Cottage 22 Gets Hitched (and endearing pics of Lucas my son)

Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time knows we have struggled here and there with some of our early customers. I really don't make excuses anymore for since while we played our part in the drama, we certainly weren't the driving force of most of the inanity we suffered through. But as we have gotten better and there are more layers of insulation between me and every single little issue and problem and situation, most of the issues we deal with are put to bed relatively quickly and painlessly. James is a real master with the clients.

So, it's a real marker of our progress as a company to be invited to Courtney and Bronson's wedding the other day. They were our first customers on Tuthill Road, proud owners of Cottage 22, and pioneers of the open basement stairwell look that has reinvented our small homes.


So they got married down in Tribeca at Duane Street Park and it was outside and pretty classy, avoiding a lot of the pomp and circumstance that can really confuse the purpose of the day. It was very tasteful, certainly full of class, and had that one thing that is real hard to achieve - the real affect of intimacy and affection. It wasn't a small wedding, but it was intimate, where the love of the people getting married, and the love of those who were there for them - was palpable and defining. It was cool, especially when Courtney got up at the music venue they rented in the lower east side and professed her love for Bronson - that is what they call a teachable moment. it was great.

They invited their two dogs along, and I got say those dogs aren't typically that well behaved, but they were on this day. I love the story they tell of riding up in the old jeep Cherokee (or something like it) and the electric window motor on the passenger side didn't work - only the driver's side could control it - and the gaseous dogs would be smoking Courtney out and Bronson wouldn't put down the window - I love that type of 10 yr old humor - really works for me.

And from my window in Times Square.


Then, when it was raining every frickin day and we were just trying to get a little post painting down and one of our dumb efforts was to keep them dry with plastic bags - and then some immature person said this is what they 'look like with a condom on' - referring to the undersized bags - I was like 'really'? Grow up for once.


And then Sunday was guys day and Lucas and covered some serious territory. I like to include pics and stories of Lucas cause it makes me seems soft and cuddly as opposed to the total arrogant sob that is rumored to be more accurate. It's all just talk -

Here's Lucas saddling up the bar at Baker's Tap Room in Yulan.



Then we traveled up to Apple Pond Farm in Callicoon Center, and checked out the horses, goats, chickens, etc... he's sporting his 'love stinks' shirt and boots with eyes on them.

then we came across this crate of horns and skulls. We saw Van and Eric of Cottage 31 fame at Apple Pond Farm - they were taking a tour of the farm and some of the energy efficient techniques they use - Eric, the Times writer, just published a fun article on the hotty tennis player Maria Sharapova -


And Lucas back at a cottage I own with Jake and his bone.

And then, when he just couldn't go anymore, the all-in big nap.



We got a lot going on - and the weather has been terrific.

Home Owner Peter

We have a lot of accomplished clients - and I'm pretty sure that's the neatest part of the Catskill Farms story. The diversity of our clients. I would shout out a few, but the ones that catch my eye arent' always the ones that the NYTimes would fawn over. I like the young business woman vaulting to the top of the new media world, the communications entreprenuer, the international shipping business owner, the personal assistant to a billionare, the naturalists, the artist, the architect, the researcher, and a host of others serving up their A game in the rough and tumble city. I know the NY Times would love to fawn over over the Broadway music producer, the A-list comedian, the rock star or that amazing builder I keep hearing about, but that's just so easy.

So here's my friend Peter, who retained us to build him a new home in Walton New York. Actually, he stalked us, told us we had to build his home, that we didn't have a choice - even if it was 2 hrs away. So we designed and built his Gothic Cottage last year. James played a big part in the design, and I think's it's where Kevin our architect got his start with us.

Well, anyway, Peter Sorenen likes to design things for Michelle Obama, and here is a link sent to me by Van, partner of Eric, who is a pretty fancy style writer for the NY Times (talk about uncomfortable when I found that out - actually, just kidding, I don't take it personal if the Times writes about the wrong things and while shouting it's the right thing).

Hope you don't mind the shout out, Peter. I mean, you are in the public eye now. I wonder what type of security check he had to go through, and what type of cloth examination was required?

Blog Cabin 2010 Video Premiere (and a night out with some homeowners)

Blog Cabin Intro Video

This should be great for the area. Lots of positive free press.

There's this guy named Jack Thomasson, I mentioned a few times over the past 9 months, who pops into town more and more frequently. Having done house projects for the past 15 years for HGTV, various national magazines and now DIY, he's a combo house planner, talent scout, location scout, project manager. Not saying he recruited us as only the 35th builder he's ever selected from across the US, but someone else could say that. He would know better than me since I hardly leave Eldred these days, but he claims that Catskill Farms is one of more dynamic home design and build companies in existence presently, anywhere in the US. And he would know considering not much grass grows under his feet - he's always moving around the country - building this, scouting that. His latest project - HGTV's Dream Home in New Mexico - is presently airing and will be given away soon.

It's validating for sure - and since it's not like I live in a place where many of the daily professional challenges can be shared with like professionals (since few exist), he's great to have around and bounce things off of.

Well, This real sad looking photo is from Friday night at Erin and Gregs - over at 50's Ranch #1. For some reason I may be the worst portrait taker ever - still lifes are one thing, put a person in the photo and everything goes haywire.


Anyway, Erin popped up last January, and having never spent anytime looking at or for real estate, decided right then and there to buy 50's Ranch, even though it was only framed up with very little definition.


Gin Martinis, snacks, our baby somewhere doing something worrisome.

What's amazing about our clients is their general taste level - our clients have good taste. Not necessarily expensive tastes cause lord knows money don't buy taste - but just a general soundness to their aesthetic.

Colors, contrast and whimsy.

Girl talk in the kitchen over drinks and sippy cups.

Guy stuff by the fire. Lucas kept running around sticking his fingers in the candles and playing by the fire.


And Jake, Lucas, the vacuum cleaner and sunlight on a Sunny Sunday Morning.

So, it's one thing to take pictures of empty good looking houses after we finish them - it's quite another to revisit a year later after everyone settles in and defines it a little more specifically. Maybe I'll start a "Martinis with your builder" program, where people can invite me over, feed me alcohol, good snacks and good conversation, and then we can snap some post pics of the house with them all saying great things like "What a guy!", "Frankly, genius!!", "Best decision I've made in my life!!!"

Cottage 20 - Going, Going Gone - Sold

My damn dog Jake just got caught totally chewing up my cool Carhartt hat with brim. This really burns me up.

Jake loves this mid-century chair, and while it was emotionally painful, I let him have his way with it, and he preceded to use it as a big chew toy/comfy bed combo, which is fine since you got pick your priorities with a young dog.

Just ask Lucas, whose toys have been thoroughly mauled, chewed, destroyed and distorted by the chewing abilities of Jake. And Lisa has a real sad slipper that was chewed pretty good too - and since she is pretty picky about her slippers, I don't see them being replaced anytime soon.

Jake is growing pretty fast. He's going to be big and his feet have always been over sized (you know what they say about big feet!).




It's snowing again. After a pretty weak winter of snow we have been hit 3 times now in the last 2 weeks with some pretty significant snow falls. The reality of it is the less snow you get, the more extreme each storm is. I remember back in 2002 or 2003 when one of the winters brought a snow storm a week - so by the end of the winter, 6-8" was considered a dusting - that's how accustomed we became to its regularity.

But with a storm just two days ago with 14" of thick wet heavy snow, this snowurricane promises more of the same - lots of work plowing, losing electric, losing time on the jobs, etc... I'm in the office alone today - a month ago I cancelled work after the hype of a snow storm that left us with about 3" - and after Lisa accused me of getting soft ("You What? You closed the office?! Wow, times have changed!), I was hardboiled against being duped again, but the other day it took some of our guys 3 hours to get home, I figure since it is snowing now, this morning, and they are calling for increased snow all day, I figure we can sit this rumored 20" out. I'm currently organizing my desk to Pandora radio, dialed into songs like Radiohead.

Like I mentioned last week, between the weather, we managed to finish up a few houses and get them sold. The closing that happened on the same day as Cottage 24 was for Susan at Cottage 20. Susan had considered building with us for some time, then one day she called us up and said she was ready and we had just so happened to start a neat little version of Cottage 23. Super sweet, on a hill with views, with neighbors with houses from Catskill Farms.

Like I mentioned several times, Susan is friends with other customers of ours and as it appears of most of our customers, had great taste and was a real treat to work with. Clean simple straight-forward aesthetic.

This Mini-Cottage comes in just under 960 sq ft, with two bedrooms and a full bath with big views and a half bath with big views as well. And the back deck cantilevers out over the hill.

,Fireplace, wide plank floors, covered porches, open floor plan, functioning good looking kitchen. Thing about small houses is that they don't have any wasted space. Every bit of the house is used -


This vantage is from the stairs landing going to the upstairs, over-viewing most of the first floor.
5 panel interior doors, little mudroom with bluestone floor coming in the front door.
Rads to keep you warm, and 'quick pass' windows for deck eating.


The staircase going down into the basement, lined with stone.

Bathtub frames the window that looks out over the hills. 6' tub, 2' deep, with white subway tile.

Secret little passageway into a little storage area in the bathroom.

Blue room, with perfectly matched blue light and sliding crossbuck barn door.


Catskill Farms is kicking it, with another closing set for Monday for Mid-Century Ranch #2. We are starting the DIY project Monday and that should take care of the NY Times ignoring us for much lesser stories for the past 4 years (stories of upstate designers, developers, builders - 7 out of 8 who were out of business before the print was dry on the article, and half the other stories filled with nonsense facts and exaggerated claims of vibrancy), currently building Farm 12, Barn 2, Micro 3, and Cottage 25, and planning to get started on 5 new houses in the Spring (get ready Norm (he's our excavator who keeps us moving)).

Snow day in the Catskill. Not a bad thing at all.

Barn House #2

Richard, the gentleman who is the go to guy for all the insurance needs of NYC art galleries contacted us soon after the article in the NY Post profiling the home and studio we built for Albert, up on the hill off of Crawford. Richard signed up early, and waited patiently for us to address the Town land process, and was ready to build as soon as we satisfied all the local rules and regs. What we decided to build was a structure inspired by Albert's studio, which was in turn inspired by a barn just down the road on State Rt 55, between Eldred and Barryville.

Simple, private structure on 3 acres. Once again, we experimented with Cabot siding stains, and once again we were very pleased with the final look.

James and Richard at our site meeting last weekend - you may note James is looking a little light on his feet, which would be logical, since he forgot his tape measure and we ended up measuring everything with a 300' rolled land tape - not exactly a perfect tool for the job - it's like using a Zamboni to clean off your back stoop.

Cool open structure with one lofty bedroom looking down.

So, Barn 2 is looking good, and fits right into it's environment. What we are really realizing is how important house placement is - and we really have a knack for it.

Mid-Century Retro Ranch 2

I'm mean, you tell me this smiling family isn't worth a million pages of paid advertising pages. Laurie and Tony are one of those families that have been questing for an upstate getaway for a few years, with lots of competing (and changing) priorites. In the end, being a big fan of ours ('stalkers' actually - their term not mine), they decided the house, the design and quality, was most important - and that's why we are lucky enough to be welcoming them into the busting-at-the-seams Catskill Farms Family of Upstate Getaways.
This house is very unique, with a great open layout. You'll remember we built one similar last winter that Erin and Greg picked up - that one was yellow, this one is stained bluish green.

The interiors are open and high with lots of windows inviting in the long range views.

And there's old Pete Kestler, drilling another well for us.

In the end, the thing that makes us different, is the fact that we really do 'get it done'. I'm constantly pushing the team to keep the 'slack out the line' or else feeling the rawhide where the sun don't shine.

The other day while driving I was counting up how many homes we built this year - I think we built 15 - which is amazing from a few perspectives - the economy, and the scarcity of labor.

I love 'years in review' set to great music - so here's mine - just imagine some cool tunage to add to the list -
Cottage 14 finished up in January.
Cottage 13 finished up in February.
Farmhouse 10 finished up in February.
Ranch 1 finished up in May.
Cottage 18 finished up in May.
Cottage 21 in June.
Cottage 22 in Sept.
Cottage 19 in Sept.
Cottage 17 in October.
Cottage 23 in November.
Barn 2 in progress.
Micro #3 in progress.
Peter's Walton Gothic cottage in September.
Big addition at my house in June.
Cottage 24 in progress.
Cottage 20 in progress.
Ranch 2 in progress.

That's a lot of construction, by any measure. And amazingly, I still see some new problem once a week, something I've never seen before. One would think at some point you've 'seen it all' - but it appears not.

Cottage 14

Cottage 14 was a house we started last year about this time and finished it up and got it sold in the middle of the Great Recession last January - the mortgage market was so screwed up that the lenders were actually calling the employers of these two woman the day of closing in order to verify - for the 3rd time - that they still had jobs.

It was a crazy time last winter - that's for sure, when the whole world froze up. I got to hand it to the Catskill Farms team, to the homeowners Albert, Dean, Gayle, Nick, Jeanne and Deb - I mean, we got it done when it couldn't be done.

So I was driving around with John and Wendy who are friends of Stan and Leslie from Farmhouse 3 - and I was showing off the houses and we stopped by Albert's where Gus and his wife Malin were raking shit and burning shit and then we cruised past Jeanne and Deb's and they were raking shit and burning shit too.

Seems like the city slickers love to come up to their house and rake shit and burn shit.

Cottage 14 is a real unique cottage, - very kitchen-centric with a double high ceiling and big fans swirling.

So I like to go over and check things out on Friday's or Saturday's just about at about happy hour time - because turns out Jeanne and Deb are master martini makers and I love martinis. I brought Lucas along to this shindig this past weekend.

The guy can't keep his socks on to save his life.

Jeanne and Deb mixing up the cocktails, showing Lucas how it's done.


And a living room baby shot. GI Joe Lucas doing his special forces crawl.

And a series of funky moon shots with my fancy camera that is a lot smarter than me.