Houzz Tour: A Contemporary Mountain Escape Outside New York City
This beautifully chic home is just made for socialising, from its welcoming communal space to the intimate, guest-friendly bedrooms
John Hill
3 December 2014
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor... More
A house in the mountains can be a great respite from the big city, but it can also be a bit lonely at times. That’s why this house, at the base of the Shawangunk Mountains, New York, is designed not only to embrace nature, but to encourage socialising. An attorney owns it, and about a third of the space is devoted to guest quarters. Architect William Reue even went so far as to create separate entrances for the homeowner and her guests, so that both can come and go as they please or socialise together in the ample living space.
Houzz at a Glance
Location New York, USA
Architect William Reue Architecture
Size 4 bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Photography by Steve Freihon
Houzz at a Glance
Location New York, USA
Architect William Reue Architecture
Size 4 bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Photography by Steve Freihon
Need a reason to leave the city? How about the stars? A two-hour drive from the Big Apple puts you in touch with the forest and celestial bodies. A curving wall covered in Cor-Ten steel makes for a mysterious first impression. But it has a practical purpose, too: the wall shields the house from cold north winds. In this view, we see the guest ‘wing’ in bluestone on the right.
The house sits on a roughly 8-acre plot with plenty of trees and a little bit of water. The Cor-Ten makes an artistic statement in the landscape, particularly in the snowy months, when the leaves are off the trees. This straight-on view of the weathered steel wall reveals the bluestone volume projecting on the left, which houses the garage.
Here is a distant view of the southeast-facing side of the house, where full-height glazing is a strong counterpoint to the solid, rusty wall, the latter of which disappears from view.
See a lakeside house in South Carolina that uses full-height glazing beautifully
See a lakeside house in South Carolina that uses full-height glazing beautifully
Not surprisingly, the living space is orientated towards the view through the large wall of glass. Operable upper panes allow for cross ventilation, while the curtains cut down on direct sunlight. The house is extremely insulated, with 14in-thick SIPS (structural insulated panels) and quadruple-pane glazing. According to Reue, the house is ‘over 55% more energy efficient than a typical new home’ and has earned LEED Silver certification for these and other measures, including underground rainwater storage, natural cotton insulation, geothermal heating and an energy recovery ventilator.
Reue’s modern interiors hide most of the kitchen behind flush wood doors and flush white cabinets. The door opens to the utility room, which also acts as a cloakroom; the garage is just beyond.
The colourful kitchen splashback is stone wood. The floors are 4in-wide white oak planks set at random lengths of 6 to 10 feet with a dark stain and a polyurethane finish.
Check out these splashbacks full of personality
Check out these splashbacks full of personality
On the opposite wall, more flush cabinets surround a fireplace. Access to the main bedroom is through the opening between the fireplace and the sculpture, while to the right is a hallway that leads to a library and guest bedrooms.
The main bedroom continues the clean lines and quiet atmosphere of the living space. The bed is angled relative to the walls to provide a view orientated to the path and to the gap in the trees to the east.
The custom tub in the main bathroom protrudes from the glass shower, both of which have the potential for views through the glass walls.
The guest quarters are no less sumptuous, as is evident in this guest bathroom. Floor-to-ceiling slabs of Pecan Brown stone with a polished finish create a striking backdrop for the freestanding tub.
Browse more gorgeous freestanding baths
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Browse more gorgeous freestanding baths
Liked this? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Perfect project!...Love it!
Love, love, love it! Exactly, with great architecture and design, furnishings are almost unnecessary.