The Buttermilk House, Ithaca, New York

Description:

A spectacular retreat located at the end of a quiet road on a secluded 6 ½ acre site and only 3 ½ miles from downtown Ithaca. Surrounded and sheltered by a dense hardwood forest, this multi-gabled dwelling evokes the sprit of a camp or lodge but with a sophisticated contemporary flair. This 3,250 square foot home has very open spaces that include interior balconies and cathedral ceilings, but with the use of very warm rich natural materials and finishes you will feel protected and snug at home in a wild forest setting.  A careful choice of materials and colors make this home architecturally significant. An abundance of large windows allow natural light to flow throughout and evokes a feeling of sitting in a tree house in the middle of a forest.  There are marvelous views from the back windows of beautiful Buttermilk Creek down the hillside below and of distant vistas across the glen. A south facing covered side porch is a delightful place to relax, sip your favorite drink, and feel the light cool breeze blowing through the forest glen.  Then after dark, sit around the stone walled fire pit in Adirondack chairs with your friends and family and tell campfire stories, toast marshmallows, or gaze at the stars. Enjoy hiking through the private 6 ½ acre nature sanctuary along Buttermilk Creek down to Treman Pond and Buttermilk Falls.  On a snowy winter evening you can sit close up to the wood burning fireplace in the Great Room and look out the large expansive windows and patio doors to watch the snow fall and the wild turkey and deer strut by.  A tower roof top library room has built-in shelves and a pleasant window seat where you can read a book or just sit and enjoy the distant views all around above the tree tops.