Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Modern Reboot for a Hudson Valley Getaway
A New Yorker’s vacation home in the woods gets a fresh start
When a Manhattan resident inherited a house in Garrison, New York, that was used as his family’s second home, he had ideas for the changes he wanted made. He hired the architects at Hudson Design Architecture D.P.C. to oversee the project. After the home was determined to be poorly built and insufficiently insulated, it was torn down and replaced with an eye-catching modern home that’s both energy-efficient and fits the owner’s lifestyle.
The home is set in the bucolic forest and rolling hills of the Hudson Valley, about 50 miles north of New York City. The owner likes to cook, walk the dog, hike and entertain his visiting children, his girlfriend and her kids, says Jamie Copeland, principal architect at Hudson Design. “He’s enjoying being in his favorite place, an enclave and little oasis.”
The home is set in the bucolic forest and rolling hills of the Hudson Valley, about 50 miles north of New York City. The owner likes to cook, walk the dog, hike and entertain his visiting children, his girlfriend and her kids, says Jamie Copeland, principal architect at Hudson Design. “He’s enjoying being in his favorite place, an enclave and little oasis.”
Before: The owner contacted the architects at Hudson Design to determine whether the old house was worth saving. “We assessed how it was built and what would have to change to meet his purposes, and we suggested taking it down — but using the footing and foundation, which were in good shape, relatively dry and there were no signs of settlement. And it was sited well on top of the ridge,” Copeland says.
Poor insulation in the old home was a big issue. “Houses that were built in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s were trying their best,” Copeland says. “The insulation was rock wool, and all you got was 2 inches of that, and that’s how they insulated.”
Poor insulation in the old home was a big issue. “Houses that were built in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s were trying their best,” Copeland says. “The insulation was rock wool, and all you got was 2 inches of that, and that’s how they insulated.”
The home’s entrance features a black aluminum-clad wood door and sidelight. Inside, the entry floor is tiled in 12-by-24-inch limestone-look porcelain, a resilient and low-maintenance choice compared with real stone.
Floor tile: Strada in Cold, Nemo Tile
Floor tile: Strada in Cold, Nemo Tile
Just past the entry, the hall leading to the main living space is light and bright. The owner intends to fill the wall with family photos. The architects introduced some of the home’s finishes here, including polished concrete floors, a specific request.
“The owner had been in hotels in Europe and was struck by the painted finish on their concrete floors, so it’s something he wanted to try,” Copeland says. An epoxy paint was applied to the concrete.
Wall paint: Decorator’s White; ceiling paint: Super White, both Benjamin Moore
“The owner had been in hotels in Europe and was struck by the painted finish on their concrete floors, so it’s something he wanted to try,” Copeland says. An epoxy paint was applied to the concrete.
Wall paint: Decorator’s White; ceiling paint: Super White, both Benjamin Moore
The numerous double-glazed, black-framed windows in the living room give the space an industrial feel. They may look like steel but they’re wood with an aluminum spine that makes them structurally sound, Copeland says. “The owner liked the small mullions of industrial steel factory windows, so we found a company that allowed us to give the thermal break that steel windows don’t have,” he says. A thermal break is insulation that’s built into the window’s frame.
The wood-burning fireplace from French company Filiofocus has two fixed and two rotating glass panels that slide so wood can be added and airflow and burn rate can be regulated. The builders created a concrete bench, hearth and shelf with ample room for firewood.
The wood-burning fireplace from French company Filiofocus has two fixed and two rotating glass panels that slide so wood can be added and airflow and burn rate can be regulated. The builders created a concrete bench, hearth and shelf with ample room for firewood.
The owner wanted a place where he could fence with his son, so the architects created a long great room where furniture could be moved aside to make a fencing strip. Multiple sources of lighting provide a variety of illumination options. “We wanted to give him several themes he could take on: a theme when the fireplace is blazing; there’s some point sources of lighting, like the chandelier, but also ambient lighting. Sconces on the perimeter of the room allow for comfortable light that’s not so harsh if you’re entertaining. Uplights are a more subtle way of lighting,” Copeland says.
The dining area, next to the kitchen and living room, has tree-filled views. The silver duct running across the ceiling is for moving fresh air and air conditioning. “Because the home is so airtight, it operates all the time at a low level. You never feel a draft and it’s gently bringing fresh air in,” Copeland says.
There’s plenty of room at the long wood dining table, which the owner got in Canada, taking advantage of a favorable exchange rate. The ceiling beams add to the modern woodsy ambience but are also structural elements. They align with the seams of the structural wall panels, helping control the panels’ slight movement, Copeland says.
Beam stain: Cherry, Rubio Monocoat
Beam stain: Cherry, Rubio Monocoat
Painted concrete floors continue in the kitchen, where white subway tile on the walls extends to the ceiling for a clean look. Copeland says one of the homeowner’s requests was a pass-through window from the kitchen to the deck outside, so the architects designed a long window over the counter that slides open in the middle to hand food back and forth.
“It was a key part of the design, to easily serve to the dining area on the deck,” Copeland says. They also liked the idea of an island that could “celebrate coffee” at one end, he says.
“It was a key part of the design, to easily serve to the dining area on the deck,” Copeland says. They also liked the idea of an island that could “celebrate coffee” at one end, he says.
The island has ample storage and houses a dishwasher. Across the way, a wine cooler is integrated into the custom cabinets from East Hill Cabinetry in White Plains, N.Y. The counters are quartzite.
On the opposite wall is a cooktop and prominent stainless hood, plus large-scale geometric hexagonal tile that offers a fun contrast to the subway tile. “They wanted a good, powerful hood, so we put that on an outside wall where we could direct exhaust outside,” Copeland says.
Here’s part of the home’s new floor plan. It shows the main living areas and the kids’ bedroom wing on the first floor.
This plan shows the master suite, office-TV room and laundry room upstairs.
This view of the hall shows the staircase with cable railing, which gives the space an even breezier feel. The stairs lead to the master suite and office-TV room.
The large multifunctional space at the top of the stairs has something for everyone. There’s a wall-spanning built-in bookcase with shelves for books and a TV, and an office area with two desks pushed together.
Bookcase and wall paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore
Bookcase and wall paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore
Black window frames and ductwork continue the modern industrial feel.
The master bathroom contains a pleasing mix of finishes, colors and conveniences. The homeowner opted for a wet-room concept with no shower door, another influence from his travels in Europe. A shower door isn’t always necessary, as long as the floor is sloped for water to flow into a drain, Copeland says.
“It’s a very European idea to not have a [shower] door,” he says. “With so many American showers, it seems you must put in a door. If you can control the slope of the floor, you don’t need to keep every drop in the shower.” There’s shimmery subway tile on the walls and pebble tile in the shower area. “River pebbles are nice to walk on. They give the foot kind of a massage,” Copeland says.
Wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
“It’s a very European idea to not have a [shower] door,” he says. “With so many American showers, it seems you must put in a door. If you can control the slope of the floor, you don’t need to keep every drop in the shower.” There’s shimmery subway tile on the walls and pebble tile in the shower area. “River pebbles are nice to walk on. They give the foot kind of a massage,” Copeland says.
Wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
The bath has a streamlined freestanding tub with a floor-mounted tub filler. Radiant floor heating under wood-look porcelain tile and a heated towel rack boost the room’s comfort quotient.
The architects included a fun way to access the spacious dressing room and walk-in closet via a bookcase wall that opens from the study. All the cabinetry is custom, and the upper clothing rod swings down for easy access to items.
The laundry room is at the top of the stairs opposite the master bedroom. It features a sweet treetop view, plenty of storage and stylish hexagonal penny tile on the floor.
The laundry includes a small kitchen area, a neat little getaway space for the owner. “If you want to make coffee up there in the morning, it lets you be a little independent, if guests are in the house or the kids are up,” Copeland says.
Out back, the architects delivered an outdoor entertaining dream area. The spacious deck has plenty of room for dining and socializing. The small upper deck is off the home office. “The upper deck really has a commanding view of the backyard,” Copeland says. “It’s a favorite place to work in good weather. There’s a little desk out there, and you can watch the kids at the pool and work in the shade.”
Before: Here’s what the back of the house used to look like. The pool was relined, the decking was replaced and fencing was added.
The pool area expands the backyard’s entertaining possibilities. “We embraced the pool and gave it an entertaining area where you could have a table that’s out of the wind. It’s a more intimate corner on the pool side of house,” Copeland says.
Here’s a view of the back of the house when the leaves are changing color. The property is 3 to 4 acres, and when the leaves are bare, it has views all the way across the river to the West Point military academy, Copeland says.
“There’s good tree cover and in the winter you can see further,” he says. “When the leaves are back on the trees, you have kind of a sheltered enclave. It feels like the woods are all around you.”
More on Houzz
Tour more modern homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
“There’s good tree cover and in the winter you can see further,” he says. “When the leaves are back on the trees, you have kind of a sheltered enclave. It feels like the woods are all around you.”
More on Houzz
Tour more modern homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A Manhattanite who uses this as a getaway house but has been working here remotely during the pandemic
Location: Garrison, New York
Size: 3,200 square feet (297 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Architect: Hudson Design Architecture D.P.C.
Builder: Willow Builders
The home is constructed of stucco, cedar siding and structural insulated panels, or SIPs, for the walls and roof. An improvement over the house’s previously inadequate insulation, the SIPs consist of foam insulation sandwiched between layers of plywood. Using SIPs saves on labor and results in very strong walls, Copeland says. It also produces a higher R-value, a measure of thermal resistance. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness, according to the Department of Energy.
Because this building method makes the home so airtight, good ventilation is essential, so the builders installed an energy-recovery ventilation system, or ERV. This type of system brings in fresh air and removes stale air, heating the air as it comes in. “You get the quality of fresh air but don’t lose the warmth,” Copeland says.