Welcome to our historic & meticulously restored home, Willow Vale, situated on a quiet & idyllic country road and nestled on 700` of Shekomeko riverbank.
Built in 1790, the home was once the iconic `Mon Blason` - an inn and the *first French haute cuisine restaurant* in the Hudson Valley, owned and operated by Charles Virion, the former private chef to Orson Wells, Richard Rogers (of Rogers and Hammerstein), and John and Mable Ringling (of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus).
Over the course of 4 years, Willow Vale has been meticulously restored according to its legacy architecture and now features a spacious living room, a library and second living room with working wood fireplace, an expansive dining room with an additional seating area, a sunroom with dining table and large chaise lounge, open kitchen with an included dining area, 3 bedrooms (including a master with working wood fireplace), 3 full bathrooms, an expansive blue stone terrace, and two swimming holes fed by the Shekomeko, a natural artesian-well spring that was instrumental to the Mohegan Native Americans and Hudson Valley trade.
The open kitchen and dining area features a French La Cornue Matte Black CornuFé 110 range and oven and a large antique wood butcher block kitchen island from a Pennsylvanian bakery dressed with an antique kilim sink skirt and vintage french rattan counter stools. A statuario marble countertop and maple millwork is dotted by a set of mullioned windows overlooking the verdant backyard and cornfield in the distance, with not a house to be seen from this vista.
The open kitchen and dining area also features an antique french wine table tasting oak table and caned chairs with hand-painted Hudson Valley scenes from the 1890s. The table and chairs overlook the Shekomeko via a pair of large french windows.
The main living room features an oversized handmade and feather & down filled Cisco sofa, chair and a half, and chaise lounge handmade in Downtown LA. A baby grand piano and antique espalier tree sculpture as well as another dining or work-from-home arrangement is situated in the corner of the large room overlooking the terrace and backyard.
The sunroom overlooks the front yard and quiet Willow Vale Road. It features a long antique french walnut library table with a vintage set of braided Maison Drucker chairs and a patinated metal chaise lounge with feather and down cushions and crewel-embroidery.
The library features shelves full of interesting texts and tomes, a working wood fireplace as well as another Cisco down & feather sofa. A vintage and oversized George Smith kilim lounge chair and ottoman compliment the sofa and a tiger maple desk is also present in the space, the perfect companion to this serene work-from-home or relaxing interior.
The dining room features a large expandable antique walnut refectory table, a charmingly eccentric oversized antique hand-painted wood bird cage from the early 20th century, and additional lounge seating area for two with reupholstered plantation chairs.
The bedrooms consist of two that are located on the right wing of the house with two full bathrooms and then another that is found in the left wing of the housed (the `annex`) above the kitchen and sunroom area, which also features its own full bathroom.
The master bedroom features a working wood fireplace with expansive stone hearth, an antique Connecticut valley cherry chest of drawers, an antique four-poster bed, and antique French walnut armoire closet, and loads of charm and historic objets d`art.
The second bedroom across the hall has an antique four-poster king size bed, antique french oak armoire closet, a large American Empire gilt mirror, and tramp art gallery wall above the bed.
The third bedroom is in its own wing above the kitchen and sunroom area and has a vintage French screen room divider headboard as well as charming framed fauna and foliage, and other antique and vintage furnishings.
All beds feature natural Avocado Mattresses, Parachute linen sheets and Les Indiannes hand-blocked cotton duvets, pillows, and quilts.
There are three full bathrooms in the home with period fixtures and finishings and natural terracotta tiles.
The largest bathroom is in the right wing of the house on the same floor as the master and second bedroom. It features an antique claw-foot tub with a custom-made Schumacher fabric abstract shower curtain for extra luxury and comfort as well as marble console sink with a matching Schumacher sink skirt.
The second full bathroom is also situated in the right wing of the house beneath the second bedroom (so on the first floor) and also features a Schumacher ticking stripe shower curtain and sink skirt.
The third full bathroom is located in the left wing of the house, the annex, on the second floor (the same floor as the bedroom) and features a glass enclosed shower, Schumacher beige ticking strip sink skirt and old indigenous maps of the Hudson Valley and its inhabitants.
The back terrace has a large, expandable teak dining table and canvas parasol as well as (in the summertime) rattan seating.
The backyard also has direct Shekomeko access with two artesian-fed spring swimming holes, one closer to the stone bridge and another completely private in the back corner of the property.
There is a historic barn on the property that predates the home (so built before 1790) with hand-hewn beams that originated from saplings that were planted possibly as early as the early 1600s. Kindly note, the barn (and old Mercedes 450 SL within) are not for guest use.
Also, because of our unique location and rural setting, you may occasionally encounter wildlife or pests, both inside and outside the house. This is to be expected since you are in the country. 😉 While we take preventive measures to minimize their presence, it’s important to remember that nature is part of the charm of staying here. We kindly ask that you keep doors and windows closed when not in use, and store food properly to help us maintain a comfortable and clean environment for everyone. Enjoy your stay in this peaceful retreat surrounded by nature!
The home, terrace, backyard including two spring-fed swimming holes. The barn and antique Mercedes are not intended for guest use. Thank you for understanding!
We will provide an entry code for easeful access to the home.
As for A/C, the house is equipped with freestanding A/C units in each of the bedrooms. Given the age and historical nature of the home, it was built well before central A/C was invented. ;)
Please note, in the fireplaces only build small fires - the fireplaces are not to house large fires built within them and it could pose a safety hazard.
We allow well-trained pets with a pet deposit (assuming no additional cleaning or repair expense was incurred).
If you would like to host an event at the house, we are amenable to it, but would need to know details and approve in advance. Thank you!
