Piaule Catskill should be on every modernist traveler's radar. This boutique hotel and retreat, nestled deep in the Catskill Mountains, recently partnered with Design Within Reach (DWR) to refresh its interiors with authentic modern and midcentury-inspired pieces. The collaboration spans the Oak House, Double Cabins, and Main House, creating a nostalgic escape just a few hours from New York City.
The Double Cabin (Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
The Double Cabin (Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
DWR's collection embodies modernism's guiding principles: truth to materials, functionality, and the pure expression of each component's inherent beauty. Across the spaces, design icons from brands including Herman Miller, Fritz Hansen, Louis Poulsen, Vaarnii, Carl Hansen & Søn, Cassina, Muuto, Risom, and DWR Studio sit alongside emerging modern classics and Piaule's original furnishings.
The Double Cabin (Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
The Double Cabin (Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
Materiality at the Heart of the Experience
Materiality lies at the heart of the experience. Expanses of glass softly diffuse daylight, while polished stainless steel catches it with a sharper, industrial gleam. DWR balances these harder surfaces with enveloping textures—cashmere, wool, and supple leather upholstery—while solid hardwood, predominantly oak, mirrors the surrounding forest, reinforcing modernism's essential dialogue between interior and exterior.
Inside the Oak House—a three-bedroom private residence set on its own 20-acre parcel—boundaries between architecture and landscape dissolve. Floor-to-ceiling glazing frames willow branches, oak canopies, and passing wildlife, allowing the landscape to take visual precedence over the restrained material palette within. Lighting by Vaarnii, crafted from translucent pine, casts a warm glow; outdoor furnishings are from the same Finnish brand. Guests can listen to vinyl on a Wrensilva record console, sleep on Tiami mattresses dressed in organic cotton Piaule linens, and gather around the wood-burning fireplace.
The Main House (Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
The Oak House (Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
The Calm, Contemplative DWR Treatment
The Double Cabins have likewise received the calm, contemplative DWR treatment. Durable, natural materials elevate the interiors without distracting from the ever-present forest views. In the Main House, new additions include sofas from the 'Drift Collection' by John Pawson for Herman Miller, crafted in solid white oak with rich leather upholstery. Oak 'Tabouret' stools by Cassina—originally designed by Charlotte Perriand and inspired by Alpine milking stools—sit comfortably alongside the hotel's existing antique pieces.
The Oak House (Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
The Oak House (Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
The partnership between Piaule Catskill and Design Within Reach is an exploration of 20th-century design ideals in practice. For travelers who appreciate thoughtful design, authentic materials, and immersive natural settings, Piaule offers the experience of modernism lived—and breathed—in the woods.
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