This appealing property includes a main cottage and a delightful guest house. Thoughtfully designed by the architectural-engineer owner to be efficient and comfortable, the two buildings are well sited on more than seven acres of pretty woodlands and access is very easy at all seasons. A secondary road with only a few residents leads to a short and level curved driveway, convenient for easy plowing. An added bonus is that the curved driveway and a small rise to the front shields the buildings from the road. The site is quiet and peaceful with a lovely mossy knoll and front yard which includes a patio sitting area and a fireplace surrounded by shrubs and perennials .
The foyer of the main house leads to an open living, dining and kitchen, adjoined by a lovely outdoor deck with a picnic area below. A stone fireplace is the focus of the living room which has pretty woodland views. Walls and floors have the warm glow of natural wood
The dining area has large windows and lots of morning winter sun. A gas cooking stove in the kitchen is an amenity not always found in local homes. A Lopi wood stove near the kitchen provides a cozy atmosphere in winter. Down the hallway is a bathroom and, at the end, a master bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and an office or sitting nook which has high speed internet access.
Upstairs is a large open loft which can accommodate six or more overnight guests. If one wished, a single bedroom could also be enclosed in that area.
The basement can be accessed from the inside of the house but also has a door to the back yard. It is heated and has high ceilings. The current owners have used a portion of the basement as an office room/drafting space An oil fired hot water heating system with four zones, adequate insulation including 4″ of rigid foam on the roof and thermopane windows insure winter comfort. A bend in the house mass helps trap winter sun. Massive white pines absorb the wind and protect the house from the hot summer sun.
The guest house is nestled into the hill facing the sunny south. It has two rooms, a full bath, good storage and an area for a small refrigerator and hot surface for evening and morning snacks. The building is heated with propane. While intended primarily for guests, it is also an excellent space for reading and might be used as a music or art studio. A secluded south-facing lower-level covered porch could easily be screened in and used as a sleeping space.
If you love to hike or climb, this cottage may be the one for you! In addition to the Baxter Mountain trails, Hurricane, Giant and other trailheads are nearby. Downhill skiing at Whiteface Mountain is only a short drive away and Lake Placid’s Olympic venues, fine dining and quaint shops are just a 20 minute drive. Both Keene and Keene Valley offer good dining, libraries, a grocery store, hardware store and various. Elizabethtown, the Essex County seat, is just minutes away and offers a larger grocery store and other amenities. Lake Champlain and the ferries to Vermont is just a 40 minute drive. The international airports in Albany, New York, Burlington, Vermont, Plattsburgh, New York and Montreal, Canada are all within a two hour drive.