3 Lushly Illustrated Books With an Upstate Connection for Old House and Design Lovers

If someone on your gift list is dreaming of a house outside the city, obsessed with fixer-uppers, or just wants to experience some old house love vicariously, three new books featuring homes in the Hudson Valley and beyond might provide some inspiration.

Cheap Old Houses: An Unconventional Guide to Loving and Restoring a Forgotten Home
By Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein
Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, October 2023

Filled with tales of intrepid homeowners who saw the potential in old homes in need of more than a bit of love, this photo-filled volume showcases houses ranging from tiny cabins to glorious mansions. While the featured habitats are spread across the country, there are a few in New York State, including in Montgomery, Delaware, and Washington counties. While Cheap Old Houses has a significant Instagram presence and now has a show on HGTV, Brooklynites might remember Elizabeth Finkelstein from the Wooden House Project, which documented wood-frame houses in the borough. The final dwelling in the book is the Finkelsteins’ own wooden house project, restoring a 1790s house in Upstate New York.

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Country Life: Homes of the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley
By William Abranowicz and Zander Abranowicz
Published by Vendome Press, August 2023

The evocative photos by William Abranowicz detail 20 houses nestled in the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson Valley. An intriguing mix of historic and contemporary, the featured dwellings range from Frederick and Isabel Church’s richly ornamental Olana to a contemporary concrete dwelling inspired by Brutalist architecture. Primarily focused on the interiors spaces people have crafted, the images provide inspiring views of richly layered historic details, colorful wall coverings, and rooms designed to highlight stunning views of the natural surroundings.

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Living Upriver: Artful Homes, Idyllic Lives
By Barbara de Vries
Published by Rizzoli New York, September 2023

Author Barbara de Vries peeks inside the homes of 12 creatives who have fashioned very personal dwellings and have sought to forge connections to their rural communities. Photographs offer a glimpse of the artful interiors while the accompanying text supplies the backstory for each owner’s move away from urban life. Featured are homes in areas such as Sullivan County, Ulster County, Pennsylvania, and the Delaware Valley. Included are inventive solutions for reclaiming spaces, giving new life to used furniture, and other tips for creating an evocative space.

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