Search the web: Rode Barns Architectural Digest to see the article
The Main Farmhouse
The farmhouse was built in 1840 and is a spacious, light-filled home with sweeping views of rolling hills and the Hudson river. The house has 3 bedrooms, many living rooms, a movie room, a gym, and a giant kitchen and dining room. The home features a world class collection of art and vintage posters, over 200 original works by Andy Warhol, Ellsworth Kelly, Alex Katz, Joshua Vides, Jeff Koons, Shepherd Fairy, James Victore, Alexander Calder, Keith Haring, and more. The design collection is stellar including clássico by: Alessi, Eames, Saarinen, Herman Miller, Marimekko, Prouve, Vitra, Girard, Breuer, Kartell, Hem, Panton, Vitsoe, Rams, Jacobsen, Jongerius, Flos, and Tom Dixon. SOME of this art is homoerotic as well as politically charged. Please take note of this. There is central heating and cooling with Nest thermometers and Yale door locks in the house.
The first floor features:
The Great Room, which has double high ceilings and a two-sided wood burning fireplace, velvet sofas, a collection of graphic works by the artists James Victore (featured in the MoMa), a wet bar, Arne Jacobsen cocktails sets, a collection of art inspired by the American flag, George Nelson lamps, and black glass coffee tables. 14 people can easily pile in and watch the sun set drinking cocktails. The Music Room is painted bright red and has a Herman Miller sofa, two red heart Verner Panton Chairs, and colorful accents. A Vitsoe desk with a Saarinen chair, makes it a great office too. There's a record player, and a collection of vintage music posters. Also in the room is the original host chair of RuPaul's first television show, reupholstered in Alexander Girard fabric. The Reading room features two Hem lounge chairs and ottomans and a view of the Hudson, a perfect place to read. The half bath is a shrine to Grace Jones, featuring 15 works of art in her likeness. The other side of the Great Room is the Kitchen and Dining Area. The Dining Room has Muuto lamps, a vintage farm table, and 12 black Eames chairs (with 8 others upstairs and in the basement for larger dinner parties), with Vitsoe shelving. The Kitchen is painted jet black with glassware and plates for 24, and every gadget imaginable. The appliances are all Samsung and there is a large fridge, a white and a red wine fridge, an ice machine, an induction cooktop, a convection over, a gas oven and range, two dishwashers, a toaster, microwave, coffee machine, french press, sous vide, juicer, blender, Kitchen Aid mixer, pressure cooker. There's 20 chef knives, All-Clad and Le Creusset cookware. It's a Chef's dream. In the vintage credenza you'll find cloth napkins, cake stands which we fill with local farm stand fruits and veggies, and serving bowls and platters. This is the place for a dinner party!
The second floor features:
Candy yellow stairs lead up an art-covered landing and into the Main Bedroom Suite, a view of the garden, barns, and pool. The room is dark gray with a king size Soho House mattress, a reading area with a Faux-candlelight fireplace, plenty of closet and drawer space, and a Vitsoe desk with Eames stool. The main bedroom bathroom has a soaking tub, a black tiled shower, and granite countertops. The Marimekko room is covered in the iconic Uniko flower pattern: the bed linens, a chaise, the wallpaper, and window coverings are all in the print. A view of the Hudson, a queen sized bed, and a vintage Herman Miller writing desk with Eames chairs finish the room. In the Kid's Room, more Marimekko bedding, Artimede lamps, an Eames rocker, and two twin beds (which can be pushed together to a double), fill a pink and orange sherbet hued hideaway. The full bath, with bathtub and shower, is filled with Siouxsie and the Banshees art and vintage posters.
The basement floor features: a jet black theater and games room, with black velvet sofas, chess boards, Wassily chairs, and a card table. There's a large screen and projector, making this a perfect place to watch movies, play games, and relax. There are 4 twin mattresses in the storage room, which allows this room to convert to a great room for spillover guests. A full sized washer and dryer are in the adjacent gym, with TRX, yoga matts, a full set of free weights and kettle bells, punching bag, bench, and other workout equipment and exercise. There's a cement tiled wet room with shower, sink and toilet, and heated floors, off the gym.
Outside the house features on 13 lush acress:
A deck off the kitchen with seating for 16 for meals anytime of day, two gas grills with gas connected to main house supply, and umbrellas. Under the deck is firewood and a swing looking out onto the garden, rolling hills, the pool, and the flower garden.
A front porch with a swing and adirondack chairs looks onto the sunsetting over the Hudson river, sometimes with tankers passing by. The yards contain giant, unique trees including pines, weeping willows, ginkos, etc.
A giant pear and apple tree you're welcome to (the black spots are totally safe to eat, and organic!). We also have unique flowers and plants all over the property.
The barns are lit at night and meant mostly for scenery. The big barn is full of bats, which is a good thing, as the property is more or less mosquito free. We suggest not going in the big barn. Henry Hudson's is what we call our disco barn, which as name suggests, has a giant disco ball, a foosball table, sofas, and a dining table for 12 with electricity. It's a great place to picnic and play. We have a hammock for the front yard too and chairs and stools placed all around the property, including on the top of the hill, overlooking the Catskills.
The gem of the property is the gated stone and gunite pool area. The pool is trapezoid in shape, and has a flower garden all around it. An outdoor shower sits next to a converted chicken coop, which has been turned into a bar, with margarita machine, fridge, ice chest, dining table for 8, and stacks of Hellerware. 8 chaise and 8 umbrellas circle the pool, which has a diving board. There's a bunch of floats and pool accessories and dozens of pool towels. The pool house, named The Rainbow Room, is a former "Ice House," where men once slept when they cut ice and sent to warmer climates before the age of refrigeration. It features two full beds and a sleeper sofa, Eames chairs, a Vitsoe desk, a stunning, technicolor ceiling mural by the artist Luis Urribarri. There's original Keith Harings, and a stellar collection of vintage new wave band posters. The ground floor features a dry sauna, shower, changing area, and bathroom. There is also a 8 person hot tub on the pool deck.
SMOKING IS ONLY ALLOWED OUTSIDE. MUST THROW BUTTS IN TRASH NOT ON GROUND.
Zodiac House: There is a small, 4 person guest house in the back of the property. This house is completely hidden behind the barns, and do not have access to the barns, pool, or main property at all. This guest house is available seasonally with the rental of the main property. This listing will provide the rate for the main property and the guest house to sleep up to 16 guests!
Things to do locally:
Dining:
Pico de Gallo in Stuyvesant is great Mexican and a minute away. Broad Street Bagels and Bagel thyme, are both great Bagel shops in Kinderhook and Hudson. Dyad is a mother and son run, small, great restaurant in Kinderhook. Feast and Floret is Hudson's top restaurant in our eyes. You cannot beat the chicken sandwich at The Maker. Morningbird in Kinderhook is wonderful coffee and food. Piekonic in Chatham, make must-have pies.
Fun and shopping: Bones is a great barbershop in Kinderhook. We are obsessed with the Chatham Berry Farm in Chatham, where we buy all our produce and meats and fish year round. It's the best! For big grocery stores, Hannafords in Valatie, is great and big, and Walmart in Hudson in ten minutes away. Kayak in the Hudson, river landing is one mile south near the post office. June Farms is fun for the day, drink some beers and see the animals. Our neighbors a few house down, Damsel Garden, is a flower farm. GREAT selection and prices. Downtown Albany's Empire Plaza is a stunning, brutalist masterpiece worth seeing 30 minutes north. The Swyer preserve is a boardwalk a mile away, a great walk through marshlands to the Hudson river, beautiful year round. Apple and pumpkin picking at Samascotts is a must-do!
While all those places are great, we prefer to stay at the house, cooking, and grilling, swimming, walking the property, watching the sunset, and mostly chilling. 🙂
