They Traded Southern California for Upstate New York (and a Barn)

Davy Newkirk and Robbie Rivers had been happy dwelling in Los Angeles for quite a few several years, right until the pandemic improved everything. “We had been residing in an spot that turned severe with criminal offense,” Mr. Newkirk mentioned, “and we just desired to get out.”

At the very same time, Mr. Newkirk, who is in his 40s and functions as a movie star hairstylist — his clients include Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba and Robert Downey Jr. — found his do the job coming to a standstill. With Mr. Rivers, a marketing and advertising specialist in his 30s, doing work from property, they experienced number of causes to stay in the town.

For some time, the couple had toyed with the concept of getting a compact second house in the Northeast, following turning into enamored with the Hamptons. In the early months of the pandemic, even so, they devised a more drastic prepare: They would offer their property in Los Angeles and move to the East Coastline complete time.

As they began looking at homes in the course of the white-sizzling sector of 2020, though, they understood that the Hamptons was out of attain. Not only had been price ranges extraordinarily high, but even lackluster homes had been remaining snapped up by keen purchasers.

Informed that communities around the Catskill Mountains have been viewing a imaginative resurgence, they resolved to appear upstate rather. “We were like, ‘Let’s just go to the Hudson Valley for 10 days” to glance at residences, Mr. Newkirk said, “even while we experienced under no circumstances been there.”

As the pair toured numerous residences just about every day, it did not acquire extensive to see that the real estate sector upstate was almost as frenzied as it was in the Hamptons. “I explained to Robbie, ‘I really don’t want to overpay to battle with a New Yorker in excess of a farmhouse that is not really well worth nearly anything and desires all this get the job done completed to it,’” Mr. Newkirk claimed.

Just as they were being obtaining ready to give up, a good friend despatched them a listing for a 2,800-square-foot brick bungalow built in 1967 on the outskirts of Kingston. It was in critical require of updating and didn’t have concluded floors in quite a few rooms, but it did have a barn, a grassy 1.5-acre great deal and a view to the Hudson River. There were being also a several first specifics they appreciated, including pecky cypress wood paneling in some rooms and floral wallpaper in the eating place.

“I walked in and claimed, ‘This is the household,’” Mr. Newkirk stated. They provided the full asking cost of $349,000 and shut that November.

Then Mr. Newkirk turned to Kishani Perera, a near pal and the interior designer who experienced worked on the couple’s house in Los Angeles. Ms. Perera was not ready to get on a plane all through the pandemic, so they all built plans to collaborate remotely: Mr. Newkirk would be the eyes and ears on the floor, liable for directing contractors, and Ms. Perera would deliver assistance via electronic mail, textual content and day-to-day movie calls.

“We preferred it to come to feel like a midcentury cabin, but with incredibly elevated items punctuated with substantial-conclusion designer things, for a tiny little bit of glam,” Ms. Perera said.

Or, as Mr. Newkirk put it: “I needed it to be pretty classic New York — for the reason that I appreciate classic New York, and this is the initially New York assets that I have owned — but also quite luxe.”

A person of the most important adjustments they produced was adding 4 pairs of French doorways alongside the back again of the home, opening to a new 1,000-square-foot deck. “It’s this wonderful look at, but the dwelling experienced these tiny, horizontal home windows, so you could not even see it,” Mr. Newkirk claimed. “Now, from each and every room, you search out the doorways and it’s like a postcard.”

They gutted and rebuilt the kitchen area with uncomplicated materials, including Shaker-model cupboards, a backsplash of sq. white tiles with black grout, and Carrara marble counters. They refreshed the bathrooms with additional white tile and white marble. And they place down engineered oak flooring in a smoky grey shade the place there experienced been subfloor or aged carpet.

They kept the unique doors, but ebonized them for contrast towards the freshly painted pale-gray walls. Mr. Newkirk and Mr. Rivers also spent months sanding and refinishing the pecky cypress paneling on their own, to get rid of its orange hue. And they informed each contractor who set foot in the house that the eating home wallpaper essential to be protected.

To furnish their new dwelling, they mounted a combine of parts from their dwelling in Los Angeles, several of which Mr. Newkirk had uncovered whilst touring for work recently bought parts permitted by Ms. Perera, such as a coveted classic Togo sofa and ottoman from Ligne Roset for the sitting down area and presents from Mr. Newkirk’s shoppers, including a vintage lamp from the actress Rebecca Romijn and an artwork by Mr. Downey.

The pair moved in as quickly as the kitchen area was entire, in early 2021, and lived by way of the relaxation of design as supply-chain disruptions and value hikes hampered the renovation. By the time the job was finish that September, they had blown through their anticipated spending plan of $150,000, and used a overall of around $400,000.

Now that Mr. Newkirk’s do the job has picked up again in Los Angeles, he and Mr. Rivers a short while ago purchased a new dwelling there — but this time, a second household. The house in Kingston remains their major residence, Mr. Newkirk reported.

“We adore this home. It is so comfy, and anyone who arrives above is just blown away,” he said. “Coming from L.A., it is just a breath of refreshing air.”

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