construction specifics, but it also adds another stakeholder voice to the project. This can result in a game

UP TO TASK CHOOSING THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR

By Jeff Eckes

“We need to hire a contractor.” As a longtime contractor, I know that few phases can generate more anxiety for homeowners. A

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of telephone that has the potential to lengthen certain decisions and lead to increased confusion if everyone isn’t on the same page.  Ultimately, it comes down to the homeowner’s particular preferences for their level of involvement and the time they must devote to the project.

Start with a Plan

Begin any project with real planning. That means writing down exactly what you want done. Not just “remodel kitchen,” but a definitive list of what you want and how you want it done. Begin with a list of the obvious and leave a lot of room for editing. Instead of just “new cabinets,” begin with the style, finish, and the budget range of cabinets you like; maybe even some examples from Pinterest or magazines. Yes, it’s going to take some homework. This will be easier to manage if you keep detailed notes as you decide on what you like. Start a favorites file for your project and break it up by category for manageability: cabinets, flooring, appliances, etc. Keeping it all organized in a spreadsheet helps a lot. Add as much detail and the reasoning for your decisions so you can organize your thinking as well as your product choices. Add as much as you can, even if it may be redundant or contradictory. You can, and will pare it down as you proceed. Organize by room or space.

Research costs

Materials today are obtained by contractors mostly from retail sources, which means that with a bit of effort and attention to detail you can get a good handle on those costs up front. You may not be able to tell how many two-by-fours you need, but major costs for parts of the project that matter to you from an aesthetic or functional standpoint, such as the square footage for flooring or the type and number of cabinets are a simple thing. These costs are for you only—keep track with a spreadsheet.

There are several sources that can help you here. Homewyse.com is a great resource that gives recent completion costs for construction projects in your area. You can even “build” the project in their app if you want to get into the nitty gritty details. The app can even provide a good idea of the “intangible” of labor costs based on whether it’s done by a licensed general contractor or a smaller specialized contractor. Bear in mind that apps that match you to contractors do not tend to be as accurate in pricing, if they have any. Try to gather information from as many sources as you can in your area and enter this in your spreadsheet.

Write a scope of work

Once you have collected all the details of your project, write a summary or “scope of work.” This is a detailed description for each area where you want work performed. Begin with the basics and move on to the specifics. Write what you can and plan on amending it many times as you work through it. This is the document that you will provide to contractors for estimates, so be as specific as you can.

The scope of work is not set in stone. It should be updated any time you receive estimates from a contractor that includes unforeseen line items (e.g., subfloor replacement, beam reinforcement), so you have the most up-to-date records of what the project will entail as it moves through the design and contract and then construction process.

Interview contractors

The benefit of a written scope of work is that you can send this to several contractor candidates and speed up the “interview process” considerably. It’s also a great tool to weed out those contractors that don’t provide written estimates. As an estimator, I detail my conditions (specific costs) every time, so I don’t have an issue sharing this information. Any contractor making a real stab at an estimate, not just picking a number out of the ether, should be willing to share this information in some way.

Once you have at least three candidates, schedule an “interview” conference with them and ask questions. There’s no such thing as a stupid question. Choose two final candidates and ask both for written estimates based on all the information you provide. Ask them for copies of all their policies, both client and employee facing, and a sample of their contract. You want to see evidence that the contractor has planned for any contingencies and are responsible, professional project managers.

Get a written contract

Once you have settled on one contractor, it’s time to execute a contract. What benefits you more is detail, lots of it! What benefits a contractor is less detail, because it gives them more latitude for making their own decisions based on their savings, not on your requirements. Include your scope, and/or the scope of the contractor if it contains all your details. Make sure you include the payment schedule, schedule of the project timeline, including major milestones, and due date (and penalties for missing that date), as well as provisions for resolving disputes. Insist on a written schedule. Get a contact list for all subcontractors and key employees. Get proof of insurance, both liability and workers’ compensation. Make sure this proof is sent from the insurance company directly and insist that you are named as policy holder and additional insured. Make a provision for changes (called a change order) and get these in writing too. LDR Group provides an itemized change order and you can insist on this too, as well as a limit to the “markup.” This is usually stated as “contractor overhead and profit” (we limit it to 15 percent overhead and 15 percent profit). This is important, because change orders are where most contractors generate the highest profit levels.

Get everything else in writing, keep track

As you move forward with your project, make sure you continue to get everything in writing—and continue communicating in writing throughout the process as much as possible so you have records of those conversations. Any major decisions or change orders should be communicated or re-confirmed in writing. Insist on this in the contract right up front. It’s the best way to protect yourself and the contractor. Require weekly progress reports for larger jobs and weekly in person (or Zoom) production meetings. Remember that the best contractors work with you as a team, so be polite and supportive, but do not be afraid to ask questions and insist on contract completion. In the end, it’s all about “trust but verify,” and a good contractor will have no problem with a thoughtful, well informed client doing just that.

Jeff Eckes is the CEO of LDR Group, a Passive House design/build/renovate contractor in the Mid Hudson Valley.

Begin any project with real planning. That means writing down exactly what you want done. Not just “remodel kitchen,” but a definitive list of what you want and how you want it done. Begin with a list of the obvious and leave a lot of room for editing. Instead of just “new cabinets,” begin with the style, finish, and the budget range of cabinets you like. Yes, it’s going to take some homework..

STEPS THROUGH TIME

A NEWBURGH STAIRCASE RESTORATION

By Lisa Iannucci

The next time you look at your staircase, consider its history. Peter Moffa, a woodworker in Shokan, says he thinks about it on every renovation job he takes on. “Staircases have all the history,” he says. “The marks where it has been worn down—how many people did it take to do that? How many stories are there? If your house is old, what about the carpenters or woodworkers who worked on that staircase and the tools they used, bringing blocks of wood and making those stairs happen by hand? It’s pretty complex, and everything fits together so beautifully.”

Moffa especially sees that beauty in his most recent project in Newburgh, which started before the pandemic, when he was contacted by architect Jeff Wilkinson. “There’s something magical about staircases and handrails and the more I see, the more I am amazed at their art form and how exquisite they are,” says Moffa, who became interested in woodturning when he was in his 20s. He watched a friend do it and asked to learn how to shape or “turn” wood on a lathe into decorative elements, such as stair spindles and porch posts. After learning about woodturning, Moffa moved to California, where he spent a few years before returning to the Hudson Valley. He fell in love with architecture here, especially in Newburgh. About 15 years ago, Moffa attended a trade event where he learned about stair building, which was the catalyst for his interest in the craft.

Photo by Lori Adams

Moffa started his woodworking business when he was 26. He has since learned CAD drafting and modeling, allowing him to use the computer to determine the complexity of his projects and see their parts. “I also have a router that’s computer controlled, so it can carve complex pieces that I can model in the computer, including handrail fittings,” Moffa says.

Now 54, Moffa has more than 30 years of woodworking experience and enjoys the mix of working in his shop as well as on job sites. “I enjoy giving a homeowner something beautiful that they use daily,” he says.

One Step at a Time

When he arrived at the Newburgh site, he discovered that the top stair was heavily damaged due to rain getting in due to roof rot. “The freeze/thaw of water does a lot of damage to wood over time, and much of the top stair needed to be rebuilt because of rot and missing parts,” he says.

Moffa says that, over the decades, the house had been divided into separate dwellings, and, as a result, large sections of balconies had disappeared and walls put up in their places. “The handrails and newels were wobbly, and many spindles were missing or replaced with cheap ones from the home center,” he says. “The floor underneath the bottom stair had rotted away, and so the open side of the stair had sunk downward two inches.”

Many attempts at repairs to the stairs had been made through the years with drywall screws and various-sized nails, but the stairs needed a great deal of attention to make them solid again.

While working on older homes, such as the Newburgh project, Moffa turns pieces, replaces missing parts, and reinforces others. “New wood is beautiful in itself, but there’s something about old wood, its growth and character from the marks and scratches. I put a nice finish on it and the old wood really pops.”

He also patched and carved various handrail fittings where they had been broken or missing due to neglect, and turned missing parts of newel posts and newel caps. “I built new treads where the original ones were missing.”

Moffa says he dislikes seeing staircases poorly repaired or, even worse, ripped out and replaced with something tacky because it’s not cheap to save an old staircase.

“Older staircases are originally done by a master craftsman who knew how to make things beautiful,” he says. “I don’t even know how to improve on that beauty, but it’s an honor to work on them.”

Sometimes, Moffa says, homeowners incorporate pieces they got from architectural salvage places that match the period of the house. “For this Newburgh project, my customer found a newel post at a New Hampshire salvage place, and it brings a beautiful, octagonal element to the staircase,” says Moffa. “He brings his friends over, and they don’t believe it hasn’t always been there.”

If a project requires a few new spindles, Moffa will turn them by hand. If it requires many spindles, a company with automated machines completes the task. “I then go in there and sharpen up the details of the turnings a little bit by hand,” he says.

Restoration as Archeology

The Newburgh project began before the pandemic hit and took an on-and-off period of two years to complete. “There were many months that I waited for other trades to do their part because we weren’t allowed to work together,” he says.

Woodworking is a craft that Moffa recognizes has changed over the years. “There’s great beauty in how it’s all evolving,” he explains. “The quality of woodworking tools today can do

amazing things more precisely. But you still need someone like me to figure out what needs to be done, how to patch things together, and how to make things work. There’s plenty of work to be done, and it takes persistence and dedication. I’ve dealt with fixing old staircases where somebody went in there with drywall screws or bolts and made things worse.”

Moffa compares working on stairs to archeology. “When you’re working on a project like this, things start to reveal themselves, and you get a sense of what might have happened at different periods of time in the state and how people dealt with things and how much money or resources they had. It also tells me if they had the ability to fix things. Now I’ve learned that these older homes are beautiful and timeless and the staircases are their fingerprint.” PETERMOFFADESIGN.COM

Before and after photos of the staircase restoration woodworker Peter Moffa recently completed in a Newburgh townhouse.

When Luis Aleman and Jeffrey Moore state that their fully functional and durable works of art evolved from an oversized hat brim, it’s a statement without hyperbole. Three decades ago, the pair met in the New York City workshop of Eric Javits (whose eponymous line is credited with reimagining the traditional straw hat for everyday use), where Aleman was working as a milliner when Moore joined the design team. While the creative duo ultimately combined forces and took their talents elsewhere, they did not leave the millinery empty handed—departing with a shared love of a single medium from which they have woven a business, and a life, together in the Hudson Valley.

“The sewn straw that we use is a natural wheat braid,” Moore says, in a nod to the compact and durable material— plaited by hand—from which he and Aleman craft the original sewn straw carpets (and now tables and stools) for which they are known. What began in the land of contract sewing of women’s hats took a serendipitous turn when Aleman, in a bit of a light-hearted ruse, covered a flea market find with sewn straw and placed a rug beneath it to resemble a coffee table “hat”—fashioning an entirely new product line in the process.

BRIMMING WITH STYLE

By Hannah Van Sickle

HOW TWO MAKERS WOVE A CAREER, AND A LIFE, TOGETHER IN THE HUDSON VALLEY

Bundles of the wheat braid sewn straw that is the basis of Aleman/ Moore creations.

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Marisol coffee table, Fouriginal round rug, U-pouf stool, Maya side table, Copa Grande Stripes side table.

“Things grew from there,” says Moore recalling their first space, a tiny basement shop on 18th Street in Chelsea, where the pair kept company with the building’s boiler. Their next stop was a factory building in Greenpoint (before the now trendy locale was on the proverbial map), where they spent five years until rent skyrocketed and they were encouraged—by creative visionary and interior designer Sheila Bridges—to explore the Hudson Valley.

“We were the early pioneers of where to go,” jokes Moore of being several steps ahead of the hottest location trends, as evidenced by their arriving in the Columbia County hamlet of Stottville after finding a huge house turned restaurant boasting “all the space we needed for our studio living,” Moore says of the tremendous real estate find. In the ensuing years, it’s been (bustling) business as usual.

Each of Aleman/Moore’s eclectic straw carpets is individually hand-sewn in New York of 100-percent natural straw braid and hand-dyed to order. “Everything is boiled on the stove in a pot, which is how we get the wheat to absorb the dye,” Moore says of a process that can take anywhere from 10 minutes to in excess of an hour. Among their 20 standard shades, the most popular easily are marina blue and grass green (plus a strong showing from natural), all of which can be fully customized by combining various patterns, shapes, and sizes to achieve

the wildest of client carpet desires. Each of their six limitededition hues is achieved by bleaching the natural pigment from the straw—which simultaneously strips the raw material of its ability to withstand heavy wear and tear—making these colors (which trend toward the pastel palette) more suitable for donning stools and tables than lying underfoot. (Carpets run $68 to $210 per square foot; stools, side tables, and poofs range in price from $1,800 to $3,400.)

In anticipation of summer (and with all due respect to lovers of outdoor living), Moore underscores an important point of clarification: The entire line of eclectic home furnishings from Aleman/Moore is designed for interior use only (even after being sealed against most stains with a water-based, eco- and Earth-friendly, low VOC coating).

“Natural fibers grow mold when exposed to moisture,” he explains, adding that each of their distinctive and colorful creations is steamed and pressed to keep their shape, which, unlike synthetic polypropylene, will become altered when exposed to the elements. As beautiful as they are ingeniously crafted, the Aleman/Moore line of bespoke home furnishings is an aesthetically pleasing way to infuse your space with functional works of art.

Aleman/Moore’s Field of Life sewn wheat straw-braid rug is available in a variety of colors.

BEACON

Bright Spot

By Anne Pyburn Craig Photos by David McIntyre

Beacon has a long history of fire on its mountain, undoubtedly stretching back to the era before George Washington chose that summit as a great spot for signal fires. During the decades when an outlandishly vertical inline railway toted folks up the hill to the Beaconcrest Hotel and Casino, where you could take in the 75-mile views through coin-op telescopes and dance the Turkey Trot and the Grizzly Bear, fires in 1927, 1934, 1936, and 1967 interrupted the festivities; two fires in 1983 and 1985 took out most of the remaining infrastructure. A brushfire in 2020 seared 300 acres, but it wasn’t until 2022 that a group looking to restore the famed funicular finally threw in the towel and donated their archives to the historical society.

A resident of the mountainside named Pete Seeger, who bought his home site in the 1940s for $1,700, stayed a humble neighbor to the end, playing for local children with Grammys under his belt. He’d offered to sing for the House Un-American Activities Committee, too, so they could judge the fuss for themselves. They declined, and the whole word was singing “If I Had a Hammer” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!’ a little while later on.

Seeger’s influence is inescapable down on the Beacon waterfront; the city dedicated its own park to Pete and wife Toshi, and the majority of the

waterfront is now parkland, housing Seeger’s Sloop Club, a River Pool for safe dipping, and Clarkson University’s Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, all of it an easy walk from the converted Nabisco box factory housing the Beacon outpost of the Dia Art Foundation, where you can view a 350-foot-long Andy Warhol piece in its entirety.

Dia announced its plans back in 1999, prompting former Brooklynite George Mansfield and his wife to get a bit ahead of the curve. “Having been sort of uprooted from every hip part of New York City over time, we knew what that level of culture would do to Beacon,” he says. “I decided I’d get involved—started going to City Council meetings and expressing my opinions, then got on the Planning Board, then ran for City Council.” He won, and has been serving for 14 years, along with operating two popular bars, Quinn’s and Dogwood.

Scenic Hudson now manages the mountain in cooperation with New York State; in lieu of a funicular, there’s a trailhead parking lot with EV chargers, a bike rack, and portable toilet. And even without a dance hall, plenty of visitors still make the trek to the summit and fire tower, where on a clear day you can make out the New York City skyline in the far distance—if you want a spot in that parking lot on a weekend, get up bright and early.

“Everything changes all the time,” says Mansfield. “There’s always this underlying tension between the established folks and the newcomers, and when people started investing in property and opening businesses, there was some resistance—but when your economy depended on factories that have been shipped overseas, something needs to happen. They’d given up on the main artery.” When the MTA sought to implement a transit-orienteddevelopment scheme that would have resulted in excess commercialization, Mansfield and his circle were instrumental in shutting that down in favor of a Main Street focus.

THE SCENE

Quinn’s and Dogwood have been open for around a decade, and Mansfield says they’ve become wellloved staples. “Casual, great food, live music—that’s what works here,” he says. “If you walk into either place, you can get a sense of what Beacon is about— they’re both very community-based venues.”

Beacon’s very much a walkable city, measuring 1.8 miles from the waterfront Metro-North station to the Mount Beacon trailhead. Within that modest distance, one encounters a wild and varied array of eats—soul food, sushi, Italian, Chinese, and much more, including uncommon endeavors such as

the Beans Cat Cafe (full of potential fur-ever friends to adopt), a Himalayan dumpling shop, a purveyor of exotic house-made marshmallows, and the Dr. Who-themed Pandorica restaurant— and that is but the tip of the iceberg. A Little Beacon Blog, which tries to keep abreast of openings and closings, had about 65 places to eat and drink listed as of this writing. Freshroasted coffee and lovingly, hyper-locally brewed craft beer are ubiquitous; there’s a food hall, an arcade bar full of classic games called Happy Valley, and a distillery. Live music fills the air, especially on weekends.

The Second Saturday Art Gallery Stroll lists 16 essential stops, including Hudson Beach Glass, the Howland Cultural Center, and KuBe Art Center. Retail is likewise robust, with loads of apparel ranging from bridal to hiking gear and beyond. There’s a boutique for every taste, and all the jewelry and beauty supplies to go with them. You can memorialize your look with an heirloom photo from Tintype, and experience “where the motorcyclist and the spiritualist come together” at Notions and Potions. Once again, we’re talking tip of the iceberg, and within the mix you’ll also find a locally run hardware store, a pack-n-ship, a garden center, and a bike shop, among other practical amenities. You can catch movies at the Beacon Theater, or live standup and improv

jams from Serious Comedy Theater, where you can also polish your own comedic chops with workshops and classes.

THE MARKET

“We have low inventory, but the market is still plodding along,” says realtor Jonathan Miller, a sixth-generation Beaconite. “Stuff that does come on the market, when it’s priced properly, has sold, and we still have multiple bidding wars. But the pandemic-era trend of people buying houses sight unseen except for a video, has faded.”

Want a home in Beacon? Get yourself a hometown realtor, says Miller. “Using an outof-town buyers’ agent is an injustice to yourself. Someone who really knows the area can help steer you not just to a house, but to your house.”

On the market in early May: a two-bedroom co-op unit for $199,000 and a handful of colonials and ranch-style homes in the $300,000 to $500,000 range, moving swiftly from “For Sale” to “Pending.”

Available condos in the city were priced at $579,000 and $724,999; within walking distance of Main Street, penthouse condos at the View were priced at $1,175,000. A five-bedroom brick home on a five-acre lot could be yours for $1,600,000, complete with bluestone patio and adjacent building lot.

THE FACTS

ZIP CODE: 12508

POPULATION: 13,769

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $92,676

PROXIMITY TO MAJOR CITY: New York City is 60 miles to the south.

TRANSPORTATION: Beacon has its own MetroNorth Station. It’s a little over an hour to get to Grand Central Station by train. I-84 runs across the north end of Beacon, Route 9D runs through the city’s west end, and Route 9 is about a mile to the east. Stewart International Airport is 14 miles west in New Windsor.

NEAREST HOSPITAL: Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall is 5.6 miles away in Newburgh.

SCHOOLS: The Beacon City School District has four elementary schools (Glenham, Sargent, JV Forrestal, and South Avenue), one middle school (Rombout), and the Beacon High School. Independent schools are Hudson Hills Academy Montessori (Pre-K-7) and New Covenant Learning Center (Pre-K-4).

POINTS OF INTEREST: Dia:Beacon, Long Dock Park, Beacon Sloop Club, Dennings Point, Madam Brett Museum, Mount Beacon, Quinn’s, Howland Cultural Center, Hudson Beach Glass, Towne Crier, Bank Square Coffee, Yankee Clipper Diner, Hudson Valley Brewery, Binnacle Books, Two-Way Brewing, Industrial Arts Brewing, Happy Valley Arcade Bar, Glazed Over Doughnuts, Peaceful Provisions, One More Bite, Trax Espresso, Big Mouth Coffee, Isamu, Melzingah Tap House, Ama Wood-Fired Pizza, Hudson Valley Food Hall, BJ’s Restaurant, the Snooki Shop, Hyperbole, the Roundhouse, Story Screen Beacon Theater

Little League baseball at the Shawn M. Antalek Memorial Field at Memorial Park. Opposite: Hudson Beach Glass has been a Main Street mainstay since 2003.

RHINEBECK

In 1983, the New York Times Weekend section characterized Rhinebeck as “A Village that Time Passed By” and described the quaint tranquility of a place with “no parking meters, no chrome, no fast-food outlets, one traffic light, an inn dating back to 1766 that calls itself the oldest hotel in the United States, and 344 buildings comprising a National Historic District.”

Four decades later, those facts still stand. But don’t mistake tranquility for somnolence. The onetime violet capital of the world is no hothouse flower set apart from civilization’s concerns. If anything, many in Rhinebeck have their eyes on the future.

“We’re doing a lot, and it’s exciting and very satisfying,” says Village Trustee Vanessa Bertozzi, coordinator of Rhinebeck’s Climate Smart Communities Task Force. “Around 200 people came out for our recent Walk to School Day event, which was wonderful. We’ve completed our Natural Resources Inventory in collaboration with the town. We’re in the process of updating our comprehensive plan, which hasn’t been done since 1983; I’m proud to say that I think that we’re gonna be doing a lot that speaks to the future of this place

A Place in Time

By Anne Pyburn Craig Photos by David McIntyre

and makes it more climate friendly.”

A pilot project involving 100 households and half a dozen restaurants was used to bolster a grant application, and the village received $300,000 to build a municipal composting facility. While strong opposition from residents who live near the proposed facility has stalled the project, Bertozzi is hopeful that another version will succeed.

And that historic district that the Times referenced may be changing its boundaries, though no one is suggesting anything as heretical as altering its facades. “We’re looking at expanding the footprint and including Oak Street,” says Bertozzi, “which was the Black and Irish working-class neighborhood back in the late 1700s and then through the 1800s. Bill Jeffway, the Dutchess County historian, did an incredible project on that history, and it’s not written into law yet but we’re really excited that it will become part of the district.”

Also exciting: Rhinebeck’s freshest local independent media, including Radio Free Rhinecliff, streaming new shows and locally produced podcasts every Friday from the backroom of the Epicurean grocery store, and the Hudson

Valley Pilot, a freshly launched online news source dedicated to up-to-the-minute examination of all things Rhinebeck. “The impetus was conversations like ‘Wow, there was an election and nobody knows who won,’ and the realization that that’s not how it should be,” says Eric Steinman, Pilot editor-inchief. “It’s also driven by the way independent media and local news sources have been drying up for years, leaving people to try to glean news from social media and get questionable information. So we’re trying to build this old/new model, keeping it very local and centered around personal stories and political stuff, bringing to light what’s really going on. Honestly, it’s been more successful than I even expected it to be at this point—we’re getting lots of donations and sponsorship, and people are really excited.”

Rhinebeckers were apparently less excited when a Moms for Liberty-backed candidate appeared on the 2022 school board ballot, with talk of book bans and such. “There was a good bit of talk, and some fear,” says Steinman. “But he lost by a considerable amount, and this year’s school board election isn’t particularly competitive. So I think we’re in the clear for now.”

THE SCENE

Rhinebeck’s food scene is outstanding, with 22 restaurants—two of which opened in the same week last April—ranging from pizza and sandwiches to the French fare at Le Petit Bistro or roasted oysters and Wagyu sirloin at the Willow at Mirbeau Inn and Spa. There’s outstanding falafel at Aba’s, top-notch Indian fare at Cinnamon, and splendid Irish cuisine at Bia. The two newest eateries are Cafe Con Leche, offering authentic Puerto Rican food, and Pretty to Think So, a chic barroom with extensive raw bar offerings and farm-to-table dishes.

Indie retail spots offer up everything from antiques and fine paper goods to toys, books, comics, and skateboarding gear. There are several art galleries, and clothing shops for everyone from kids and country folk to those needing chic executive duds. You’ll find wonderful local artisanal things at Winter Sun & Summer Moon and Periwinkle’s, interior pieces at Hammertown and House SFW, and fine jewelry at Hummingbird and Zimmer Brothers.

The Starr Library has a jam-packed calendar of community offerings; Omega Institute for Holistic Studies has a 108-page catalog of workshops scheduled this year; and Izlind Integrative Health has gathered a collective of 18 advanced practitioners of every sort of wellness-focused modality. There are festivals throughout spring and summer and a bangin’

county fair at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. And Rhinebeckers are a mere stone’s throw from the eclectic cultural offerings at Bard College’s Fisher Center.

THE MARKET

Rhinebeck realtor and Dutchess County native Rachel Hyman-Rouse says things in Rhinebeck are still high and tight. “Basic starter homes are going for $700,000,” she says. “It’s actually shocking. People think realtors must be immune, but I actually was looking for a house in the village during COVID myself and got beaten in a bidding war. Inventory’s still very low; there are conversations underway about housing affordability, but realistically, it takes two years to build anything at all up here. I’d say that if you want to live here, keep your eyes open and have what you need lined up— including patience.”

At this writing, a three-bedroom raised ranch just outside the village was being offered for $383,000 and a one-bedroom townhouse, also just outside the village, was priced at $495,000. Five miles out of town, a 3,000-square-foot, three-bedroom contemporary with lake rights had just been reduced from $749,000 to $725,000. Within the village, a 1920s gem with stained glass windows, wraparound porch, and 3,800 square feet was on the market for $1,595,000.

THE FACTS

ZIP CODE: 12572

POPULATION: 2,693 (Village) 7,768 (Town)

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $90,833

PROXIMITY TO MAJOR CITY: Rhinebeck is 61 miles from Albany and 102 miles from New York City.

TRANSPORTATION: Rhinebeck is 20 minutes from New York State Thruway Exit 19 (Kingston) via the Kingston/Rhinecliff Bridge, 15 minutes from the Taconic State Parkway, and just under an hour from I-84. The Rhinecliff Amtrak station, a seven-minute drive, offers departures to both Penn Station in New York City and to Albany/Rensselaer, and train connections can be made to Newark International Airport. Closer airports include Stewart International in Newburgh (about an hour away) and Albany International (about 1 hour 10 minutes).

NEAREST HOSPITAL: Northern Dutchess Hospital, an 84-bed, acute care community hospital with numerous specialty care centers, is located in the village.

SCHOOLS: Rhinebeck Central Schools serve students in grades K-5 at Chancellor Livingston Elementary School, grades 6-8 at Bulkeley Middle School, and grades 9-12 at Rhinebeck High School. Progressive independent options include Primrose Hill in Rhinebeck, serving grades pre-K through five, Oakwood Friends School for grades six to 12 in Poughkeepsie; and Woodstock Day School and the Sudbury School, both serving pre-K through grade 12 in Woodstock. Northern Dutchess Christian Academy in nearby Red Hook serves students in grades K-12. The nonprofit Astor Learning Center in Rhinebeck offers therapeutic and special needs educational and mental health services to grades K through eight.

POINTS OF INTEREST: Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Wilderstein Historic Site, Beekman Arms Inn, Ferncliff Forest Preserve, Poet’s Walk Park, Izlind Integrative Institute, Burger Hill Park, Aba’s Falafel, Gigi’s Trattoria, Oblong Books and Music, Samuel’s Sweet Shop, Rhinebeck Department Store, Winter Sun & Summer Moon, Fisher Center at Bard College.

East Market Street is part of the village’s bustling downtown. Opposite: The farmers’ market draws thousands each Sunday for local produce and artisanal goods.

A rendering of Futur’s regenerative HÔM design concept, which seeks to integrate buildings into the landscape and offer affordable housing options in the region.

THE ART OF LIVING

By Melissa Esposito

The Seventh Generation principle is an Indigenous Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) philosophy centered on being mindful of how one’s actions today might affect the Earth and all its inhabitants seven generations from now. As a society, we thrive on progress and momentum— whether that’s as simple as checking off a personal to-do list, or as complex as attempting to solve the housing crisis, sometimes moving forward means looking back at the wisdom of the past.

These concepts are core tenets of Futur, a regenerativehousing initiative founded by Eliot Livingston Wilson, a Hudson Valley native who splits his time between Hudson and Germany.

While sustainable housing practices are often looked at as a way to design and build homes that minimally impact the environment, regenerative housing seeks to maximally impact the environment—but in a positive way. A regenerative home is one that considers sustainability and restoration through every aspect, from its effects on the surrounding landscape, to the type of materials used, to the wages paid to those building it.

Regenerative design encompasses increasingly common practices like passive heating and cooling, permaculture, renewable energy, and LEED-certified standards and then goes further to ensure that the home provides more than it consumes in terms of energy, carbon footprint, and community. It’s not just sustainable, it’s renewing. And Wilson sees the Hudson Valley as a prime locale for Futur’s two main housing concepts: HÔM and ZÔM.

These sustainably produced dwellings are integrated into the landscape, becoming an extension of the natural environment, and built in a way that’s mindful of climate, carbon, and the needs of modern humans. “We set out to solve three main problems,” Wilson explains. “One: The central problem is a relational problem; the relationship between ourselves and the planet is often distorted. How can we shape that relationship in a way that mirrors that we are part of nature and we should emulate it? Two: To ensure supply chain processes are as regenerative as possible and develop a home building system from the ground up without petrochemicals, toxic varnishes, paints, and more. Three: Affordable housing.”

A regenerative home designer uses the lessons of the past to create dwellings that meet the needs of residents, and the environment, for generations to come.

Space to Grow

What Futur plans to produce are homes and structures that intersect age-old techniques with modern lifestyles. HÔMs are larger and maintain a contemporary feel with Indigenous structural elements, while ZÔMs are more of an ideal starter house or tiny home with a slightly more whimsical aesthetic that gives a Jørn Utzon-meets-Tolkien vibe. There are endless variations of the two options, as individual projects are tailored to the needs of the client and the specific landscape. But each design is modular. HÔMs and ZÔMs are both encased in hempcrete insulation, a durable blend of hempstalk and lime, which is mold, pest, and fire resistant. The wooden framing is sourced locally from trees that arborists would otherwise use for firewood or chipping, and the roof is made of solar-powered-tile shingles. Passive heating and cooling techniques are implemented, such as a skylight that provides a chimney effect in summer, allowing hot air to escape while pulling cooler air upward from a subterranean duct. Futur also works with Hudson Valley Timberworks and Restoration and Vermont-based permaculture design firm Whole Systems Design to collaborate on projects.

“We create a space for people to grow their own food, too,” he explains. “The system is intended to be flexible and we tailor it to very specific needs. It’s sculpting in a permacultural way.”

Pricing is currently not set in stone, and that flexibility is a key part of how Futur’s future will be shaped. “Housing is not a privilege, and it shouldn’t be a privilege to have housing that

is healthy—not attacking our immune and endocrine systems each day. We want to further explore the ideas of how housing should be financed; to not charge by the square-foot, but by a portion of someone’s income. However, to get to a place where we can say they’re truly affordable will take time,” Wilson says.

As of January, Futur began a new project with Obercreek Farm, an organic farm and CSA in the Wappinger hamlet of Hughsonville. Construction begins this summer on a ZÔM module prototype that the farm can use for storage and community needs.

Sustainable Saga

The idea for HÔM and ZÔM came about as organically as the lines of their hempcrete doorways. Born and raised in Livingston, Wilson attended Hawthorne Valley School, where a holistic relationship with nature was encouraged. As part of a senior project, he chose to focus on sustainable design, in which he’d already developed a keen interest. “I asked an architect in the Berkshires to help me design a home for my mother. She was a single mother and I thought that if she could have a home that encouraged financial autonomy, it would be a leg up for her; I then realized that by helping my mother, maybe these principles could do the same for our collective mother,” he says.

Wilson went on to study both architecture and fine arts with an emphasis on land-based sculpture in college at Alaus University in Germany, where he was highly influenced by the

Futur’s housing concepts are built into the land in a way that promotes active renewal through passive and permaculture design.

jansonscuro.com jansonscuro

country’s emphasis on sustainable building practices. While there, he designed and sculpted a project built into the earth of a meadow. The intention was to add dimension, but no one predicted what happened next: Endangered species ended up settling into the undulations of the design.

“In Germany, I moved about 100 tons of earth to sculpt a spiral. This changed the meadow from being one plane with one ecosystem to seven planes with their own microclimates and ecosystems,” he says. “Five species of endangered newts began to settle there. This was deeply formative for Futur.” Through this occurrence, Wilson was able to witness for himself how working with nature, not against it or atop it, could bring about both beauty and new life. While abroad, he developed early prototypes for the structures Futur offers.

“When someone purchases a regenerative home, on day one their carbon footprint is reduced by one-third, and potentially by up to 80 percent shortly after,” he says.

“Nothing that I’m proposing is new; in fact, it’s ancient. It’s thousands of years old. The First Nations people set the example—we inherited a country that had been stewarded, not exploited. All of the solutions are here, we just need to go about it all with a creative, integrative approach.”

This notion of ecological preservation through the lens of regeneration is a repeated cycle through Wilson’s own lineage. As the great-great-grandson of Hudson River School painter Frederic Edwin Church, design, conservation, and moxie are in his blood. Church’s self-

designed Persian-style estate, Olana, still stands as a National Historic landmark, museum, and testament to the importance of land preservation.

“He was an enormous inspiration for me seeing landscape as a medium to be sculpted in harmony with nature, not destructive or imposing,” Wilson explains. “My family has been in the Hudson Valley for more than 300 years; I’ve certainly been impacted by the decisions made seven generations prior.”

Though a regenerative housing concept can apply globally, Wilson and his team focused on the Hudson Valley with intentions beyond the obvious personal connections.

“Based on climate trends, our region will fare better than others in the coming years and we will likely absorb populations of the areas most impacted by climate change,” Wilson says. “This is the loudest clarion call for us to step up.”

The vision for Futur includes teaming up with local conservation organizations to create communities or villages, where the means of carbon sequestration could lead to land trusts that can further reduce the cost of housing while creating more awareness around regenerative living.

“We all know in our hearts that the way things are can’t go on,” he says. “We look at climate change and, for many, it can be scary. But I want to encourage people not to look away, because by facing that fear, you’ll receive the extraordinary gift of real, tangible hope. Let’s see this as the greatest opportunity we’ve ever been given.”

From starter homes to second homes, regenerative housing can be designed to fit a variety of lifestyles and individual or family needs.

UPSTATE ABUNDANCE A BUCOLIC HOMESTEAD

IN ULSTER PARK

PHOTOS BY WINONA BARTON-BALLENTINE

The 10 bucolic acres in Ulster Park owned by Michael Compton and Kendrick Hogan are a tranquil retreat from the busy world. Sitting on a landscaped knoll, their home, which dates back to the 19th century, features a western-facing view of the property’s gardens, trees, rock outcroppings, waterfall, and pond—a view that changes almost daily as the Hudson Valley seasons transform the land.

The property’s many outdoor “rooms” draw its dwellers into the lush landscape: to laugh with friends around the fire pit; to contemplate life on the pond dock; to dine outside on the stone patio; or just to relax in the hot tub while enjoying the pink and gold sunsets over the water.

But there’s more than first meets the eye than the historic house and spacious outdoor areas for entertaining and relaxing. Tucked away on one acre of the historic property is a certified organic compact farm that has proven to be a highly productive growing operation for Compton and Hogan.

With ample room for both produce and flowers, as well as a chattering flock of ISA brown chickens, the couple’s small operation has yielded a harvest large enough to supply their own small CSA, a local grocery, a local restaurant, and two weekly farmers’ market stands.

In addition to their “tomato house,” a small high tunnel where the two grow a dozen varieties of heirloom and cherry tomatoes, there are beds for a multitude of heirloom vegetables—fennel, radicchio, and romaine lettuce are a few favorites—as well as cut flowers and dozens of mature berry bushes. “We have blueberries, red raspberries, blackberries, and black raspberries—which are the most productive and delicious fruits on the property—as well as red, pink, white, and black currants, gooseberries, and jostaberries,” explains Compton, who clearly has green thumbs. “One cannot live here and not make jam!” he says.

A Glimpse into the Past

The couple first came to the area in 2014, while looking for

a weekend home with space for gardens. “We were drawn to Ulster County in particular by the beautiful landscape, cultural opportunities, and the warm, fun-loving residents,” says Compton.

When they found their historic property, once part of the adjacent Twin Brook Farm homestead, they were smitten. The property’s front yard offers a glimpse back in time. “The front yard is serene and green,” says Compton. “It has a view of the old stone house as it looked nearly 200 years ago.”

The home itself is an appealing blend of old and new, with the original stone house at its center built in 1828 by Cornelius DuBois Delamater, a son of an American Revolutionary War veteran. Many families have come and gone since then, each leaving their imprint on the property. When Compton and Hogan found it, the rambling farmhouse included nearly 4,000 square feet of move-in-ready space, with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, two living rooms, and a full chef’s kitchen with cathedral ceilings and skylights. “It made our Manhattan apartment kitchen seem like a closet,” remembers Compton.

Above: The living room’s modern fireplace, one of four in the home, offers the perfect spot for entertaining guests or cozying up in the evenings after dinner.

Opposite: Sitting on a landscaped knoll, the 3,607-square-foot, fourbedroom home features a western-facing view of the property’s gardens, trees, rock outcroppings, waterfall, and pond.

From Small Seeds Mighty Harvests Grow

Soon after moving into the house, the couple realized the property provided them with almost everything they needed. “From enjoying Sunday morning coffee on the bluestone patio to playing Sunday afternoon croquet with friends on the lawn; from soaking in the hot tub after a long summer’s day gardening to cozying up in front of a roaring fire on a snowy winter night in December, the property offered us an amazing life,” says Compton.

Within three years they’d committed to the home full-time, letting go of their city apartment and devoting themselves not just to their work, but to travel, evenings with friends, and running their on-site farm.

While growing their compact farm, the two still kept plenty of produce aside to feed themselves and their frequent guests. And with three spacious bedrooms, each with their own ensuite bathroom, and a downstairs office with a hidden Murphy bed, Compton and Hogan always had ample space for welcoming overnighters. The chef’s kitchen includes three sinks, a sixburner Viking range, a bread warmer, a standalone ice maker, a double oven, and miles of countertops—plenty of room to turn fresh, heirloom produce into homestyle cuisine.

At the heart of the original 1828 stone home, the traditional dining room features the original wide-plank floorboards and

exposed-beam ceilings, as well as space for a 10-seat dining table and an updated fireplace for year-round warmth and camaraderie. After dinner the couple and their guests relax in the adjacent den, which includes vaulted ceilings and an oversized bluestone fireplace. “It’s our favorite out of the home’s four fireplaces,” says Hogan.

The serene primary bedroom suite includes an oversized bathroom with cathedral ceilings. A step-down sitting area with its own gas fireplace and private patio has made the bedroom the perfect place for the pair to unwind after days of sowing seeds.

Setting Sail for a Different Shore

During their over 10 years in the Hudson Valley, Hogan and Compton fully embraced their life on the property. However, now it’s time for them to move on to the next chapter—and for their historic homestead to hold space for the lives of another family.

“We tend to never stay put anywhere for more than a few years, although we’ve cherished this home so much that we’ve stayed nearly 10,” explains Compton. A developing interest in the nautical arts has turned their attention seaward. “We’ve loved it here,” says Compton. “But now it’s time to set sail— quite possibly literally—on our next adventure.”

Above: A guest bedroom with ensuite bathroom in the old stone house features wideplank floorboards and a cozy sitting area.

Opposite: The chef’s kitchen includes three sinks, a sixburner Viking range, a bread warmer, a standalone ice maker, a double oven, and miles of countertops.

PROUD PERCH

A Modern Cliff House in Saugerties

By Marc Ferris

Photos by Brad Feinknopf

It’s challenging to harmonize a hard-edged modern house dominated by accents of black with its bucolic setting, but Kaat Cliffs, a getaway in West Saugerties designed and built by Studio MM, pulls it off.

Inspired by Philip Johnson’s iconic, almost-seethrough Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, the client requested from Studio MM an open home filled with sunlight and a functional kitchen designed to be mindful of the home’s limited space. She also expressed an affinity for black, gray, and white.

“Black and concrete may feel a little cold, but architects can create some love with the warmth of wood,” says Marica McKeel, founder and principal of Studio MM. “I try to show that modern can be cozy and warm, not shiny and cold.”

McKeel obliged the client’s request with several deft touches and worked with her to make bold statements in the two bathrooms, which flash unexpected color. Based in Manhattan, McKeel plans to expand her satellite office in the Hudson Valley.

Kaat Cliffs sits atop a sculpted site nestled at the base of a towering rock curtain that rises 100 feet. This precipice, in turn, sits at the bottom of a much larger rugged slope in the Kaaterskill Wild Forest that dominates the landscape for miles.

No other houses are visible from the property, although construction equipment clatters further on up the unpaved road, which leads to a trailhead. The owner, who lives in Philadelphia, enjoys hiking, and the home is close to Woodstock. She moved in last October.

Kaat Cliffs in West Saugerties takes inspiration from Philip Johnson’s iconic Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Cliffs Notes

Despite the seeming incongruity of a 1,722-square-foot transparent modernist structure snug against a cliff face, the house complements its setting. The front door opens onto a large glass window that frames the view of a planting bed in the foreground with trees beyond the slope. On the right of the stick-built dwelling is the main bedroom and an anteroom featuring built-in, floor-to-ceiling closets.

Turning left at the end of the short foyer toward the common area, the most striking features are the 11-foot Marvin windows that stand parallel to each other and provide direct views through the house.

The windows slide open, offering access to a floor-level wooden deck that faces east. The back window opens onto a fire pit at the base of the mossy rock wall.

Entering the glass-lined expanse, it’s easy to whipsaw between the two outdoor vistas, then focus on the blank space created by a large white kitchen wall that houses a few appliances and hides a lot of appurtenances, including the Miele DynaCool refrigerator. Behind the wall, a spartan office and guest bedroom exist in relatively private seclusion.

The client installed mood lighting in the backyard to showcase the craggy cliff and a dominant ground-level feature, a giant boulder near the front door. She also enhanced the narrow space in back of the house by stacking several stone slabs in strategic ornamentation.

Other personal touches permeate the property. The client’s sister, an artist, created a hand-troweled, floor-to-ceiling stucco addition to the house just outside the front door that provides a convenient space to store firewood.

Her aunt, an artist and architect, consulted on several design elements and worked with Kerhonkson-based furniture maker Braxton Alexander to create a geometric dining table. She also helped decide on the siding and the furniture layout for the main living space.

“Our design process is precipitated on client involvement,” says McKeel. “In this case, it was great to incorporate [the aunt’s] experience and expertise. It’s the first time we’ve had another architect collaborate on a project’s design, but two heads are better than one.”

The client decided to decorate the main bathroom in fire engine red and adopted a whimsical pink motif in the guest bath, which features a funky light fixture resembling three spaceships stacked atop each other.

“We wanted something unexpected and she went for it,” says McKeel, who worked with the client to “make sure that each of the two bathrooms felt like a cohesive, jewel-box style space, which adds some fun to an otherwise minimalist color palette.”

Both baths feature handcrafted Moroccan clay tiles. Red squares line the master bath and in the guest room shower, multihued hexagons reflect the light like sequins.

The house’s decor is sparse, creating a spacious feel in living room.

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The functional kitchen was designed to be mindful of the home’s limited space.

Nothing to See Here

Except for the functional furniture in the great room, the home reflects minimalist design concepts. Besides the beds, the only thing taking up space in the anterooms is a chair in the office.

The sleek white wall of hidden roll-out cabinets in the kitchen (from Cabinet Designers in Kingston), delivers form and function. About a dozen LED dot lights, along with the ventilation hood above the range, are flush with the ceiling, enhancing the small expanse’s sense of space.

Earl B. Feiden Appliance in Kingston provided the Miele wine cooler, the wine cooler fridge and range, which sits at one end of an oblong rectangular island with waterfall edges that separates the living space from the kitchen and is accentuated with built-in white oak cabinets.

With the exception of the office, vents consist of long black slits. The one located in the ceiling near the video screen is nearly invisible. Another, lining the top of the great white wall in the kitchen, adds an understated racing stripe accent.

Tactful placements of wood elements include the maple panels behind the beds, the perfect perch for a book, flower vase, or small sculpture. In the office, a waist-high shelf provides desk space and wraps around the room, which includes four bookshelves and a closet.

Below: The home is located in 7,600-acre Kaaterskill Wild Forest, part of the larger Catskill Forest Preserve.

Another subtle organic design element: pine linings underneath the soffit that underlays the roof in the back of the house and the east-facing overhang, which incorporates a passive design element.

The polished five-inch thick concrete floor hides efficient water-based radiant heating that helps deliver passive house results without the certification. The floor stays cool in the warmer months and windows in the bedrooms create a cross-breeze.

The decor is also sparse: just a few black-and-white photos hang on the walls with large color photos of family members on the foyer wall. A trio of clay pots and another small sculpture rest on a ledge between the fireplace and TV screen.

Comfy chairs and a loveseat create a cozy atmosphere in the main room. The earthiest interior touch is the nook built into the wall next to the fireplace that holds a stack of logs.

Local Love

McKeel founded her firm in 2010 with the goal of building modern residences in the Hudson Valley. In 2015, she opened an office in Kerhonkson and is now in the midst of building

a larger space in Olivebridge. “I love the authenticity of the valley, the stunning surroundings and the ongoing efforts to keep things local,” she says. “There’s a long history of design and craftsmanship that we architects have the opportunity to showcase and, hopefully, add to.”

As McKeel begins building her homes, not just designing them, she appreciates the skill and knowledge of local builders, who “are talented and know their craft,” she says. “The local furniture makers and designers are using their surroundings as inspiration and I want to be a part of that.”

She also loves local farms, markets, and the amazing bounty of fresh vegetables, foraged mushrooms, local wines, and spirits and delicious local cheeses. “I could go on and on,” McKeel says.

One goal is to reflect all that earthiness in her work, which integrates the home’s modern aesthetic with its natural surroundings. “I’m trying to design efficient, modern homes that blur the boundaries of interior and exterior,” says McKeel. “But it’s easier to draw a modern house than it is to build one.

Left: Tactful placements of wood elements throughout the house include the maple panels behind the bed.

Right:.Kaat Cliffs’ two bathrooms feature flashes of unexpected color.

80 Miles North of Manhattan

Hudson Valley Yoga Experience

PATIO PERSONALITY

Tips for creating an outdoor living room that matches your lifestyle

Whether you’re a social butterfly who loves to entertain or a bookworm who wants a cozy nook to read on the deck, your backyard space should be a natural extension of your home that matches your personality.

“Creating an outdoor living room that’s tailored to your personal style and your family’s needs is the best way to make the most of your outdoor space and enjoy the beautiful Hudson Valley weather,” says Kim Williams, Senior VP of Williams Lumber & Home Centers.

With seven locations, including two kitchen and bath showrooms in Pleasant Valley and Rhinebeck, Williams has been a go-to source for home improvement in the Hudson Valley since 1946. “No matter your budget or the size of your project, our expert team can guide you through all the details and help you create an outdoor space that you will be proud of for years to come,” Williams says.

Here are some tips from Williams for creating an outdoor living room that matches your lifestyle.

The Nature Lover

If your idea of the perfect outdoor space is a spot to soak in the beauty of your garden or surrounding landscape, Williams recommends adding features that will get you outside to enjoy it as much as possible.

If you’re ready to build a new deck that anchors your backyard oasis, Williams’ choice is USA-made Trex. The company’s ecofriendly composite decking is an innovative blend of 95 percent reclaimed wood and plastic that resists fading, scratches, and almost anything Mother Nature has to offer.

Trex offers a variety of rich, natural colors that blend in with your natural environment, but unlike real wood, it requires no sanding, staining, or painting, and it’s splinterfree. Trex offers a wide array of design possibilities—from striking, minimal ground-level options that create a cohesive look with your garden beds or in-ground pool to sophisticated balconies perfect for bird watching in the morning and star gazing at night.

If you’re looking for an easy project with high impact, Trex deck boards can also be used to create raised garden beds that can transform your backyard into a tiny vegetable-growing powerhouse.

The Solitude Seeker

Is your patio or deck the place you hide away to read a novel or escape each morning with a cup of good coffee? There are plenty of ways to cultivate an atmosphere of tranquility in your outdoor space and block out any unwanted sights or sounds.

The soothing gurgle of a fountain or other water feature is a great way to mask road noise or chattering neighbors. Williams loves the creative possibilities for hardscaping that are available from Cambridge Hardscapes and Outdoor Living Products. The company offers pre-packaged kits for both waterfalls and fountains, so it’s easy to add on to your existing paver patio or walkway, or create a stand-alone feature in your backyard. Even better, Cambridge interlocking pavement systems with ArmorTec and wall systems are Earth-friendly and recyclable.

Adding a fence is a tried-and-true method for blocking sound and creating a sense of privacy. Williams’ recommendation for fencing is Trex, which offers its high-performance, sustainable composite fencing in three natural colors that can be mixed and matched for a striking design.

If you’re looking for an easy and stylish way to add a little more privacy to your existing space, Williams recommends simply adding a screen or divider, such as the architectural powder-

coated aluminum screens from Trex that come in a variety of sizes, patterns, and colors.

The Host with the Most

If your favorite way to spend a summer weekend is having friends and family over for barbecues or make-your-own-pizza nights, you’re the type of person who deserves an outdoor space with all the bells and whistles.

For the passionate home chef, Williams recommends adding an outdoor kitchen to your setup. Cambridge Hardscapes and Outdoor Living Products offers stone veneer outdoor kitchen kits complete with a stainless steel appliance package that includes a grill, refrigerator, and warming tray.

Want to go it alone? You can use Cambridge pavers to design your own outdoor kitchen perfect for showcasing a new Japanesestyle ceramic smoker from Kamado Joe or all-in-one electric pellet grill from Traeger or Weber, which burn wood pellets made of compressed sawdust from hardwoods like pecan, hickory, or cherry and add delicious wood-fired flavor to anything you’re cooking.

If you want to take your al fresco meals to the next level, Williams suggests adding a pergola to your dining area. Pergola kits from Trex come in a variety of styles that add a chic design element to any outdoor space and provide the perfect amount of shade for sunny summer days.

COUNTRY LIFE

Homes of the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley

Photos by William Abranowicz

Story by Jane Anderson

Photographer William Abranowicz’s acclaimed portfolio has taken him around the world, and his work can be found in nearly every major lifestyle, culture, and fashion publication. But his subjects for Country Life: Homes of the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley—publishing this summer by Vendome—were no further than a few hours’ drive from his own Catskills home.

Country Life captures the essence of dwellings along a corridor that Abranowicz calls a “ribbon of creativity,” from the Delaware River Valley to the Berkshires. “With this book, I could drive to areas I’d never been to before,” he says. This is his third book under the Vendome brand, and his third collaboration with his son Zander, who provided the words that harmonize with his father’s images.

Abranowicz “paints” those images with his lens; it’s apropos, then, that inspiration for this ode to the Hudson Valley and Catskills came from the Hudson River School painters. The book features both Frederic Church’s Olana in Hudson and its neighbor across the river, the Thomas Cole House in Catskill. It was there that Abranowicz began.

Publisher Mark Magowan pitched the idea at the tail end of the COVID pandemic, about the same time that Abranowicz and his wife, editor Andrea Raisfeld, had just moved full-time from Bedford to their weekend home in the Delaware County village of Margaretville. “I originally wanted to cover just the Catskills, but he suggested I do the Hudson Valley, too,” Abranowicz says. “I had no outline, just a regional boundary; in this case, the regional boundary was home.”

captions tk

Andrea Menke on the covered porch of her home in East Meredith. Opposite: The garden of Wynkoop House, home of Gary Tinterow and Christopher Gardner, was originally built for Cornelius Wynkoop, a wealthy Dutch merchant who settled in the Hudson Valley in the 1680s.

Spirit of the House

He spent a year and a half photographing 30 homes. Twenty made the final cut—each one encapsulating the finery of its surroundings. Abranowicz’s artistic images transcend the usual home decor book, and he asserts as much in discussing the book: “I’m less interested in design than the spirit of the house. Design is always important—that’s why these houses were chosen—but it was their spirit I hoped to capture.”

As a result, the Olana chapter opens with the curve of a mountain and a slice of river, as seen from the iconic home. Images of Geoff Howell’s 1866 Italianate in Athens include the rainbow sparkles that splash throughout a room, reflected from Swarovski crystal that Howell has carefully placed in the windows. Harsh edges at the Brutalist concrete home of Hal Philipps and Greg Kendall are forgiven with shots of the breathtaking Catskills views seen from their living room.

Abranowicz was acquainted with some owners of the homes featured in the book, while others were introduced to him

through those acquaintances and others. Each home enthralled him, and that enthusiasm comes through in his photos: “I’m constantly looking for things that communicate silently to me. It’s all about discovery: It happens over a few days sometimes, and in some cases, it’s instantaneous. You would have to be blind to walk into [Mita and Gerald] Bland’s house and not be, like, ‘Bam!’”

“There’s not one house I wouldn’t want to live in,” he adds. “The homes all shared some sense of awe—either in the landscape, the home design, or the overall vibe of the place.”

That feeling reveals itself throughout the book. From the moodiness of rich, dark, nautical wallpapers in Jessica Piazza and Tim Unich’s Saugerties home, to the woodsy openness of the McLawhorn/Kissock home on the banks of the Beaverkill, each home is gorgeously captured. Also included is the Beacon studio of artists Doug and Mike Starn, whose 2010 installation, Big Bambú :You Can’t, You Don’t and You Won’t Stop, in the roof garden of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, caused a sensation.

Left: Geoff Howell is pursuing a maximalist gardening agenda at his 1866 Italianate in Athens.

Right: The home of Andrea Menke and Clark Sanders was built over the course of 25 years with scavenged wood and stone.

Opposite: The Beacon studio of Mike and Doug Starn.

The home of Hal Phillips and Greg Kendall on the slopes of Mount Merino, just south of Hudson, features a glassed-in interior courtyard. The sculpture is a Nick Cave Soundsuit

Warmth Between the Walls

Abranowicz visited some in the leafiness of spring, while others were photographed while swathed in snow; the light shifts among the homes, as well. “I’m presenting a moment in a place that’ll change throughout the day,” Abranowicz explains.

When a photographer is tuned in to his subject, words can become secondary. But that’s not entirely the case here: Zander Abranowicz translates his father’s work with an eloquence that matches word with art. The first line of the chapter describing antiques dealer Ron Sharkey’s home: “I met Maple Lawn in the rain.” The chapter concludes: “I was, therefore, merely one of many moths drawn to Maple Lawn’s lantern, seeking the warmth between its walls in a dark season.”

Each home has its own chapter, introduced with Zander’s words and followed by William’s sumptuous visuals. After a year and a half trekking through such fabulous places, Abranowicz says he’d be hard-pressed to favor just one house: “I do have favorite photographs in each of the chapters. The opener of each story expresses the heart of what’s to come.”

Threading throughout, however, is that sense of natural surroundings—and it influences Abranowicz now as much as it did Church and Cole over a century ago. “I learned how important upstate nature is, and how we must work to preserve it,” the photographer emphasizes. “Nature is fleeting, and it’s not going to tolerate us much longer.”

Left: The painter Melora Kuhn lives on an historic farmstead in Germantown.

Right: Cliff House, the home of Jennifer McLawhorn and Christopher Kissock, is perched over the Beaverkill in Sullivan County.

JEWEL BOX ON THE HUDSON

A naturally inspired historic restoration in Stuyvesant

By Mary Angeles Armstrong Photos by James John Jetel

Opposite:The dining room of Michael and Kelli Prichinello’s historic post-Federalist farmhouse in Stuyvesant is washed in the natural tones and textures of the surrounding landscape. The couple uncovered the room’s original 14inch king’s board floors and the tongue-and-groove ceiling beams during the home’s restoration. During the four-yearlong process the couple called on designer Nick Spain, the head of the design firm Arthur’s, to help with their awkward kitchen. They were so smitten with Spain’s contemporary take on the rustic that they hired him to reimagine the whole interior, including the riverfront dining room.

Above: Inspired by the colors and themes of the Hudson River School, Arthur’s utilized natural materials throughout the design, as well as custom art and furniture pieces. In the living room, Spain complemented the hunter-green floorboards with earthy gray walls and custom wooden daybeds. Natural raffia sconces illuminate the walls and a Tekio pendant lamp lights the room from above.

Whether it’s a classic car or a vintage remnant of American history, Michael Prichinello looks for the same elements. “I like quality and craftsmanship, whether new or old,” explains Prichinello, a founder of Manhattan’s Classic Car Club. So, when he and his wife Kelli Prichinello went searching for a home in the Hudson Valley, maybe it was intuition for fine artisanship that drew them to a dilapidated 1820 property on a historic stretch of the Hudson in Columbia County.

“It was a very sad state of affairs,” he explains of the 1,300-square-foot, post-Federalist structure, which didn’t have working plumbing and regularly flooded after heavy rains. “There were holes in the exterior, termite damage, water damage—it was in a general state of overall neglect.” A 1950s-era renovation just made matters worse, adding layers of plaster and a shed-style addition at the rear “that made no architectural sense.”

But the Prichinellos kept coming back. “ We sensed it had character and we suspected the original parts of the house were still under all the modifications.” The neighborhood, certainly, has good bones. Sitting just up the road from the original Kinderhook—where Henry Hudson first landed the Half Moon and took some of his first steps into the new world—the home also fronts the first commercial route in Colonial America. “River Road is where the Dutch East India Company set up their first beaver pelt trading posts,” explains Prichinello of the road right outside his front door.

The house is one of the oldest left standing in the area, after a late 19th-century fire burned the surrounding settlement—including the original owner ’s brick foundry across the street. “This home is a survivor,” he explains. “It was old and forgotten, but it still had a strong structure and deserved to be treated properly to retain the history of the neighborhood. “The couple knew it would take some work. “But when I measured the rooms, all the walls were strong and straight,” he says. “I thought it was worth the gamble.”

That gamble led the couple through a four-year long expedition behind the walls, up the chimney, and deep into the surrounding earth, but it did eventually pay off. Their jewel box farmhouse stands out from the typical Hudson Valley aesthetic, exuding serenity and blending rustic and contemporary design elements with nods to both the Barbican and Hudson River schools of art. “ We wanted to retain and honor the history of the house and the neighborhood,” explains Prichinello. “ We didn’t want to change the house into something else, but rather celebrate what it was. “

Restoration, Inch by Inch

The couple began the work themselves, relying on the help of a friend to begin removing layers of rot and anachronistic facades and features, to reveal the home’s timeless details. Without working plumbing, and with full-time jobs in the city running the 2,000-member club for auto enthusiasts, they were limited to working weekends and finished their days showering at a truck stop. Slowly, they began to uncover the home’s original

Arthur’s painted the primary bedroom in Farrow & Bell’s Peignoir to blend with the afternoon light. “The room is furnished with Berber rugs that riff on Shaker aesthetics,” explains Spain. Simple side tables by Sika Design continue the tone. The natural, humble details create a warm, inviting space for relaxation.

walls, floors, and ceiling. Fourteen-inch wide plank “ king ’s boards” stretched throughout parts of the first and second floors and the first-floor ceiling beams with tongue and groove detailing hint they were recycled and might even pre-date the original 1820 structure.

As they got to know the area better they came across local contractor Chad Williams. “He specializes in historic renovations and has been excellent,” says Prichinello. With Williams’s help the couple tackled some of the home’s more serious issues. Preserving the structure and making it comfortable was a painstaking process that involved replacing 19 feet of the foundation’s sill plate, installing all new plumbing and electrical wiring, replacing every window, and then installing a new roof. “The goal was to restore the house to a high state of period correctness, but modernize parts to make it practical,” says Prichinello. He rebuilt the home’s stone chimney himself, while Williams dug and installed a drainage trench around the home to prevent future flooding. They also installed a new oil tank and septic system. “ We fixed every ailing inch of the house.”

Through a Contemporary Lens

Revamping the kitchen was a particular challenge, but the process led them in a new creative direction. With outdated appliances and five doors, the space was especially awkward. What’s more, the home’s rear addition obscured the room’s view to the lush hillside behind the house. “It was complicated,” explains Prichinello. “Kelli is a skilled baker and we wanted the layout to be appropriate for baking and not make any mistakes in the process.” To better learn about local home restoration, Prichinello had been following similar projects nearby online, which lead him to Nick Spain, a New York based designer who takes on restoration projects in the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires. Through his multi-disciplinary design firm Arthur ’s, Spain specializes in conceptually driven interiors, viewing each new project as an exercise in storytelling. “I sent Nick a DM, asking if he would come over and let us know what he thought of the space in exchange for dinner,” says Prichinello. They were so excited by Spain’s contemporary re-envisioning of their historic country home they decided to hire him to help design their entire house.

The first-floor bathroom has moss green concrete walls and deep green floor tiles. Arthur’s contrasted the walls and floor with a deep rust shower curtain from Quiet Town.

The kitchen’s redesign was inspired by the Hudson River School’s passion for the Hudson Valley landscape and the rustic lifestyle.

“The Hudson River School welcomed nature into all aspects of life,” explains Spain. Arthur’s added a bay of windows to the back of the home and then matched the wall with a mirrored backsplash, creating a room where the natural setting is present from every angle. Oak cabinets and burlap lined walls combine to give the space a feeling of warmth.

Opposite: The dining room walls were finished in metallic gold wallpaper that makes the room glow in the afternoon sun.

Designed by Nature

Spain often draws from his formal training in theater when working and approaches each new project as a role to be played. With the Prichinello home, two key elements informed his vision. “The Prichinellos wanted to keep the deep hunter-green, wide-plank floors,” Spain explains. They also were inspired by a story of the original owner paying the masons he employed by handing cash in simple paper bags out the window.” These two elements inspired Spain to consider the project’s palette and connect it to the Hudson River School, as well as the 19thcentury French Barbizon school, which emphasized naturalism in landscape painting and scenes of village and rural life.

The Hudson River School’s emphasis on celebrating and welcoming the natural world into all aspects of life was the driving concept for Spain’s redesign of the kitchen. After removing the addition behind the house, the team installed a bay of floor-toceiling windows along the back wall. Spain covered the opposite kitchen wall backsplash with mirrored tiles, so that the exterior wooded landscape was visible from all angles of the kitchen. To further accentuate the natural feel, and link to the original hunter-green floorboard planks in the living room, Spain installed a deep green soapstone countertop and smoked oak cabinetry from Reform and finished the kitchen with burlap-lined walls.

The team had to remove an original fireplace from the adjacent dining room. After adding a more efficient wood-burning stove in its place, Spain built a new mantle mimicking the original, and then covered it with an earthy lime wash. Shelving naturally integrated into the design provides firewood storage and a built-in bench adds window seating. Spain finished the

dining room walls with metallic gold wallpaper. “It’s reminiscent of vintage daguerreotypes,” he explains. “And it makes the room glow in the afternoon sun.”

Sunset Vernacular

Spain designed two custom minimalist daybeds for the living room. Inspired by American artist Donald Judd and textile designer Alexander Girard, the daybeds combine linen and mohair cushions with pine frames and simple traditional joists in the Hudson Valley vernacular. They were able to restore the room’s original fireplace and window frames, as well as the wide-plank, hunter-green floorboards. The adjacent downstairs bathroom continues the nature-inspired themes with mossgreen concrete walls and green mosaic floor tiles.

Spain utilized contrasting paint colors at the three-quarter level of the staircase height to change the design tone between the first and second floors. “It divides the home tonally and mirrors the experience of leaving the earth and entering the sky,” explains Spain. “ Where the palette of the ground floor is earthy, the palette of the upper floors is reminiscent of sunsets and light.” In the primary bedroom, the lighter-toned walls and linens, as well as the simple, white, broken joint tiles in the primary bathroom, offer an airy feel. In the upstairs guest bedroom, Spain created two alcove beds and added custom curtains printed with Girard’s sun designs. The blurring of the interior bedroom spaces with the exterior river landscape and sky is intentional. “The walls almost blend into the hours-long upstate summer evenings,” Spain explains. “And the rust-colored linens and printed curtains reference the setting sun.”

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

SAUGERTIES $385,000

WOODSTOCK $1,199,000

WOODSTOCK $899,000

SAUGERTIES $725,000

WOODSTOCK $999,000

SAUGERTIES $999,000

SAUGERTIES $999,000

STONE RIDGE $1,695,000

ESOPUS $1,699,000

COVER FEATURE

SERVING ALL COUNTIES IN THE MID-HUDSON VALLEY | BHHSHUDSONVALLEY.COM

$2,500,000 | Poughkeepsie Twp | Spectacular Stone Contemporary

On 4.65 secluded hilltop acres overlooking Vassar Farm Ecological Preserve for stunning year-round sunset views. State-of-the-art mechanicals, stone work and construction. Rear of home is all windows to tiered gardens, sculptures, pond. Luxurious rst oor primary suite with cathedral ceilings, dressing room, marble bath. Separate o ce with private entry; wine room. Finest custom features and design. MLS#413556 Daniel Axtmann m. 845.702.7060 | o: 845.905.8789

$2,499,000 | Clinton | 215+ Acres Bordering on Wappinger Creek

This property has it all: views, pasture, forest, water, wildlife and an orchard. Falling within the Millbrook post o ce district, there is a site development concept for cluster housing along with a larger parcel division. Property crosses the Clinton/Washington line with quick access to surrounding towns and easy commuter access to Taconic State Parkway and Route 82. Ideal for subdivision, private estate or compound. MLS#398262. Diana Wiemer m: 845.234.0038 | o: 845.677.3525

$1,985,000 | Red Hook | To-Be-Built Quintessential Country Property

Sited on nearly 6 private, wooded acres, the property inspires interiors with natural textures and a luxurious modern simplicity. Main level open plan living showcases a unique interior courtyard and covered porch. First oor primary suite; upper level with 2 guest bedrooms. Optional outdoor kitchen, pool and patio, greenhouse and gardens. Adjacent 6 acres available. Minutes from Villages

$1,800,000 | Accord | Modern Ranch Home Sited on 10+ Acres

Meticulously designed and appointed, this carefully constructed home is just up the road from Inness, Westwind and Arrowood. Open plan living with beamed/vaulted ceilings; great room with replace; custom walnut kitchen with European appliances and honed/leathered black granite countertops. Primary suite with oversized bath; 2 guest bedrooms; bonus room. Heated inground pool surrounded by 2000 sq.ft. of decking. MLS#20230996. Je Serouya m: 845.626.5000 | o: 845.687.0233

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

$1,100,000 | T/Wappinger | Dutchess County Gem

Unobstructed river and mountain views run throughout this conveniently located Dutchess County classic colonial home with 4,032 sq.ft. Included in this sale is a 5.4-acre property that guarantees you the views forever, with a total of 14.7 acres. Don't miss out on this “once-in-a-lifetime” property! Minutes to Metro-North trains, shopping, parks and schools. MLS#413227. Joan Sanford m: 914.475.2090 | o: 845.244.2118

$920,000 | Union Vale | Superb, Spacious Country Home

end of a curving driveway, this home is refreshingly private, bathing in beautiful views over the verdant farmland bordering to the rear. Over 4000 sq.ft. plus nished, nearly 1500 sq.ft. walkout basement with exercise room, play room/media room and full bath. 80 miles to NYC; 5 miles to Village of Millbrook. Just o a long-term rental and undergoing an interior freshening. Buy now to customize nal nishes. MLS#412327. Kevin Battistoni m: 914.489.2536 | o: 845.677.3525

are 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath corner, upper oor unit in the heart of Beacon's historic district, across from Beacon Falls and close to Metro-North and Main Street's shopping, dining and entertainment areas. Stunning, spacious condo-style living with 14 ft. ceilings, radiant heated wood oors, exposed original beams and brick walls and 4'X13' balcony. Don’t miss this unique opportunity! MLS#414411. Lisa Walden m: 917.689.7355 | o: 845.244.2178

Sited at the

Have your dream and live it, too.

$1,250,000

3

$2,495,000

$3,950,000

518.444.2109

$1,999,000

NOTHING COMPARES TO WHAT’S NEXT.

WWW.FOURSEASONSSIR.COM/HUDSONVALLEY O: 845.876.5100

Formerly Gary DiMauro Real Estate

4

BA | 5413 sf E. Elizabeth Peters: 845.235.3488

$1,685,000

5

917.734.7142

2 FIFTH STREET ATHENS NY

BR/3 BA | 2960 sf David Ludwig C: 917.365.1894 Gary DiMauro  C: 518.755.3973

3142 STATE ROUTE 66 CHATHAM NY

5 BR/6 BA | 6500 sf Pamela Belfor  C: 917.734.7142

201 BUCKWHEAT BRIDGE ROAD LIVINGSTON NY

BR/4

157 WAGON WHEEL ROAD KINDERHOOK, NY

BR/6 BA | 4404 sf Pamela Belfor  C:

581 GAYHEAD EARLTON ROAD LEEDS NY

4 BR/3 BA | 2279 sf | 205 acres Oliver Helden: C:

$3,950,000 | Accord | Big Style and Functionality

This re-imagined 1800s stone house is now the heart of a stunning compound combining major style and functionality. Hand-chiseled stones and beams frame a sunny 4,000-sq.ft.main house now updated with the latest in high-end appliances, xtures and energy-e cient systems. The property includes 2 additional guest houses, a beautifully restored post-and-beam barn, spring-fed pond and even waterfalls! Robert Airhart m: 917.304.3864 | o: 845.340.1920

This legacy property was designed to create memories and sited to take full advantage of 32+ acres of privacy. The large main house includes stunning light- lled dining and living rooms, gleaming hardwood oors, a gourmet kitchen and a massive nished basement. There’s also a spacious 3-car garage building with a fully out tted 2-bedroom guest suite upstairs, and an inground gunite pool. MLS#20230939. Donna Brooks m: 845.337.0061 | o: 845.255.9400

$1,695,000 | Port Ewen | Rare Hudson Frontage

Rare opportunity to own 250+ feet of frontage on the Hudson (with no railroad track in sight), with a concrete sea wall that cannot be recreated elsewhere. Ramp, 2 lifts, removable oating dock and deep-water access. Roomy, level grass yard for unforgettable entertaining. River views from every spot in the sunny house. Harris Sa er m: 914.388.3351 | o: 845.340.1920 shed and 2-car barn/garage workshop. Escape to your private oasis where nature's spectacular

on a lushly landscaped 2 acres at the end of a secluded cul-de-sac. Inside you’ll nd big entertaining spaces, a standout gourmet kitchen and 4 bedrooms, including a luxury primary suite, all with an Jamie Corts m: 845.240.3631 | o: 845.255.9400

This classic Uptown Kingston duplex features large side-by-side 2-story apartments, each with 1,200-sq.ft. of space, 3 bedrooms and separately metered utilities and systems, PLUS a separate standalone 2-story, 2-car garage building with a full bathroom and nished room on the ground level and an un nished 800+ square foot 1-bedroom apartment upstairs. Plenty of o -street

This neat-as-a-pin brick ranch on an oversized lot o ers almost 1,500 square foot of one-level living, including 3 bedrooms, an enormous sunroom and a large dry basement. There's also a separate parking area that can accommodate 8-10 cars. The property has served as both a private residence and a professional o ce, and could potentially be restored to commercial use. MLS#20230810.

This classic 2-story colonial, newly renovated in 2022 and meticulously maintained, sits

GARDEN ENVY ALERT THE

2023 OPEN DAYS PROGRAM

By Liam Drauf

The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program is a singular opportunity for garden enthusiasts to explore private properties that are usually inaccessible to the public. The program, which was founded in 1995, allows visitors to tour some of the most stunning gardens in the country, many of which are located in the Hudson Valley. Since its start, with the help of a network of volunteer regional representatives, the Garden Conservancy has expanded Open Days showcasing more than 4,000 gardens in 41 states.

“The Hudson Valley is a great place to experience Open Days, and we have at least an Open Day a month planned here from April to October, highlighting a wide variety of gardens,” says Horatio Joyce, director of programs and education for the Garden Conservancy. “The program started in this region, and it allows locals to explore their own neighborhoods. You never know what great gardens are hidden nearby, and the Open Days program allows you the unique opportunity to visit them!”

The program is an excellent opportunity for garden lovers to gain inspiration for their own projects, as they can see firsthand how other gardeners have created their own little slices of paradise. Visitors to the Open Days program can expect to see

a wide range of garden styles and designs, including historic estates, modern landscapes, and intimate cottage gardens. They will also have the opportunity to meet with the garden owners and learn about their gardening techniques and strategies. Two exceptional gardens available for visitation this year are in Dutchess County. Broccolli Hall, in Amenia, is the home of mystery writer Maxine Paetro. The property’s garden features include a series of garden rooms that change with the seasons. Lamp designer Christopher Spitzmiller and landscape architect Anthony Bellomo’s Clove Brook Farm in Millbrook has a series of interconnected spaces, beginning with a horseshoe-shaped garden near the house that is surrounded by a clipped hornbeam hedge and anchored by a dovecote. Look for towering dahlias in late summer. Their grounds were documented in A Year at Clove Brook Farm (Rizzoli, 2021, with foreword by Martha Stewart).

A full schedule of events is available on the Garden Conservancy’s website. All Open Days events require preregistration.

Broccoli Hall, the Amenia home of mysery writer Maxine Paetro, features an apple tunnel among its garden features.

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Selected by Discerning Builders, Architects, and Landscape Designers throughout the four-state region.

May

Photo by Murray Engineering