The Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, just a few hours’ drive from New York City offers clear water in the summer, fall foliage in October and great skiing opportunities in the winter, so it is no surprise that New Yorkers have escaped to nature in the Catskills for decades.
The architect couple who run their own New York City firm, IdS/R Architecture, decided to build their own country retreat in New York’s Catskill Mountains after 10 years of travelling to the mountainous region to hike in the fresh air and unplug with their two teenage daughters, Inez and Luz. After 10 years of frequently hiking in the Catskill mountains, a Manhattan-based family of four found the perfect spot to refresh their spirits to the sound of nature.
Modelled after a traditional longhouse layout, the ground floor has two bedrooms and two bathrooms at either end of the house, and a living room, dining area and open-plan kitchen.
Since the house overlooks woodland, Ibañez de Sendadiano and Rouhe chose interior and exterior colours that blend with the outdoors, while they chose a grey rock-like quarry tile for the entire main floor.
The couple wanted the kitchen to adapt to the spacious room, making sure to keep window views unobstructed and their search for such a kitchen led them to the freestanding Vipp V1 kitchen. The couple have designed and built their kitchen table of birch plywood and an anodized aluminum base themselves. The table stands next to a built-in pantry with drawers of unfinished birch ply and white doors.