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They Bought the Home of Their Dreams. Then They Had to Figure Out How to Make It Theirs
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They Bought the Home of Their Dreams. Then They Had to Figure Out How to Make It Theirs

The new owners of this modernist Dutchess County home approached it by making intentional furniture choices and focusing in on the original architecture.
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When Marcus Werner Hed first visited his future home upstate, he had no plans to purchase. "I just fell in love with it," he says resignedly, and it’s obvious why. "It" is an eye-catching weekend residence surrounded by rocks and foliage, initially commissioned by design dealer and musician Greg Wooten and built by architect William Massie in 2005.  

Once complete, Wooten used the home as his second residence, a restful escape from New York City. He decorated the interior with his minimalist art and furniture collection, and then, after relocating to California, put the home up for sale.

Werner Hed, a Stockholm-born film director and producer, saw the listing by chance while searching for an editing bay in the Hudson Valley. On a whim, he decided to visit the home to indulge his passion for mid-century architecture. "I had no idea where it was—I only knew I loved the nature around it," he says, recounting his initial visit. "I found it, and soon after that, Judith and I met."

"This is a house we live in. It’s a personal place, it’s a house we actually use. We use every surface, every room, every day," Werner Hed says. "There is hardly a place that doesn’t get foot traffic." The great room houses the couple’s kitchen, a dining area, and nearby living space, all accented with Scandinavian furniture and personal music, book and ceramic collections. A piano and nearby bookshelf designed by Paul McCobb, separate the living and dining spaces. It holds records from the couple’s music collection but doesn’t impede the view.

"This is a house we live in. It’s a personal place, it’s a house we actually use. We use every surface, every room, every day," Werner Hed says. "There is hardly a place that doesn’t get foot traffic." The great room houses the couple’s kitchen, a dining area, and nearby living space, all accented with Scandinavian furniture and personal music, book and ceramic collections. A piano and nearby bookshelf designed by Paul McCobb, separate the living and dining spaces. It holds records from the couple’s music collection but doesn’t impede the view.

Thankfully, Judith Reisinger, an Austrian Art and Communications Consultant, fell in love, too. The structure’s modern lines and idyllic setting provide a sense of peace. "The space is magic," she affirms. "You step in, and it has an immediate calming effect—this happens to everybody. They experience a sigh of relief, which is exactly what I felt."

Though they often travel internationally, the pair feel most at ease here, at home, in what is now their primary residence. Both grew up abroad in the Swedish and Austrian countryside but currently reside within the Rhinecliff area. "It looks and feels a lot like home," they say.

The property features a sloping lot, oak trees, and mid-18th century stone walls. "They run everywhere in the area," Reisinger says. "We love them; they add a sense of history." Avid entertainers, the pair host dinners inside and out depending on the season, and take in vivid sunsets from their expansive deck.

The property features a sloping lot, oak trees, and mid-18th century stone walls. "They run everywhere in the area," Reisinger says. "We love them; they add a sense of history." Avid entertainers, the pair host dinners inside and out depending on the season, and take in vivid sunsets from their expansive deck.

Poised on secluded acreage 15 minutes from Rhinebeck, New York, the striking exterior sits along a sloping ledge, affording the couple south-west facing sunsets over the Catskill mountains and floor-to-ceiling forest views. "It’s a park-like scenario," Reisinger affirms. "There are oak trees and rocks; old stone walls from the 18th to 19th century. It’s completely private."

 Today, the pair have made the modernist home their own using minor, yet impactful, furnishing tactics. Read on for key tips and takeaways from the transformation.

Weatherproofing 

While Wooten used the home as a seasonal respite, Reisinger and Werner Hed live in residence all year. Naturally, a handful of updates were required to make it workable, including a roof repair, interior door and storage updates, exterior lighting updates, and creative strategies to offset winter temperatures. "When we got the house, it really didn’t allow for permanent living, and that is one of the biggest changes we’ve brought to it," Werner Hed says.

"We changed all sliding doors from metal framed ones with plastic sheeting to wooden framed birch plywood doors," he adds. Then, to ensure warmth in the winter, they "gradually insulated hollow walls to make them more solid for radiant heat dissipation." To be eco-conscious (and make it habitable year-round), the couple insulated walls with "natural cork insulation plates and hemp."

For added warmth in the winter, the pair also plans to install dense floor-to-ceiling curtains. Inside, new lighting, furniture, and rugs added a welcoming air that honors their shared interests and lineage. "It’s not huge," Werner Hed says of the home. "You don’t have multiple rooms to play with, so you have to let the architecture do its thing and find complimentary items. Things that work that have the right scale."


Though most exterior elements remain intact, including original laser cut exterior details and curved concrete walls, the pair did install new Gunnar Asplund exterior lights "for the driveway, house and surroundings," Werner Hed says. 

Though most exterior elements remain intact, including original laser cut exterior details and curved concrete walls, the pair did install new Gunnar Asplund exterior lights "for the driveway, house and surroundings," Werner Hed says. 


Embrace what's there

Rather than changing elements first designed by Massie, the couple chose to add furnishings and collections that accent them, honoring what was in place to start. "The architecture is a piece in itself; you’re not going to go and change the color of the walls because they are American cherry, which is beautiful," he says, noting the laser-cut puzzle pattern.   

An Eames dining set and pendant light by Tapio Wirkkala outfit the dining area. The kitchen island features handcrafted stools by Joshua Vogel, an upstate New York craftsman, artist, and friend of the couple, and ceiling lights by Uno & Östen Kristiansson for Luxus.

An Eames dining set and pendant light by Tapio Wirkkala outfit the dining area. The kitchen island features handcrafted stools by Joshua Vogel, an upstate New York craftsman, artist, and friend of the couple, and ceiling lights by Uno & Östen Kristiansson for Luxus.

The home’s built-in interior elements, such as the kitchen island, walls, windows, and floors, are original, as are the home’s eye-catching bathrooms and office. These spaces, located on opposing ends of the house, feature dramatic, convex concrete walls that protrude into the rooms. Rather than transforming the area for a more traditional look, the pair have embraced it, adding decorative touches in natural tones and texture for warmth.

Massie’s distinctive curved concrete walls first appear in the primary bath, and though they do infringe on the usable square footage, Reisinger is unfazed.  

Massie’s distinctive curved concrete walls first appear in the primary bath, and though they do infringe on the usable square footage, Reisinger is unfazed.  

"I don’t mind the curved wall," Reisinger affirms. "The nice thing is, I lived in Salzburg, and in Salzburg, it’s quite common to have apartments next to rocks because they are in the mountains. Some of the rocks come into the apartments, and it’s the same feeling here. It’s quite nice because it picks up on the rocks outside, which I love."

Though the couple's library, is an ensuite bathroom. It features original square tile work, concrete floors, and newly added natural wood accents. A Bauhaus B751 folding chair, sourced by Werner Hed, feels at home in the space. 

Though the couple's library, is an ensuite bathroom. It features original square tile work, concrete floors, and newly added natural wood accents. A Bauhaus B751 folding chair, sourced by Werner Hed, feels at home in the space. 

Add layers of personality

Much of the couple’s furniture represents their shared interests and relationship timeline. It’s primarily "what we’ve accumulated together," Werner Hed says. The furnishings, mainly vintage Scandinavian, are diminutive in scale and sit low to the ground so as not to interfere with the view. Many of them, interestingly, have a romantic back story or were thoughtfully crafted by a respected designer.

"It’s all quite low and dainty," Werner Hed says. "Everything has to be quite gentle; everything has to have an airiness to it. It’s Scandi furniture but in combination with natural materials. Natural materials add soul."

Light pours into the living space through expansive windows and a mirrored skylight above. Two Josef Frank floor lamps offer soft, warming light for reading in the evening. The reclining Bruno Mathsson chair and ottoman was a gift from Werner Hed to Reisinger on her birthday. "It’s one of the best ergonomic chairs ever made," Werner Hed says of the piece, which rounds out the seating area. "I thought it could be a chair Judith would have all her life. It’s not something you swap out."   

Light pours into the living space through expansive windows and a mirrored skylight above. Two Josef Frank floor lamps offer soft, warming light for reading in the evening. The reclining Bruno Mathsson chair and ottoman was a gift from Werner Hed to Reisinger on her birthday. "It’s one of the best ergonomic chairs ever made," Werner Hed says of the piece, which rounds out the seating area. "I thought it could be a chair Judith would have all her life. It’s not something you swap out."   

The couple has crafted a profoundly personal interior by collecting slowly and with intention; they display an artfully-curated collection of books, records, and handmade ceramics from room to room, adding a personal touch to the once spare space. In the kitchen, the window sill is lined with characterful vessels (for kitchen accessories and plants), resulting in a natural, relaxed environment, they say, that is used daily. 

Reisinger and Werner Hed enjoy reading, classical music, and entertaining, among other interests—which feature heavily in the decor. "I am a collector of books; we both read a lot," Werner Hed explains. Innumerable book bindings in the living space and office feel like functional art. Useful and colorful in equal measure, they fill shelves and niches throughout the home.

The couple’s extensive reference library features a Richard Stein daybed. "It’s covered in a woolen fabric and an unattributed Swedish textile," Werner Hed explains. At the center of the space a "rhythmic table" by Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala takes center stage. A Lisa Johansson-Pape overhead lamp sheds light on the table’s distinctive, undulating finish.  

The couple’s extensive reference library features a Richard Stein daybed. "It’s covered in a woolen fabric and an unattributed Swedish textile," Werner Hed explains. At the center of the space a "rhythmic table" by Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala takes center stage. A Lisa Johansson-Pape overhead lamp sheds light on the table’s distinctive, undulating finish.  

Be one with nature

Since purchasing the home, the pair have worked to bring it back into alignment with nature through the use of organic materials and textures. Outside, "our philosophy centers on creating a natural environment around us that is alive," they say. They’ve made an effort to revitalize the exterior landscape, too, by creating pathways and sitting areas for relaxing in natural surroundings. "This region of Hudson Valley is so alive; it's astonishing with the sounds and animals we have and how they change with the seasons." 

The director prefers mid-century modern design. Having dreamed of living in Philip Johnson's glass house as a child, he found the style hard to come by abroad. "We don't have it in Europe; it's almost impossible to find," he says emphatically, so this property spoke to him instantly. "It had so many elements of what I love," he says. "It's a very serene place. It has a spirit that if you treat it right, you get a lot out of it."  

The director prefers mid-century modern design. Having dreamed of living in Philip Johnson's glass house as a child, he found the style hard to come by abroad. "We don't have it in Europe; it's almost impossible to find," he says emphatically, so this property spoke to him instantly. "It had so many elements of what I love," he says. "It's a very serene place. It has a spirit that if you treat it right, you get a lot out of it."  

"We cut back on moving the lawn areas to bring back more wildflowers, and have planted berry bushes, eight hundred perennials, seed plantings, and bulb flowers for spring to have a more colorful and natural environment," Werner Hed adds. 

No matter the season, sounds of the forest abound, including a "trickle of the stream," croaking frogs, cicadas, howling coyotes and visiting hummingbirds. "There is a constant rustle in the forest from animals passing by," he says, and they appreciate it all. 

Reisinger and Werner Hed have lived in cities for the past many years; now, it’s rewarding to be at home and surrounded by nature, they say. "We both cherish that we essentially live in a treehouse-cabin in the forest." 

 

 

 

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