EARLY-1900S ARTS & CRAFTS HOME IN STAATSBURG, NY
CHALLENGES: Virtually untouched for decades, the house revealed its evolution from simple farmhouse to stately Arts-and-Crafts home, with many of its original features intact—two-over-two double-hung wood windows (behind shabby aluminum storm windows), wood clapboard siding, oak floors and staircase, delightful (and practical) built-ins, paneled doors and distinctive hardware. It suffered from deferred maintenance, dated kitchen and bathrooms, awkwardly configured spaces upstairs, and functional but inadequate mechanical systems.
SCOPE: Our project touched every corner of the house, inside and out, basement to attic. We updated the heating and electrical systems; made foundation repairs; reworked the upstairs layout to create three comfortable bedrooms with generous closets, a home office and two full bathrooms with locally sourced vintage fixtures; designed a modern but period-appropriate kitchen; installed new plumbing throughout; repaired woodwork and refurbished original floors; laid new oak wideboard floors in place of wall-to-wall carpet; insulated; restored the wood windows and installed new storm/screen units; repaired plaster; scraped, polished and painted. We also furnished the interior and coordinated landscaping.
TEAM: Partners on this project included trusted contractors and vendors from previous collaborations, plus some new additions. Once more, friends from the New York State Historic Preservation Office guided us in qualifying for a Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Credit. Em McCann Zauder captures the spirit of the place in her ravishing “after” photography.
Rehabilitation strategy, design and project management: Worth Preserving
Carpentry and electrical: Spectrum Construction & Electric
Plumbing and heating: Going Green Plumbing & Heating, with help from Rich Harkins
Masonry: Greg Blum
Structural engineering: Taconic Engineering
Custom kitchen cabinets and black walnut island top: Samuel Moyer and Peter Wagner
Lighting: Quittner (custom), Fed-On Lights Antiques (vintage), Hammertown Barn
Vintage bath fixtures: Hudson Valley House Parts, Zaborski Emporium, Fed-On Lights
Shower tile: Heritage Tile, Hudson River Tile & Stone
Kitchen floor: Marmoleum from Foster Flooring
Soapstone countertop: M. Teixeira Soapstone
Window repair: Andrew Shirley
Custom trim (to match original): Erich’s Fine Woodworking
Hardware: Van Dyke’s Restorers, Classic Accents
Appliances: Earl B. Feiden Appliance
Painting: Millus Brothers
Landscape: Rise & Run Permaculture
Furnishings: Quittner, Copake Auction, Mooney’s Auction Service, Hammertown Barn (among many others)
