A couple transformed a rustic 1970s A-frame cabin in the Catskill Mountains into a modern, cozy weekend retreat
Sama Ansari Pour
![A couple transformed a rustic 1970s A-frame cabin in the Catskill Mountains into a modern, cozy weekend retreat](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-98584610%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-808212%2Fa-couple-transformed-a-rustic-1970s-a-frame-cabin-in-the-catskill-mountains-into-a-modern-cozy-weekend-retreat.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
- An NYC-based couple bought a 1970s A-frame cabin in the Catskills in the fall of 2019.
- One bedroom had no doors, the stairs had no railings, and there was little thought to furnishing.
An A-frame wooden cabin tucked in the Catskill Mountains, New York, was bought by a young NYC-based couple in the fall of 2019, a representative for BHDM Design told Insider.
![An A-frame wooden cabin tucked in the Catskill Mountains, New York, was bought by a young NYC-based couple in the fall of 2019, a representative for BHDM Design told Insider.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584746,width-700,height-525,imgsize-191590/an-a-frame-wooden-cabin-tucked-in-the-catskill-mountains-new-york-was-bought-by-a-young-nyc-based-couple-in-the-fall-of-2019-a-representative-for-bhdm-design-told-insider-.jpg)
The three-story cabin located by Bellayre Mountain in the Catskills is naturally flooded with light thanks to the 27 skylights dotted around the home. It allows guests to see the beautiful landscape outside, but originally the interior wasn't as impressive, Sarah Peterson Major, BHDM design's director of interior design who was in charge of this project, told Insider.
There wasn't much thought put into the original furnishings. "It was more of a place to be and less of a place to experience the interior," Major said.
It was rough around the edges but the clients, who are Major's friends, saw that the cabin had a ton of potential, she added. The clients bought the cabin to have as a weekend retreat, and requested to remain anonymous.
Structurally, none of the floors were level, everything was kind of wonky and the stairs were "a bit of a death trap" as they had no railings, Major said.
The home, which was built in the 1970s and designed by Japanese architect Ikuyo Tagawa, is one with nature thanks to organic elements such as the wooden walls and stone fireplace.
![The home, which was built in the 1970s and designed by Japanese architect Ikuyo Tagawa, is one with nature thanks to organic elements such as the wooden walls and stone fireplace.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584741,width-700,height-525,imgsize-165936/the-home-which-was-built-in-the-1970s-and-designed-by-japanese-architect-ikuyo-tagawa-is-one-with-nature-thanks-to-organic-elements-such-as-the-wooden-walls-and-stone-fireplace-.jpg)
The new owners wanted to celebrate its Japanese heritage while also not changing it too much. Major had a chance to meet the original owner, and said the cabin was very special to her. One of the informal conditions of the sale was that it remained as unchanged as possible, she said.
Another goal was to update the cabin while keeping it one with nature. They were looking to "maintain that sense of connection to the land and the natural materials that we inherited and really blend it with something that felt updated without taking away the original essence of the project," Dan Mazzarini, the creative director of BHDM Design, told Insider.
The renovation took six to nine months, Major said. Planning began in November 2019 and the majority of work finished within six months, but the project was delayed due to the cabin's remoteness, as well as the pandemic.
The project cost roughly $250,000, Ashlyn Cooper, an account executive at BHDM Design, told Insider.
The basic, bare living room was subtly transformed into a warm and cozy lounge space.
![The basic, bare living room was subtly transformed into a warm and cozy lounge space.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584734,width-700,height-525,imgsize-179588/the-basic-bare-living-room-was-subtly-transformed-into-a-warm-and-cozy-lounge-space-.jpg)
The cabin has a fireplace that runs throughout the home and is visible in every room. However, it was only safe to use in the living room, Major said.
They added a new insert to make the fireplace usable, but found it difficult to find one that would fit in the organic shape of the original fireplace cavity, Major added.
They then added a giant built-in sofa — one of their main aims was to tailor all the furniture around the space so that it felt like it was always there, Major said. It was also built-in to maximize floor space whilst achieving as much seating as possible.
The sofa also conceals the heating system, and the top can be opened for storage space, Major told Insider. Thanks to it being so big, it can be used as a bed by guests.
They didn't touch the wooden walls, but they did subtly elevate the end-grain wooden floors by lightly staining them black to pull out the color of the grain, Mazzarini said.
All the furniture was chosen very consciously. It was important that all the pieces look organic and feel natural, Mazzarini added.
They didn't add much artwork to the home. "That's intentional because the art really is these 27 skylights that we have," Major said.
The color scheme had an equal amount of thought. All the colors were mainly black and white, as they wanted the spectacular mountain view to be the eye's main focus, Mazzarini told Insider.
The bedroom was a more involved process, as it was originally an open platform.
![The bedroom was a more involved process, as it was originally an open platform.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584729,width-700,height-525,imgsize-131362/the-bedroom-was-a-more-involved-process-as-it-was-originally-an-open-platform-.jpg)
The bedroom originally didn't have its own door, and there was an overlook into the main living space, Major told Insider. The clients wanted more privacy, with at least the option to close a door.
They took out the spindles of the handrail on the overlook, and added a full sliding glass wall with a metal and glass railing, allowing the door to open and close, Major said.
They built pockets into the ceiling to install roller shades for added privacy and light control. It also provided a structure to support the glass doors, Major said.
They also bought an organic-looking wood platform bed that they purposely placed low to the ground to counter-emphasize the height of the ceiling, Major said.
A big feature in the room is the two-tier paper light fixture. It's a nod to Japanese screens and is really soft and kind of crinkly, Major told Insider.
The open-plan kitchen was very important for the clients as they love cooking. Major said she kept the main top half the same and modified the bottom half.
![The open-plan kitchen was very important for the clients as they love cooking. Major said she kept the main top half the same and modified the bottom half.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584725,width-700,height-525,imgsize-125152/the-open-plan-kitchen-was-very-important-for-the-clients-as-they-love-cooking-major-said-she-kept-the-main-top-half-the-same-and-modified-the-bottom-half-.jpg)
They added new cabinets under the window that hide the new dishwasher and trash system, Major told Insider. A new fridge was also added.
They also stained the wood black. "The thought there was kind of a signal that this is a new touch on this space," she said. Throughout the home, anything that was recently added is typically black, with exception to the living room.
Every decision, no matter how small, was detail-oriented. When picking out the stain for the woodwork, they were very intentional about the level of matteness as they didn't want the shine to draw any attention, Major said.
They didn't add much furniture, but did include lighting around the ledge that carries around the perimeter. At night it added a subtle glow to the kitchen, and in the day the skylight shines through, which makes the space feel airy, she said.
Structurally, nothing changed in the dining room.
![Structurally, nothing changed in the dining room.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584722,width-700,height-525,imgsize-107948/structurally-nothing-changed-in-the-dining-room-.jpg)
Having a dining table that could seat eight people for entertaining was important for the clients, Major said. BHDM Design chose a white square concrete table, as they felt it was a nice, clean contrast to all of the wood.
As a nod to the cabin's Japanese origins, they complemented the table with Japanese-inspired chairs, Major said.
They added lights that were "designed to sneak around the top" as a graphic element, she told Insider.
The bathrooms were completely transformed. They're "a little more jewelry perhaps than in other spaces," Major said.
![The bathrooms were completely transformed. They](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584719,width-700,height-525,imgsize-95790/the-bathrooms-were-completely-transformed-theyaposre-quota-little-more-jewelry-perhaps-than-in-other-spacesquot-major-said-.jpg)
There are two bathrooms, one for guests, and one primary bathroom. The renovation aim was to modernize it and create a clean, organic aesthetic, Major told Insider.
In both bathrooms they added new black toilets, new plumbing fixtures, Marquina marble countertops, new light fixtures, and new sinks, Major said.
It was important to the clients to keep the original flooring. They kept the original cabinet as a base but stained it black. "It definitely needed a refresh," Major added.
There were a lot of other important touches around the cabin.
![There were a lot of other important touches around the cabin.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584715,width-700,height-525,imgsize-150324/there-were-a-lot-of-other-important-touches-around-the-cabin-.jpg)
BHDM Design updated the stairs with black railings to make it more user-friendly.
"We certainly didn't want anyone falling from the third story down the center of the A-frame," Major said. It was challenging to integrate metal, glass, and rustic wood, but they made it work.
They also added extra storage space here. Thanks to its remoteness, quickly going to the grocery store was not an option, she said, so you need to have all your ingredients on you at all times.
They closed off previously open space under the stairs to create extra storage space, she said. They also elevated the cabin further by adding a laundry area and a small wine cellar.
It was a long, challenging renovation.
![It was a long, challenging renovation.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-98584713,width-700,height-525,imgsize-88422/it-was-a-long-challenging-renovation-.jpg)
The location made the renovation more complicated. Finding contractors who were able to take on the project in such a remote area was a challenge — Major said she recalls calling 40 contractors for the job.
Anyone from New York City had to make a two or three-hour trek on sometimes unpaved roads, Mazzarini added.
It was made even more difficult when 75-80% of the renovation was done, and a COVID-19 lockdown happened. To ensure safety, as a team they would get tested for COVID before meeting and also had self-enforced masking, Mazzarini said.
For Major, however, the biggest challenge was being pregnant during the process and "trying not to fall down the center core of the stairs," she said.
The BHDM Design staff's advice for anyone looking to renovate their home is to look to the space for answers.
"Take cues from the existing structure, take cues from the landscape, and sort of enhance that," Major advised.
It's also important to be patient, Mazzarini added. "If this project taught us all anything, it was really that projects like this take time," he said.
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