A Midcentury-Style 1980s House: The Takatina Take on an Upstate Hideaway

Ten years ago, when we first met Takaaki and Christina Kawabata, they had just fled Brooklyn with their two young kids to live in an entirely open-plan cabin in upstate New York. The couple—he’s an architect, she’s an interior designer—transformed their modest 1960s retreat into a Japanese-style, minimalist farmhouse: see The New Pioneers: A One-Room Family House. The four continue to fine-tune their place—and since 2003, Taka and Christina have run their own firm, Takatina.


In recent years, we’ve featured eye-opening projects of theirs in Japan and Brooklyn. But Takatina’s latest commission is the closest to home in every way. With its ribbon windows, exposed framing, and wooden ceilings, the Hudson Valey house has a midcentury vibe. It was actually built in the 1980s and it latest owners, a creative couple based in NYC, use it as a weekend getaway. But several full-time months upstate at the start of the pandemic left them envisioning a far more pulled-together retreat.


Their request: an overall update, including a new kitchen, HVAC system, and an onsen-style bathroom addition overlooking the woods. Much of the house was preserved and celebrated. But the Takatina makeover introduced a new rustic-sophistication and harmony. Join us for a tour.


Photography by Man Photography, courtesy of Takatina.
Above: The partly stone modernist house is nestled into a woodland at the foot of the Catskills. The exterior is original, now with a new dormer on the south side that extends the roofline.
Above: The metal roof was in place; Takatina replaced the pine siding where needed and added galvanized steel gutters and drains.
Above: The open-plan living area and kitchen unfolds right off the entry. The passageway just beyond the coat rail leads to a guest room suite.
Above: “While preserving the existing exposed wood framing on the ground floor, highly tactile and visually soft finishes were incorporated into the new scheme,” says Taka. These include reclaimed Antique Terracotta Tiles from Clé and a new radiant floor heating system. The walls are painted Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White, one of our 10 Easy Pieces: Architects’ White Paint Picks. Orsi and Co served as general contractor.
Above: The dining table was made by local furniture maker Don Howell and the chairs are Charlotte Perriand’s 1956 Dordogne design. The Gubi Semi Pendant Light is vintage. Takatina added the inset shelving to display their clients’ handmade tableware. “We believe that design has the potential to enhance the quiet pleasures of life,” write Takatina.”With every built gesture, we strive to materialize that aspiration.”
Above: The room is anchored by a 12-foot-long custom kitchen island veneered in honey-stained rift cut oak veneer. It has an integrated PITT cooktop and was built by nearby Rexhill Studio. “Our clients wanted a long island to prep, cook, and gather with guests,” explains Christina. “But they didn’t want or need a wall lined with cabinetry or a lot of storage; instead, they requested modest pantry cabinets and open shelving.”Above: The countertop is limestone and the one-handled faucet is a Vola.  Above: The living room’s spiral stair is original. The Audo modular sofa faces a pair of Barcelona Chairs and the large wood stove is from Vermont Castings.Learn about the sculptural lamp in Object Lessons: Noguchi’s Iconic Akari Lights.
Above: The mezzanine houses an office and the main bedroom suite. The house’s framing is Douglas Fir and the paneling is pine.
Above: A striped Tera Lamp by Ceramicah of LA.
Above: The oak-paneled downstairs bathroom has a travertine sink, antique mirror, and walls with a plaster finish. Curious about the wall light? See High/Low: A Modern Ceramic Sconce Two Ways.
Above: The reconfigured upstairs is all about the A-framed great views. Shown here, the office/guest room with new wide-plank pine flooring and a vintage Eames Rocking Chair.
Above: Tucked under the rafters with an XL Noguchi globe light.
Above: “A monolithic, sculptural limestone custom vanity invites you into the new bathing pavilion,” write Takatina. Note the wall-to-wall mirror and plaster finish.
Above: Patterned limestone tiles surround a freestanding Perlato tub. The large windows are ribbed glass “carefully placed to capture and blur the view.”
Above: The bathroom addition overlooks a green roof installed by Hudson Valley Green Roofs on updated EPDM roofing..


Floor Plans


Above: Takatina introduced a new sense of serene order and composition to the interior. The downstairs plan was preserved, now with a new kitchen. The added dormer on the second floor houses the “bathing pavilion.”


Here’s Takatina’s own house and two more of their projects:



* Modern Family Living in Tokyo: A Budget New Build by Takatina

* A Flood-Proofed Brooklyn Rebuild on a Budget, Ikea Kitchen Included | bit.ly/3XLoEJb


http://dlvr.it/TGgj70