This house in the forest which seems taken from a children's story is perfect to disconnect. If you live in New York and want to get away from the hustle and hustle of the city for a weekend or a vacation, you have two options: Long Island and the Hamptons, to the east, or the Catskills, to the north. You can go north to vary. Two and a half hours by car, the Catskill mountains house numerous ski stations, as well as the famous town of Woodstock, refuge for artists, photographers, poets, musicians and all the creative people who want to have a second residence. The house in the forest is a chalet triangular – or chalet With structure in A— Property no less than the interior designer Stefania Skrabak, founder of the Art Home Garden agency.
«The villa dates from 1966. When I bought it, it had suffered serious damage to the water, since its previous owners had kept it very badly. It was intended as a holiday house and was not suitable for permanent use throughout the year. Therefore, the most important works range from the replacement of the roof to the adaptation to the standards of electricity and plumbing, going through the replacement of the windows and the complete isolation. The works in the building itself, I have also remodeled the surroundings and the gardento create a more in line with our time and the new use of chalet. It was about emphasizing the house. «
A complete renewal
From the logistics point of view, the remoteness of the region made it difficult to transport materials, and the weather conditions did not help either. During the winter, the road that leads to the house is usually covered with snow, and the steep road to the chalet It is not the easiest. Ahg Interiors brought materials and supplies before this problematic season to be able to work even under the snow. The A a structure, with only two walls on the roof and one floor, is another challenge. Each furniture had to be placed just over a meter of the outer walls due to its oblique angle. In addition, the A structure has great openings, but only in the front and rear of the house, which gives it «the feeling of living in a cave». Therefore, Stefania Skrabak pierced high holes whenever she could, placing them a meter and a half of the ground, such as windows, on the two inclined walls. But how to modernize the house retaining its unique charm? Some of Pino's original roofs disappeared under the 15 centimeters of isolation necessary, a challenge for those who would like to preserve the original charm and character of the country house.
«Inspiration came from my travel memories to Los Tatras, the Cordillera de los Cárpatos where my family comes from. I remember the high peaks and beautiful Witkiewicz -style houses, made of wood, settled on stone foundations and topped with inclined roofs. As a child, I admired these Houses in the Classic Forest in ski stations. I also remember taking hot chocolate by the fire, wrapped in thick blankets. All this inspired me, as well as the time when the chalet and its location in the heart of the Catskills. «