Jesse James, founder and creative director for Aesthetic Movement, and his poet husband (and A/M style director) Kostas Anagnopoulos spend their weekdays in the Jackson Heights historic district in Queens, but on the weekends, they escape with daughter Olympia Baltimore James to a tiny town in upstate New York. They’ve named their getaway The Smithy, in a nod to the home’s past life as a blacksmith shop. They wanted the home to feel light, airy and uncluttered, and as part of a conscious effort to avoid clutter, the couple turned closets into “secret spaces” — a little writing room and a cozy sleeping nook. The home’s all-white interior is the perfect backdrop for the objects that have moved in with them — mostly strays within a 50-mile radius — and an excellent foil to the verdant landscape just outside the windows. — Amy A.
Image above: We picked up this 1950s Wincroft stove from a guy in Troy, New York, and the vintage enamel backsplash was brought back from a trip to Chicago.
Image above: Olympia loves this little sleeping nook, which is actually a converted closet within the master bedroom.
The rest of Jesse + Kostas’ sneak peek continues after the jump…
Image above: This view into the kitchen shows a collection of stoneware bowls on open shelves.
Image above: A well-worn café au lait bowl and some bright red pushpins in an upstairs cupboard.
Image above: An antique bed in the creekside bedroom.
Image above: The hand-painted Belgian science charts in the living area were bought many years ago, and we covered the wingbacks with big sheets of raw linen painter’s canvas.
Image above: In the dining area, you can see a few examples of a large collection of three-legged milking stools peeking out from beneath a milking bench.
Image above: The open living/dining space once served as an auto repair shop.
Image above: These built-in cupboards are in an upstairs bedroom that once served as a dining room.
Image above: These whitewashed doors are under the original kitchen sink, which now serves as an auxiliary sink to the upstairs laundry room.
Image above: A pomander ball made during a snowy winter weekend sits among a collection of transferware dishes.
Image above: The watercolor, quoting Kostas, was gifted by a friend.
Image above: This spindle bed in a front bedroom provides a sunny spot for daytime naps and reading.
Image above: The lush side patio was laid with stones from the adjacent creek.
Image above: First built as a blacksmith’s shop, the house later served as a repair shop with the only gas pump for miles in all directions. We often sit to write in the original shop window.
49 Comments
that place is pretty perfect. would love to know floor paint brand/colors. specifically dark green and dark grey/black.
I love that house and I want to steal that stove
love that vintage stove.. what is that??
Love this place. Wasn’t it for sale recently?
I am saving a picture of those kitchen shelves to have copies made … such nice lines!
A wonderful view on a great dirt road! I love how the house isn’t overly “redone”. great that you can still see the past in the building!
Beautiful! I can just see myself having lovely relaxing weekends filled with reading and napping :) My idea of heaven! Well done x M
reminds me of my grandmother’s house in broadalbin ny. thanks for a nice walk down memory lane.
Anybody know where the metal pot rack is from?
oh my oh my.
I love this! the kitchen especially. I am imagining those amazing floorboards creaking under my feet!
why doesn’t my wingback look as good as that when i drape it with a dropcloth?? this place looks so lovely and relaxing.
the pot rack looks like a train rack (bathroom storage) from the vintage collection at restoration hardware. http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1159109&categoryId=cat1556052
Gorgeous!
Lovely–a perfect country retreat.
sigh. it’s marvelous. that metal pot rack is terrific. love the painter’s drop cloths covering the chairs.
Bjuuutiful!
Here in Sweden you can find hat racks (from the functionalist era) similar to the pot rack.
I’ve seen this several places of late, for slae–don’t mind seeing its loveliness again!
Beautiful. Is the black and white lamp new or vintage? If new can you tell me where I can get one?
Very lovely, but I’m sure I’ve seen this place somewhere before
Diane
We always check with home owners to make sure they havent run their home elsewhere but we are emailing them to double check since two of you mentioned that.
Grace
It looks super restful. The Peace House.
It’s listed here but as a reader, I don’t mind seeing it in two places…
http://remodelista.com/posts/house-call-jesse-james-in-upstate-new-york
It’s a lovely, lovely place and I was glad to see additional angles.
Here it is on Apartment Therapy: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/country-house/the-smithy-a-perfect-upstate-summer-retreat-151220
The house was also for sale: http://www.feng-swish.com/the-smithy-for-sale/
but I’m not sure if it is any longer.
They also have their own website: http://www.thesmithyupstate.com/
Oh, and it looks like they’ve also done a Remodelista feature: http://remodelista.com/posts/house-call-jesse-james-in-upstate-new-york
They’re just so eager to get some PR for their house!
Amazingly beautiful! xo
Hi guys! So sorry I’ve been so slow to respond – I’m out and about today.
The home owners did share their home on Remodelista but I’ve been such a long-time fan of Aesthetic Movement that I asked for different photos so that we could get a closer look at their lovely home and hear more of the story behind the space.
glad you did, Amy. great job as always. thanks for your work.
adore the built in cupboards. i have dreams of creeky old misfit cupboards like that…one day!
Lovely, lovely place
This place is just brilliant. Well done, guys.
Love the greens of the shelves with the vintage bowls in the kitchen!
love every inch of that place!!!!
I saw this home for sale awhile ago and have pined for it! So nice to see more views of it. I love the sleeping closet.
Well, now I’m confused. I went to the site linked at the top and it is the site that showed the home for sale previously. It doesn’t say anything about it being for sale, or that it’s a vacation rental, so I guess I’m wondering why there are directions to it and such on a public site. Can the owners give any info? I’m secretly hoping that they’re putting it back on the market and are trying to get some press before doing so. Not that I could buy it, but I can dream! Or if it’s a vacation rental that would be marvelous, too. Advertising where to find your house with lots of awesome pictures of it and knowing that it’s a vacation home seems like asking for it to be burglarized, though.
That kitchen is seriously adorable. In love.
simple, minimalist, and beautiful. thank you for sharing your home.
my absolute favorites are your stove and science charts, well chosen.
that is such a cute house. and I love their kitchen. I am a big fan of vintage stoves and theirs is absolutely gorgeous.
Makes me want to move to upstate NY!
how lovely. both the palette and the feel are relaxing because they are so restrained. plus, the stool collection!
I love that bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what a cozy treasure box of a home. love it.
I’m biased but this house seems like the perfect place to stage a slipcovered furniture catalog shoot. It screams relaxed, calm, and easy living doesn’t it?!
The last shot of the road is lovely.
LOvE It! (I am singing so go Up on the “It” ) Love, Love the Kitchen
Just fab!
that stove is too cool! i want one!
Love that scorpion watercolor. Really fits with the decor.
Hi. the kitchen is like my grandmas kitchen. I love it.
Beautiful! And i found the home still listed for sale for a song! Or so it appears to me from my point of view. I adore the slip cover furniture. So serene.
That stove!! What a dream!
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