HUDSON RIVER HOUSE

My clients found a three-story brick Federal era house on a full acre property that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was located approximately eighty miles north of New York City and its western boundary was the Hudson River.  Most properties on the eastern side of the Hudson River are separated from the river by New York’s Amtrak railroad. So this place was special.

Site plan showing the house in the southeast corner of the property.
View of the house upon completion with the new addition on the left.
View of the Hudson River from in front of the new addition
Floor Plan of the entrance level

The two pictures show the expansive view of the Hudson River looking north and the view of the house from the south west.

Looking Southeast toward Dining Room and Living Room. The kitchen work area shown below.

The small deck and stairs connect the sitting area of the kitchen/family room with the paved terrace at the ground level.

The Family Room looking toward the Dining Room
Sitting area with the door to the lower terrace on the far right.
Kitchen area / Family Room with view to the river on the right.
Looking toward the river from the Dining Room doorway.

When the owners were living in the remodeled house they asked me to design a “Follie” (aka “Folly”  in today’s parlance.)

 

“Folly” is used in the sense of fun or light-heartedness, not in the sense of something ill-advised.  The term derives from the French word Folie. Originally it implied a structure created for “delightful extravagance” Something valued for its aesthetic beauty, a quality that is pleasing to the eye that served no practical function. Today it implies a structure such as a pool house, a gazebo, or any structure that has a whimsical character that simply serves as a fun gathering place separate from the main dwelling.

View of the Folly looking north

Follies represent an appreciation for beauty, architectural daring, and a playful sense of humor. Though most are now relics of gardens past, follies embrace our desire for interesting destinations, visual splendor, and whimsical imagination.

—  Florence Ann Griswold*

*Her home in Old Lyme, CT, became the nucleus of the “Old Lyme Art Colony” in the early 20th century.

This Folly was a gathering place that was designed in the spirit of a classical Roman Temple.  I observed the proportions and details of Palladio’s strictures.