Skin Care Entrepreneur David Krause Left New York City to Revive an 1830s Catskills Home
Once the bones of the building were fixed, the couple could focus on curating the tranquil aesthetic they’d originally planned for their vacation retreat. “The idea was that it was going to be super peaceful and serene and relaxing and a little bit Scandinavian,” he explains. “We have a really neutral palette. We painted all the floors black and most of the walls white. And we have lots of natural materials.”
Though David and Ayan chose a more contemporary look, they still wanted to be sensitive to the age of the home. They lovingly maintained the existing moldings and tile ceilings, while blending in 19th-century antiques with their modern furnishings. The result is a respectful renovation that gracefully acknowledges both past and present.
In the living room, layered materials provide coziness and depth. A sisal rug is paired with a wood and marble coffee table, a leather and steel accent chair, ethereal linen curtains, and a low-slung HAY couch that David scoured the internet to find. “I hunted for the perfect sofa that just hits the bottom of our windows, which was a real challenge, so nothing is obscuring the views of the Catskill Mountains all around,” he shares.
David dedicated the adjacent dining room to his plants and the beloved urn that he picked up at Martha Stewart’s tag sale. The ornate cast iron-vase inspired his now growing collection. “My husband says I have a problem and he needs to have an intervention,” David jokes. “I’ve been buying them at auction. I have two gorgeous ones in the front and two flanking each side of the pool. I’m not going to stop. They have so much personality.”
Upstairs, four well-appointed bedrooms offer ample space for David, Ayan, and their frequent guests. The most colorful chamber features a slew of vintage flag prints and Schoolhouse bedding in faded acidic hues to match. For a high-low moment, an Amazon bed frame is juxtaposed with black Kelly Wearstler Nodes pendants. “I absolutely love her and her lighting, so I bought every fixture that she makes and put one in every room,” David says.
