Tired of the hectic city grind, and yearning to be closer to nature, urbanites Danielle, a dermatology physician assistant, and Ely, who works in software development, purchased a 1,522-square-foot house in the mountainous Tannersville village in Greene County, about a two hour’s drive north of New York City.

They had made their purchase on impulse, and didn’t even realize how close the house was to North-South Lake and Kaaterskill Falls, two of the biggest hiking attractions in the Catskills.

The Frankos spent two years renovating the house, and now rent out the Hunter Greenhouse through Airbnb, so others can enjoy their efforts, and this beautiful part of the world.

They kept things clean and simple with natural tones and organic materials in the form of wood, textiles, and plants, and ensured that the interior design highlighted the best features of the house—the large windows and 16-foot high ceilings.

“We live and work in New York City, so the only time we had were the weekends,” says Ely. “We'd drive two hours north on Friday night and come back as late as we could manage on Sunday. We worked on the house every weekend for two years.”

“It’s hard to talk about this project without having simultaneous feelings of relief," says Danielle. "We worked on the house tirelessly for over two years. That sounds like a tremendous amount of time to work on anything, but while we were in it, not having any firm grasp of when it would be completed, it felt like an eternity.”

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Find out more about this creative couple @thehuntergreenhouse, or visit thehuntergreenhouse.com to book yourself a stay.

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Budget Breakdown: Weekend DIYers Renovate a Dated Catskills Retreat For $201K