Welcome to Sylvan Wald House, a newly built midcentury-inspired home set at the end of a long private driveway on 17+ wooded acres in the northern Catskills. Architecture by Garrison Architects, the studio behind the celebrated Piaule resort, this secluded, energy-efficient contemporary home was created using sustainable, passive house building principles. The 3,115-square-foot residence includes a first-floor primary suite, white oak millwork throughout, and a wall of large picture windows with views that shift with each season. Stained pine siding and cedar decking complete the home’s quiet, modern presence, appearing almost to float above the landscape.

Inside, a mudroom with a wall of built-ins opens to a main level with white oak floors that’s flooded with natural light. Staging and styling by Hallie Goodman, whose work has been featured in Architectural Digest, brings a chic, minimalist sensibility to the home. The kitchen includes designer Bertazzoni appliances, custom oak cabinetry, soapstone counters and a waterfall island. A skylight and white oak ceiling detail add warmth and draws the eye upward through the sunlit space. The living and dining area center around a Norwegian-style Morso wood stove and a wall of oversized windows that frame the changing forest landscape. A cedar deck is positioned to take in sweeping Catskill views.

Every room includes sleek, custom built-ins for plenty of storage. The first-floor primary suite offers a private deck and a spa-like bathroom with Carrera marble, Hansgrohe and Duravit fixtures, and radiant heated slate-finish porcelain tile floors. Two additional bedrooms share the main level along with a second full bathroom and a laundry room. The finished lower level offers flexible space with polished cement floors, a wet bar, a third full bathroom, and two sliding glass doors opening to the sloping yard; ideal for a family rec room, studio, home gym, or guest quarters.
Outside, open meadows and wooded terrain stretch across the Catskill landscape. The home’s infrastructure includes a heat pump hot water heater, central HVAC, radiant heat in upstairs bathrooms, Lutron Caseta smart lighting, triple-pane, double low-E windows, and conduit pre-installed for potential future solar panel integration. The location balances rural privacy with a historic rivertown atmosphere and amenities. The Village of Catskill sits minutes away, home to Foreland arts campus, Subversive Brewing, Left Bank Ciders, Hemlock Tavern, and the newly restored Community Theater. Hudson’s restaurants, galleries, and cultural offerings are 15 minutes away, and skiing at Hunter and Windham Mountains is 30 minutes north, making this an ideal year-round retreat or weekend escape from the city.