the good life
Living Etc Magazine|February 2020
The interiors of Robert and Stefanie’s idyllic clapboard house were inspired by the great outdoors
Jenny Tucker
the good life

Once upon a time, this former workman’s cottage in New York’s Hudson Valley was a forlorn shell covered in asbestos shingle siding and bereft of attention. Today, it stands resplendent in five acres of extraordinary nature – a high-spec example of designer vision and a transformational renovation. When the owners, Robert Highsmith and his wife Stefanie Brechbuehler, bought the house eight years ago it served as a weekend bolthole from their busy lives as interior designers in the city. Then, in 2015, it was temporarily shifted to the back-burner when the pair moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to work on a series of exclusive design projects.

Just as life seemed to be rolling along, Robert and Stefanie discovered they were going to be parents to twins and decided to return to New York to renovate the house and live in it full-time. In summer 2018, with months to spare before the birth of their daughters, they set about rejigging the house to accommodate their family.

In the main, the couple kept their design to the compact footprint of the original property but the actual restoration reflects their reputation for expert detail and a high-quality finish. ‘It was important to us to keep to the square footage, but we did carry out an extensive renovation on the interior,’ says Robert. ‘We refurbished the original flooring throughout and extended the ceiling heights to expose the beams.’

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2020 من Living Etc Magazine.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2020 من Living Etc Magazine.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من LIVING ETC MAGAZINE مشاهدة الكل
modern extensions
Living Etc UK

modern extensions

WITH STRIKING USE OF COLOUR, MATERIALS AND SHAPE, THE LATEST DESIGNS ADD SO MUCH MORE THAN AN EXTRA ROOM

time-read
1 min  |
August 2024
think like a pro
Living Etc UK

think like a pro

It's not just interior designers who are skilled at picking the perfect palette architects are in on the act, too, and Richard Parr knows just how to get the ideal shade

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
colour decoded
Living Etc UK

colour decoded

As with all successful schemes, there's much more going on beneath the surface of this space than first appears -Livingete's colour expert Amy Moorea Wong reveals all

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
enduring style
Living Etc UK

enduring style

B&B Italia has pioneered modern Italian furniture design since 1966 - but its latest collection feels as fresh as ever

time-read
1 min  |
August 2024
TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
Living Etc UK

TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

Seventeenth-century origins meet vibrant contemporary design in a cleverly reimagined Amsterdam canal house

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
ROCK OF AGES
Living Etc UK

ROCK OF AGES

The owners of a Menorcan home have made a stylish yet sustainable retreat using the island's signature stone

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
FORCE OF NATURE
Living Etc UK

FORCE OF NATURE

An unexpected flood into what was already a dark basement flat prompted a new vision, full of light, natural materials and foliage

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
TOP OF THE WORLD
Living Etc UK

TOP OF THE WORLD

High above the busy streets of Bangkok, two talented designers have created a tranquil retreat that nods to chic 1970s style and makes the most of the views

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
A PLACE IN THE SUN
Living Etc UK

A PLACE IN THE SUN

An apartment within a former luxury hotel celebrates - and updates - the style of France's Côte d'Azur

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
OUTSIDE IN
Living Etc UK

OUTSIDE IN

The design of this modernist bungalow in South Africa was dictated by the trees on the plot and the desire for an indoor-outdoor flow

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024