Nestled amongst 45 acres of beautiful woods and rolling meadows is Middlefield, the country home of the illustrious architect Gil Schafer. After years with no avail of house hunting in the Hudson Valley for a 19th century home to restore, Gil stumbled upon the perfect acreage for sale and decided to build his very own “new old” home, the style for which he is celebrated.
Drawing from the Greek Revival tradition, the 3,000-square-foot house’s design faithfully honors the farmhouse vernacular of the region while providing a comfortable, contemporary weekend home within a compact plan. The goal was to create a house that appeared as if it had “always been there.” This approach extended from the site design developed in collaboration with noted landscape designer Deborah Nevins, to the interior decoration designed in collaboration with New York interior designer Miles Redd. Millwork was carved using the same pattern books and principles of proportion that would have guided the design of its 19th century antecedents. Reclaimed 150-year-old pine flooring, restoration glass glazing, and custom-made mercury glass door hardware also serve to reinforce the interior’s “old house” feeling. The extraordinary home was the recipient of the first Palladio Award for Outstanding New Residential Construction in 2002.
Images via Gil Schafer’s portfolio.
For a very special treat, I highly recommend this 10 minute home tour of Middlefield and interview with Gil Schafer, conduced by the brilliant Quintessence…
And I also recommend his books The Great American House: Tradition for the Way We Live Now and A Place to Call Home: Tradition, Style, and Memory in the New American House. To see more of Schafer’s work, please enjoy the articles below…
- A FLORIDA VACATION HOME BY GIL SCHAFER
- A PICTURESQUE NEW YORK FARMHOUSE BY GIL SCHAFER
- TIMELESSLY TRADITIONAL BY MILES REDD AND GIL SCHAFER
- A HISTORICALLY INSPIRED DUTCH COLONIAL BY GIL SCHAFER
- A PLACE TO CALL HOME BY GIL SCHAFER III
- A MILES REDD HOME HITS THE MLS! (Gil Schafer architect)
Cozy in Connecticut by Gil Schafer
A Florida Vacation Home by Gil Schafer
A Picturesque New York Farmhouse by Gil Schafer
A Place to Call Home by Gil Schafer III
What a gorgeous home! Yes, I could easily live here. 🥰
A dream….he gets me! Thanks.
This man is a genius and my all time favorite architect. I’m not sure if I’ve seen this house before and it is perfection. Thank you so much for this, I watched the video and can’t tell you how special it was to get my mind on something to hold my attention. My mom caught COVID and passed away last month in Broward. Our daughter & grandchildren just left to return home and I was feeling so sad. This post brightened my day. If you ever doubt what you’re doing writing this blog, don’t. It has purpose…beyond me to of course. Pamela
Dear Pamela,
I am so very sorry to hear about your mother. These are terrible times, and the number of families who have lost loved ones breaks my heart. Thank you for taking the time to share such kind words, now you brightened my day! The Glam Pad has always been my “happy place” to escape harsh realities of life, and I am so happy to hear you feel the same way. 🙂
Warmest regards,
Andrea
The Glam Pad
I second the idea that your Blog is a positive, up-lifting moment in my day. Thank you for all the work I’m sure it takes to present such a quality site.
Super duper gorgeous! Just in need of a swimming pool.
What a treat to read this article. I had seen the Quintessence video but i love that i am able to stare at the pictures and absorb them. Gil Schafer is my favorite architect and i love his style. I always wish there were games that we could play that would let us take a Gil Schafer architecture and merge it with a Mark D Sikes interior.. or Alexa Hampton etc.. But this home is where i see most of what i like already in it.. just lovely! and soooo liveable.
That’s an absolutely stunning dream house – all new, but old, and very believable.