Cozy Nooks and Bunk Rooms: How to Sleep 18 People (and Still Stay Friends)
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When designer Hillary Kaplan decided to buy a spec house in Stone Ridge, New York and turn it into the perfect mountain retreat for her family and friends, she had two goals: Personalize the space (she’s a designer after all–out of the box wouldn’t do) and make sure it could sleep as many people as possible. “We created a lot of nooks in the house that allow for extra sleeping areas. We can sleep 18 people comfortably, plus more with blow up mattresses,” she says. “That was important in the design. We plan to use the house by bringing family and friends to share this home together.”
Kaplan’s true family, she explains, includes Miriam Silver Verga, with whom she founded the design firm Mimi & Hill. It was on a couples trip with Verga and her husband that Kaplan discovered the Hudson Valley, with its vibrant arts scene, vintage shops, and four seasons worth of outdoor activities. The house, Kaplans says “was honestly built for everyone in our two families.” (They have a text group for all their kids and spouses, called “Kaplerga,” that Kaplan describes as “all of us just supporting and loving each other and talking about when are we all going to be together again.”)
Kaplan worked with developer NevelHaus and INC Architecture & Design to customize the house’s floor plan to work better for her vision of family bonding. She started by reconfiguring the main floor of the five-bedroom, five-bathroom home, flipping the proposed dining and living rooms. This allowed ample wall space for a Samsung Frame TV and a prominent corner spot for a wood-burning stove in the living area, where her family enjoys cozy moments together. The 4,400-square-foot house also got a major lighting upgrade. More recessed lights were installed, along with sconces and pendants for variety. "This layering approach added warmth and character, transforming the space from a typical new build into a more inviting and cozy environment," Kaplan says.
In the basement, Kaplan divided what originally was an open layout into a shared bedroom and big family room. The latter doubles as a movie night hangout and pool house. In the home's two lofted areas, Kaplan also did some reimagining. She left part of it open for a reading nook, where her family also avidly plays backgammon. The other part of it was enclosed and functions as an additional bedroom with a pullout daybed that converts into a king-size bed.
All of these careful adjustments turned the house into a personalized haven. And better yet, "by not moving any major wall placement from the original spec-house plans, we were able to not have to spend any extra cost on construction," Kaplan adds.
Living Room
To play up the home's scenic mountain setting, visible through tall windows, Kaplan maintained a muted, earthy color palette. She filled the house with local pottery and midcentury art, which "lends a feeling of established architecture to a newer home." Vintage furnishings made of natural materials and textured accents help ground the space, giving it soul.
"The home was envisioned as a true mountain retreat, and we leaned into that aesthetic," Kaplan says. "The scale of the main living area was central to achieving this, evoking the open, airy feel of mountain spaces and reflecting the expansive natural surroundings."
Sofa: Lee Industries. Chairs: Mazo Design. Coffee table: Lock & Mortice. Rug: Orientalist Home. Wall art: vintage.
Kitchen
"The beauty of the waterfall edge of the silver wave marble is the true eye catching element in this kitchen," Kaplan says. "It almost appears to be petrified wood merging the organic feel with the function of the kitchen."
Wall paint: Cloud Cover, Benjamin Moore. Counter: Peter Brooks Stone Works Inc. Pendants: Allied Maker. Chairs: Lee Industries. Cabinetry: Form.
A small patterned Peter Fasano wallpaper adds elegance to the small pantry tucked behind a glass door. Cerused black oak cabinets hide the large family's everyday needs.
Nook
A nook outfitted with bench seating and a stone top table, both from Four Hands, along with reupholstered chairs from the '70s make the perfect setup for family game nights.
Pendant: Arteriors.
Dining Area
A vintage cabinet from Hollywood at Home nods to the warm, earthy colors of the Hudson Valley landscape.
Light fixture: Bone Simple Design. Table: Four Hands. Chairs: Lee Industries. Candlesticks: Lostine.
Primary Bedroom
Roman Clay walls and handwoven window shades from Hartmann & Forbes make for a truly calm setting.
Bed: Vanguard Furniture. Bedding: RH and Parachute. Bedside table: Soho Home. Wall paint: Kerri Walsh Faux Finishing. Table lamp: vintage.
Kids' Room
The row of beds in this guest room are ideal for sleepovers, while the neutral color palette suits the home's serene style.
Headboard: Norwegian Wood. Sconces: Lostine. Shades: Hartmann & Forbes. Wardrobes: Four Hands. Wallpaper: Cole & Son.
Primary Bathroom
"The primary bathroom plays with soft marble tones and light woods to create a spa like environment," Kaplan says.
Mirror: Arteriors. Sconces: Allied Maker. Vanity: Vanguard Furniture.
Guest Bedroom
A textured wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries and organic linen bedding make guests never want to leave the cozy, cocooning space.
Bed and seating: Lee Industries.Sconce: Hector Finch. Nightstand: Soho Home. Wall art: vintage. Table: Four Hands. Rug: Lulu and Georgia.
Bathroom
The lower level bathroom is clad in handmade green glazed Fireclay tiles and white oak paneled walls.
Wallpaper: Fayce Textiles. Rug: vintage.
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