How Upstate NY Resort Design Finds the Balance Between Charm and Tranquility
HYPEBEAST took a trip to the Catskills to learn how new resorts Little Cat Lodge and INNESS are enhancing natural getaway design.
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Design and leisure go hand in hand in upstate New York. For decades, the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions have attracted NYC residents who crave a serene touch of nature and an escape from the Big Apple’s hustle and bustle. But over the past few years, there’s also been a growing desire amongst global travelers to set their feet down in the area’s charming bliss. From the quaint yet unequivocally cool to symbols of modern luxury, the caliber of hotel stays in the area is just as diverse as the land itself, making for completely one-of-a-kind adventures. In the last two years, a duo of new spaces — Little Cat Lodge (LCL) and INNESS — have come into the mix, changing the game of upstate NY design and getaway experiences.
Nestled in a hillside, the picturesque Little Cat Lodge rests at the foot of Catamount Mountain in Hillsdale, NY. Initially hidden to passersby on the main road, the space’s bold brown hue comes into view after descending a short curvy street. But what remains particularly interesting about Little Cat Lodge is how it preserves the area’s history and culture while also fostering a completely new experience: it’s only been open since this past August. Before the new lodge came to be, it was the Swiss Hutte Inn & Restaurant, which stood from 1962 to 2021. A community staple, the inn’s Germanic style attracted people of all backgrounds – also serving as a stagecoach station before its inn transformation in the 20th century.
Little Cat Lodge
In 2021, the inn was purchased by NYC restauranteurs and business partners Matt Kliegman and Noah Bernamoff, whose combined portfolio includes The Smile, Grand Army, Black Seed Bagel and Pebble Bar. In their new endeavor as Swiss Hutte Inn patrons turned owners, however, the duo still wanted to keep the inn’s mountain allure. To do so, they enlisted the help of Loren Daye and her design studio, LOVEISENOUGH, to bring the space into new territory while still honoring its history.
Daye notes that charm and humility were important to the LOVEISENOUGH crew as they were revamping the historic property. “We wanted LCL to feel welcoming and that it belonged to this town,” she says “A huge purpose of this project was for it to be like a third living room for people in the community.”
Sustainable design remained at the forefront while LOVEISENOUGH was crafting Little Cat Lodge. Daye, her team and the LCL owners were very intentional about prioritizing the complete experience, which meant keeping the space’s original essence while still transforming it into something new. The shell of the lodge remained largely the same, but one of the most obvious external changes is the space’s new bold hickory hue, which is inspired by rural Japanese inns that Daye has visited. To enhance select external elements and some interior ones as well, the design team looked across the road to cull red oak and maple wood from Catamount Mountain, which was utilized for a variety of interior furniture like chairs, beds and tables. Other wood choices include reclaimed hemlock wood in the bedrooms and re-utilizing the same wall lining from the previous inn.
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Little Cat Lodge
Where design choices become more expansive is with the lodge’s cozy, yet tastefully colorful interior. To create a culturally cosmopolitan space, Daye and LOVEISENOUGH embedded cuts of alpine and further Japanese influence throughout the lodge, from the mixing of woods to original Isamu Noguchi light fixtures. Bedspreads are clad in dandelion-colored gingham while adjacent couch furnishings come to life in checkered indigo and white upholstery. Instead of art pieces or decorations, LCL’s design focuses on compositional objects and witty design finishes like woodland creature-inspired drawings and a pebbled bar facade. This continued intentionality is also seen in window valances and subtle wall pieces that feature original designs from Brooklyn-based children’s book author and illustrator Esmé Shapiro. Finding the balance between mixed media, international inspiration and vibrant wall hues in rich shades of hot orange to forest green is no simple feat. Still, LCL’s magic is that it finds the sweet spot between warmth and character. “There are some bells and whistles for an international audience, but there’s also a lot of elements that feel relatable and easy so it retains its original Catskills charm,” says Daye. “There are some bells and whistles for an international audience, but there’s also a lot of elements that feel relatable and easy so it retains its original Catskills charm.” – Loren Daye
Where Little Cat Lodge supplies hidden-in-plain-sight beauty and subtle cultural nods, INNESS takes form in muted contemporary elevation. Opened during the summer of 2021, the expansive Accord, NY property invokes a calming intimacy even though it rests on 225 acres. Created by Taavo Somer, the Brooklyn-based design agency Post Company, development team Michael Barry, CBSK Ironstate and Lee Pollock, the endeavor was approached as a chance to collaborate with the area’s natural beauty. With Somer’s background as an NYC restaurant owner and more alongside Post Company’s experience with Scribner’s Catskill Lodge, Casa Bonay and The Lake House on Canandaigua, the entities’ design approach for INNESS builds on international artistry. With INNESS, there is not one central building. Instead, the property crafts its natural communion via a campus-style design. At the top of the hill overlooking the mountains and the entire property are the restaurant, lounge, farm shop and pool. A short journey down the road leads to the 28 cabins and a 12-room farmhouse.
The site’s natural makeup is enough to fawn over in itself, but INNESS strikes a chord with building a reprieve from city living while upholding the charm of American frontier design. Modernity and refinement serve as overt hallmarks of the property’s design personality, but it fuses past and present by taking inspiration from Colonial Dutch architecture. From the cabins to the farmhouse, rustic architectural details include cedar shakes, clapboard siding and divided lite windows. Where more contemporary sensibilities come to play is the space’s fusion of natural and neutral. The interiors and exteriors of the entire space are bathed in muted hues of tan, buff, ivory, soft almond and grayish brown. Although the use of muted shades is rather on trend, INNESS’ intention with soft shades is to promote tranquility while remaining timeless.
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
INNESS
Beyond color, its temperament is enhanced by vintage and custom furniture, a range of artwork and country decor – striking the balance between newness and familiarity. Even the most functional details like custom Roll & Hill designed room furniture and lighting are meant to touch upon the Hudson Valley area – paying homage to rustic Dutch influences. Whether it be the crackling of fireplaces in common areas, calm chatter in the farmhouse kitchen or the hard clank of billiard balls in one of the front rooms, INNESS fosters a refreshing sense of camaraderie. It achieves this feat due to a heightened focus on creating harmony with nature, wellness and sensible design.
Although Little Cat Lodge and INNESS are just two of many relaxing stays in the Catskills, their existence conveys a commitment to meeting travelers with individualistic charm. Stylistically, the two resort hotels are vastly different. But what their differences reveal is a commitment to channeling both the history and beauty of the surrounding areas – whether it be looking at the influence of Colonial Dutch architecture, collaborating with local illustrators or simply making sure restaurant cuisine carries on the lineage of the previous owners. There’s beauty in blending past and present and these two places have found harmony in doing so.
