Inside a Hudson Valley Farmhouse Where the Addition Was Designed to Disappear

"When Kiri Sulke began dating her now husband, Phillip, in New York in 2014, she was immediately drawn to the real estate developer and artist. "I trusted him straight away," recalls the Australian-born lawyer turned writer and yoga instructor. "He is incredibly honest and unafraid to show his emotions and be vulnerable." She also quickly sensed that Phillip does nothing halfheartedly-a scrupulousness he confirmed not long after, when he mentioned searching for a weekend escape from his Tribeca apartment."

"By 2015, Phillip and Kiri were squarely committed to a long-term relationship, when he learned that the Germantown, New York, farm belonging to AD100 hall of fame honoree Sheila Bridges was up for sale. Simply arriving at the circa-1890 home confirmed that the quest was over. "I started crying the first time I went down the driveway," Kiri recalls of the pastoral 14 acres overlooking the Hudson River. "It was more beautiful and special than I ever could have imagined.""

"In their first years in Germantown, the Sulkes improved their property's landscape and satellite structures while keeping the clapboard farmhouse largely as Bridges left it. Enthralling as the building was, time revealed its need for more substantial stewardship. "A few harsh winters showed us that the infrastructure was strained and, in terms of family planning, we knew we needed a bit more space," Phillip explains."

Kiri Sulke met Phillip in New York in 2014; she was drawn to his honesty and emotional openness. Phillip searched extensively for a weekend escape, canvassing about 60 properties before finding a circa-1890 farm in Germantown on 14 pastoral acres overlooking the Hudson River. Phillip proposed under a mature oak on the property. The couple improved the landscape and satellite structures while leaving the clapboard farmhouse largely as found. Harsh winters revealed strained infrastructure and the need for additional space for family planning. Workstead prioritized continuity over contrast in the renovation, preserving historic character while addressing infrastructure and layout needs.

Read at Architectural Digest