Sharon Davis's geothermal retreat brings the natural world inside

Set on an idyllic patch of land adjacent to the historic Old Albany Post Road, Sharon Davis's 900 square foot country home weaves together exterior and interior to make a small space feel limitless.

The one-bedroom vacation home, in Garrison, New York, uses floor-to-ceiling insulated windows and sliding doors to bring the outside in. When opened on the first floor, the doors allow the living room to become one with an outdoor patio leading to a fire pit. On the second floor, the bedroom and bathroom open onto an elevated deck, exposing them to warm breezes and the landscape of the Hudson River Valley.

Inside, walls are kept almost bare, allowing the different materials and textures of the interior elements to shine. Reclaimed wood is featured on the built-ins and for the fireplace, and blackened steel is used for the stairs. The fireplace surround is slate and poured concrete was used for the kitchen floors and counter. The furniture and was custom-designed and the storage systems built in to maximize space.

Davis, a committed environmentalist, wanted the house to have a light environmental impact while still feeling spacious and modern.

The house was built on the foundations of an old house that was on the site and features a geothermal heating and cooling system and soy foam insulation to further reduce impact. Outside, landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz used only native plants for the two-acre site and created an old-fashioned wall from stone found on the property.

 

Built-in furniture and cabinets maximizes space while providing storage.

 

Glass walls in the bedroom can be opened to allow fresh air to flow freely inside.

 

Poured concrete was used for the floor and kitchen counters.

 

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the home brings the outside world in.