BIGHOE CHATEAU
Our beloved home
Like many other New Yorkers, during the pandemic in 2020 we saw an opportunity. We made the plunge to uproot ourselves from Brooklyn, and move to the other side of the Hudson River, “upstate” to the Hudson Valley.
Having hiked in the area a couple times, and after doing some scouting trips of other commuter areas, we fell in love with an 1891 beautiful home perched atop a hill with amazing mountain views.
Owning a house has been a wonderful dream mixed with the realities of owning a century home. While we are both more modern in our tastes, this house has been a wonderful and challenging pursuit design wise to match our abilities with contextual appropriate interiors. We have chosen to invest in mostly antique pieces, with modern inventions. Balances time with cost, as we complete the work ourselves.
This is our blog/project site as we document our design, abilities, passions & struggles…
Original Photographs
After some research we discovered original 1890 photographs of the house under construction. These were taken my a local photographer who honed his skill taking photos in the area of many homes.
We were able to seek out and find (and purchase) the original glass negatives!
initial Projects
We wanted to do many of the things ourselves, but also— as they say, were ‘house poor’ after buying the space.
We started out doing little things outside and inside which required more time and manpower than materials or thoughts.
Painting, wood storage, fixing various things, fire pit, etc.
Eventually, we had to bring in the big guns. The pool was our first major improvement made to the property, which involved switching from a fiberglass stair insert to stairs all the way across one side and converting the pool to saltwater — better for your skin and your dogs!
Hallway before/after
Going for a darker and moody space, we introduced beadboard to the ceiling, painted the trim a dark red/brown/black, and replaced the sconce with a switched one.
The pool before/after
How to get our friends and family out to the Hudson Valley? Well… we prioritize fixing up the pool! New stairs, liner, and equipment.
tree fall
Pausing work
It happened in February of 2022. One of our biggest oaks on the property fell. We were devastated. This oak predated the house by ring counting.
Its been a hiccup for us as it took over a year for insurance to come through and figure out what they were doing.
The trunk was approximately 42” in diameter.
Slow and Steady wins the race
We originally wanted everything to be done immediately. However there is some benefits to going slow while renovating a house. We’ve learned a lot about the old home and its peculiarities. The home office has moved 4 times now (hopefully no more…). We’ve also had about 20 different primary suite layouts planned, realizing eventually that the money wasn’t there for any except one.
The pacing has meant we haven’t need to borrow too much to do the work, and in general its been rewarding letting our designs change and flow with the space as we grow.
Almost 5 years now into ownership, and we still haven’t slept a night in the primary suite. We still have stone in desperate need of repair, we still have… well, so much to do. But we will continue.
