IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I PLAYED AROUND on the Columbia Northern Dutchess Multiple Listing site. It’s the best MLS I know — it actually covers a wide range of upstate New York counties, and allows you to search on properties based on when they were built.
Tonight I entered “thru 1700” just to see what would pop up. While I don’t for a minute believe this barn conversion in desirable Rhinebeck, N.Y., was originally built before 1700, it’s a place I would definitely investigate, were I in the market right now for a weekend/summer place with gardening opportunities in the Hudson Valley.
The 1,200-square-foot post-and-beam house, on three acres with a pond, looks like a child’s drawing. You couldn’t get more basic in terms of structure. Before its renovation in the 1990s, it looked like this:
I’m not sure I love what was done in terms of window placement and other design choices, but it’s still appealing, and the property looks pretty. There are wide-board floors and a metal roof, and taxes aren’t horrific.
Here’s a view of the interior, below. Living, kitchen, and dining are on the ground floor. Stairs lead to the bedroom, study, and bath.
For more pictures and all the nitty-gritty, go here.
casaCARA 