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A Country Cottage Gets a Second Life As an Elegant Rustic Vacation Home

Even amid the rest of the overhaul, the new kitchen — the original impetus for the renovation — stands out. Photo: Daniel Kanter

New Yorkers Adriana Kertzer and Barry Goldman — with help from their designer friend Daniel Kanter — turned a Catskills cottage into a two-story upstate-getaway home.

Photo: Courtesy of Harrison Green

When Adriana Kertzer, a lawyer, writer, and designer who works on social issues, and her husband, Barry Goldman, bought their country home in Olivebridge, New York, seen here, they initially thought the house needed nothing more than a kitchen renovation. The couple hired designer (and blogger) Daniel Kanter for the job. Soon it became apparent that the then-1,100-square-foot house suffered from faulty construction and borderline-negligent past renovations. Kanter’s job went from remodeling the kitchen to transforming the ramshackle cottage into a cozy-but-elegant two-story home — which the owners now rent out when they’re not staying there.

Photo: Courtesy of Harrison Green

For the full redesign, seen here, Kanter added a second story that contains the master suite and the laundry room. The first floor got a new layout and some new windows; the exterior now sports a darker paint. For a play-by-play of the renovation, head to Kanter’s highly informative and equally entertaining blog.

Photo: Nicholas Calcott

Even amid the rest of the overhaul, the new kitchen — the original impetus for the renovation — stands out. For the backsplash, Kanter sourced tiles from Home Depot, and says he chose them “to look like more expensive cement tiles that were cost prohibitive.” The cabinetry is from Ikea with wooden handles that Kanter found in a local shop. Kanter’s attention to detail can be seen in the cladding of the back of the movable island, made from reclaimed shiplap taken from the roof of the house before renovation. The lighting fixture is from West Elm.

Photo: Nicholas Calcott

Kanter and Kertzer were friends before they were designer and client; the two met on a trip to Sweden, and Kanter made a point of bringing some Swedish design influence to the house. Kanter chose Benjamin Moore’s Citrus Burst for the door frame, to make a bold, cheerful statement. The first floor has an open plan, merging together the living room, kitchen, and dining area. The raised ceiling, clad in V-Grove paneling from the original house, gives the house a spacious feeling. The bentwood lighting fixture by the front door is from West Elm, and the Kivik sectional couch is from Ikea. The slim wood ledge on the wall is a recycled floor joist from the original house.

Photo: Nicholas Calcott/Nicholas Doyle

The dining area looks out onto a wonderful view of the woods around Olivebridge, which sits just south of the Ashokan Reservoir and east of Sundown Wild Forest. The table is from Ikea and the chairs are from Wayfair.

Photo: Nicholas Calcott

The cottage morphed from a two-bedroom, one bath, to a three-bedroom, two bath, after the renovation. One of the guest rooms feels like it is a little ship moored out in the woods.

Photo: Nicholas Calcott

A photograph by Juliana Cerqueira Leite hangs over the bed in the master bedroom. The bed is from Wayfair and the reading lights are from West Elm.

Photo: Nicholas Calcott

The master suite also got a master bathroom. The wood vanity is from Ikea. The floor tile is a ceramic marble-look from Home Depot.

A Country Cottage Turned Elegant Rustic Vacation Home