Highlands Residence

Hudson Valley Estate

The planned two-phase design process began in the Spring of 2019. The first phase involved creating a carriage house with guest quarters for the owner’s use during the second phase of the main house renovation. The existing structures on site, added to over time, presented a mix of ununified styles; however, the site possessed stunning Hudson Valley views.

The main house addition focused on maintaining the original building footprint while expanding the second story, creating more gracious living spaces, and reorganizing the locations of existing bedrooms. A challenging central point of the project for the Architect was to integrate ridgelines to complement the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Jeff Wilkinson, RA fashioned an organic roofline punctuated with dormers reminiscent of Tudor Revival homes. A curved covered walkway connects the carriage house with the mudroom entry of the main house, also sheltering the entire east elevation, rising above the main entrance. The wrap-around porch and loggia inspired by Victorian-era structures combine metal and wood to create a fluid and graceful design.

The client expressed a commitment to environmental sustainability that directed the installation of the geothermal drilled-well heating and cooling system and a 20 KW solar array to offset energy use. Outdoor lighting was kept to a minimum. The homeowner also initiated the installation of reclaimed slate for the roofs of both the carriage house and the main house. In addition, existing elements on site, such as wood flooring and exterior brick wall surfaces, were reused in the new carriage house and the entry hall flooring design. Natural materials, primarily salvaged locally or handmade in the United States, were employed in the interior and the exterior.

Working in concert with Ross Alexander Designs, NYC, and landscape firm One Nature, LLC of Beacon, NY, JWRA was able to provide a complete range of services to integrate the renovated house, new carriage house, and new pool house into an estate that is both consistent in style and elegant in execution.

Working closely with JWRA and the Client, Interior Designer Ross Alexander created custom interior wall finishes and a blend of furniture, fabrics, and the full range of decorative details that gives the residence an aura of a Hudson Valley Estate that has developed over time.

JWRA also worked directly with John Yarema to create the hand-scraped white oak wood floors, patterned entry flooring, screened porch flooring, and stair treads. JWRA designed the seven custom fireplaces in the residence and carriage house. For four of these, Pewabic Pottery created and fired custom handmade tiles for the fireplace surrounds, also consulting on technical design issues. The main stair, designed by JWRA and fabricated by The Orchard Group, features custom glass vault lights. The Orchard Group also engineered and fabricated the pool house doors and end walls in addition to other interior components of the design.

It was a privilege working alongside the owner and our assembled group of talented builders, designers, tradespeople, and artisans on this home, all of whom contributed much to the project's design success.

General Contracting: Monteleone Contracting, Inc.

Interior Design: Ross Alexander Designs

Landscape & Rewilding of the grounds: One Nature, LLC

Custom Metal Work: The Orchard Group

Masonry: Coill Dubh Masonry

Millwork: Jay Brennan Fine Woodworking

Kitchen Cabinetry: Classic Architectural Woodworking

Stained Glass: J. Kenneth Leap