A Marvelous Tree House Fascinated with drafting and drawing withT-squares since age 12, Keith utilized a restrained, minimalist approach to their home’s exterior. “As you turn into the driveway, we wanted our guests to subtly see the home’s façade rising from the woods,” says Keith. As you approach the 2,000-square-foot shake house with white trim, it seems to sprout from its environment. Entering the mudroom, a sense of restrained elegance is conveyed by the space’s slanted wooden walls and slate flooring. Then, like the turn of a kaleidoscope, one’s sensory perceptions are thrown askew as you enter interior the living / dining area with its light-filled 14-foot ceiling. Windows frame the exterior mountain views like natural portraits—the sensation is one of having stepped into a marvelous tree house. Lowering one’s plain of vision, attention is drawn to the room’s bluestone fireplace. With a minimalist’s appreciation of furnishings and hatred of clutter, Keith designed the furnishings in this area as enhancements—rather than distractions—to the space’s overall fluidity. To house Betsill’s extensive collection of white ceramics, crystal, and props from photo shoots, Keith designed oak cabinets with upper glass doors. The effect is reminiscent of the clear storage galleries in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing. Antique Arts and Crafts chairs mix simplistically with occasional tables, a nine-foot pine-dining table, and streamlined leather dining chairs. A devotee of the work of architect Rudolph Schindler, Keith designed the rooms matching sofas as a tribute to Schindler’s furniture designs for his West Hollywood residence. Custom Kitchen When designing a kitchen to meet the specifications of one of the world’s premiere food stylists, no detail is too small.The kitchen counters are divided into two heights. In the preparation area, “I continued to stack cutting board upon cutting board, until the proposed counter height was in congruence with Roscoe’s erect spine,” says Keith. The center island is composed of one slab of slate with a pedestal of corresponding hue to the kitchen’s cabinetry. As a master of the element of surprise and delight, Betsill has designed a kitchen that has an element of magic. The open-concept dimension of the kitchen and living space can be masterfully concealed by a series of oversize sliding wooden panels. Reminiscent of an Asian teahouse, the panels slide into place, to then be reopened as dinner guests are wowed by Betsill’s gastronomic preparations. Piece of Heaven “On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it,” wrote Jules Renard. Indeed, as one moves from the main living area of this home to the exterior living space Renard’s words ring clear. To step onto Betsill and Keith’s deck is to step into the treetops, to an unobstructed view of the Catskills. In the early hours of dawn, “the mountains are a glow of burnt orange,” state the couple. In every season as in every hour of the day, the mountain peaks are redefined by shadows and light. Occasionally, the Hudson Valley offers glimpses into the land discovered by Henry Hudson more than 400 years ago. In early spring, Roscoe plants lettuces and hearty greens in terra-cotta planters along the terrace’s edge. With a natural bottle-infiltration water system, the plantings are watered throughout the week during the couple’s absences. In the summer months the warmth of the sun is utilized to create teas in varying flavors. Truly this exterior space which projects from the house via wooden armatures which rest above the tree tops is a very close to heaven on earth. Keith designed adjacent office spaces for himself and Betsill just inside from the terrace area. Betsill’s office is filled with cooking implements, vintage culinary items, and an array of books and takes full advantage of the terrace’s view. Keith’s own office is decorated with a collection of antique drafting tools and looks onto branches that sway with the breeze. When designing with an eye to a structure’s natural surroundings how magnificent to have a drafting table with a tantalizing view. The combination of the adjacent office spaces and the exterior terrace emphasizes the collaborative aspect of the couple’s life. Above: Subtle shades of color are used throughout the home, as exemplified in the guest room. Below: A view up the stairs to the second floor.
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