Perched on the edge of a stream, a 'floating farmhouse' in New York is on the market for $2.87 million take a look inside
- An 1820 four-bedroom residence in Eldred, New York, just hit the market for $2.87 million.
- It's known as the "floating farmhouse" due to its cantilevered porch that hangs over a stream.
A "floating farmhouse" in the Catskills, known for its cantilevered porch that seems to float above a stream, is listed for $2.87 million.
The house sits on 8.69 acres of land in the hamlet of Eldred, which is located in the town of Highland in Sullivan County, New York, per the listing. Apart from the main residence, the property also includes a barn.
Current owner Tom Givone, an architect with his own practice, bought the property in 2007 for $215,000, per county records. This is the first time he's put the house up for sale, listing records show.
The residence was built in 1820, and Givone spent four years renovating it, per the listing. His design updates include the cantilevered porch that the house is now known for.
Givone told the Wall Street Journal in May that he estimates he spent almost $1.75 million renovating the home. He did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Houses in Eldred have a median listing home price of $299,000, per data from Realtor.com. With its $2.87 million price tag, the floating farmhouse is the most expensive single-family home in the area.
Annabel Taylor with Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty holds the listing.
Givone created the main living area by knocking down several walls to merge the former living, dining, and family rooms.
Givone incorporated many of the home's original elements into his remodel, including the living room's original wooden floorboards. He accentuated them by adding new elements, like an oversized fireplace with an oxidized steel panel design.
Givone installed a custom-built wood-fire pizza oven in the kitchen, per the listing. It's fixed into a floor-to-ceiling oxidized steel panel that's similar to the living room fireplace.
The 20-foot-high vaulted kitchen ceilings are supported by hand-hewn wooden beams, per the listing. The cabinets have been fitted with bluestone countertops sourced from local quarries.
"Every detail here is to be appreciated," Taylor told Insider. "The house was built to be enjoyed with friends and family."
The dining area is flanked by a towering wall of glass and steel that overlooks the lawn.
Like the fireplace and the pizza oven, the glass wall's metal frame was created using oxidized steel. The steel panels had to be dipped into acid over months in order to achieve their reddish-brown patina.
There are four bedrooms in the house, including a primary suite with a vaulted ceiling and hand-hewn wooden beams.
Source: Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty
Givone also incorporated a section of the farmhouse's original cedar shake roof into the ceiling of the primary suite, per the listing.
"The uniqueness and innovation used throughout are what take this from being a great house to a truly interesting one," Taylor said.
The house comes with two full bathrooms, one of which is outfitted with antique sanitary wares — including an 18th-century sink and a 19th-century bathtub.
The sink is made from Italian marble that Givone had sourced from Rome, per the listing.
The copper bathtub, which he wrapped in stainless steel, had been salvaged from an old building on the Lower East Side in Manhattan, according to his website.
The porch, which hangs over the neighboring stream, gives residents the impression that the house is floating on the water.
The porch's wood ceiling comes from trees that were "felled and milled on the property," per Givone's website.
The barn, which dates back to the 1800s, was refurbished with aluminum panels similar to the ones used for MacBooks, thus earning it the nickname "MacBarn," per the listing.
"The owner's use of perforated aluminum, most commonly found on Mac computers, allows light and air to pass through the space in a delicate and beautiful way," Taylor said.
There is a full-length glass wall on the side of the barn.
Apart from design updates, the barn is now fitted with a retractable door, heating system, and a new septic system that the new owners can make use of if they wish to turn it into a guesthouse, Taylor said.
Givone is currently using the property as a short-term housing rental and photo studio.
The house is located about two hours from New York City and is available for rent, per Floating Farmhouse, a website dedicated to the home. Rates for overnight stays start from $1,560 per night for a maximum of eight guests, but prices get more expensive on weekends and holidays. Fishing and swimming are permitted in the stream, which is stocked with trout.
In addition to overnight stays, Givone leases the home to companies who want to use it as a photography location, per the Floating Farmhouse site. Rates for these are available on an inquiry basis.
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