Slow Style Home

The Hudson Valley Aesthetic With Delyse Berry

February 27, 2023 Zandra Zuraw, Delyse Berry Season 26
Slow Style Home
The Hudson Valley Aesthetic With Delyse Berry
Show Notes Transcript

My guest today is Delyse Berry, co-owner, with her husband, of Upstate Down, a real estate company, interior design and lifestyle company located in the beautiful Hudson Valley north of New York City. The region stretches all along the Hudson River, so depending on how far north you go, you're anywhere from about a hour to two and half hours away from Manhattan. In this episode, we talk about a particular essence, a sense of place, that creates and sustains a recognizable aesthetic. It's a beautiful part of the world, and you'll probably want to make plans to visit by the time we wrap up this conversation. And maybe, once you're there, you'll end up giving Delyse a call, and ask her to find you your dream home! Here's Delyse.

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Hello, this is the Style Matters podcast brought to you by Little Yellow Couch. I'm Zandra, your host, creator of the Slow Style approach to uncovering and implementing your signature style, one that represents who you are and actively helps you become who you want to be. This show isn't about hacking the latest trends or coming up with design rules you aren't allowed to break. Instead, my aim is to talk with the most thoughtful designers about their process of creating beauty, how they make their choices and what makes a room really work, and about the substantive reasons about why developing one style or aesthetic really matters. If you're ready to make your home a meaningful place to be, you are in the right place. I'm so glad you're here. My guest today is Delyse Berry, co-owner with her husband of Upstate Down. It's a real estate interior design and lifestyle company located in the beautiful Hudson Valley, north of New York City. The region stretches all along the Hudson River, so depending on how far north you go, you're anywhere from about an hour to two and a half hours away from Manhattan. In this episode, we talk about a particular essence, a sense of place that creates and sustains a recognizable aesthetic. It's a beautiful part of the world, and you'll probably want to make plans to visit by the time we wrap up this conversation. And maybe once you're there, you'll end up giving Delyse a call and asking her to find you your dream home. Here's Delyse. Delyse Berry, welcome to the Style Matters podcast. Thank you. It's great to be here. Great. All right. Well, we are going to talk about a very particular part of the United States today. We're going to kind of zoom in and see what's going on in the world of I, you know, I refer to it as the Hudson River Valley. Some people call it the Catskills. Those maybe are two different things, but kind of there's a lot of awesome design stuff going on right there, and it's a great place to visit. It's a great place to go antiquing. So I'm excited to really kind of do this little deep dive into that part of the world. Let's start with what it is you do. You and your husband, you have a company called Upstate Down. So what does the name mean? But then tell us a little bit about what it is you guys do. Yeah. So we, my husband and I have worked together for four years now. Before that, I was in real estate sales and doing more design just personally on the side. And then when he left his career as a financial advisor for us to work together full time, we sort of started playing with needing to name what then was just sort of like our little sales team under someone else's umbrella, but always with this fantasy of someday we're going to launch a company. It's going to be multifaceted. We knew we didn't want to be pigeonholed in any particular arena because we really always knew we wanted to go in the direction of real estate meets interiors and lifestyle. Through that creative process, we really saw ourselves as this blend of Upstate New York, Hudson Valley meets the city and downstate sort of coming north. And so Upstate Down was the collaboration of those two areas. Sort of left a little open-ended and left for the imagination. So it started then. And then once we launched as a company, we kept it clean with Upstate Down as we sort of branch into our multiple arenas. Yeah. And you do have multiple arenas. I'm guessing it's because you guys have multiple interests. That's probably why you didn't want to be pigeonholed, right? You have multiple passions. Yeah. I mean, look, passions are a huge part of it. The other piece of it is these industries have changed so much over the years. And we were always asking ourselves, how do we produce more value? I think it's something that we need to ask ourselves a lot between technology advancing and also just what is our position to really help bring people more of what they're ultimately seeking, right? How do we get them to their goals? And so we dissected each of these industries on their own. There was a lot that's already been done before. And we thought that if we can create some synergy between them and sort of meet people wherever they are on their home journey and helping execute their home goals, then that felt really authentic to us in how we operate around our own homes and what we were already sort of doing for clients. And we thought that the general public could really benefit from that process as well. So of course, love real estate, love everything about that part of it, love the creative side of interiors, but bringing them all together has been the greatest joy of all. And you mentioned lifestyle as well. And I think that that is key to the area that you're in. Like I said when I was first introducing you, that it's a very particular part of the country with a really interesting mix of people. So I want to talk a little bit about who your clients are, who is coming to you for your services. Living on the East Coast myself, and I know a lot of designers in New England and New York and the Hudson River Valley is very popular. Creative people, entrepreneurial types, people who work in design and food and fashion, right? There's a great food scene there as well. What do you think is driving the interest in people relocating there? Is there a particular ethos that permeates the culture? That's the kind of the lifestyle thing I think you're talking about. Is it a craving for living in the country rather than the city? What's going on? Yeah. So from like a location standpoint, the Hudson Valley is a really wonderful blend with a lot of authenticity. In my opinion, from the architecture, the history, and it's close enough to New York City that you really get sort of this access. You have the train that goes there, there's bus lines. So being within this bubble with close proximity to the city makes it obviously very desirable for people. But then on top of that, you have really beautiful landscape. You have food. We have the Culinary Institute in the Hudson Valley. So great food, lots of arts, lots of entrepreneurs. So there's a really wonderful melting pot that's sort of come together of history and of today that have, I think, collided in sort of the best of ways. So I think it's gotten a lot of attention. Also just in our brokerage side, we see a lot of people coming from California and other parts of the world that I don't know that they want to be quite in New York City, but they want that. So when they then look at a radius around New York City, I think they start to say, well, it's so beautiful and it has these specific qualities that aren't necessarily in a lot of other places in that process. I think that that enhances it from a location standpoint. Absolutely. And I think that that's true, interesting that people who are coming from further away and are looking at that, they probably see, oh my gosh, the city is so close. And yet I know, I mean, this is 25 years ago when I used to live in New York City, but I mean, even going to Brooklyn from Manhattan felt like you're going to the boondocks, right? I mean, and so it's interesting to me that the Manhattanites are even going upstate as, it's not even that far upstate, right? It's Hudson River Valley. But it's interesting to me that there's so many of them that want to leave the city. And because that I'm sure feels like a haul at first, like, oh my God, you're in the country, you're so far away. Yeah, I think it's a quality of life thing, right? We also, we have a lot of people who, they want to spend summers in the Hamptons or that's one space where they get relief from the city. And I think the Hudson Valley brings a similar relief for a lot of people. So we have, you know, you were asking a little bit about our client base on all sense of the word, right? So just to summarize a little more about what we do, we're Full Silver's Real Estate Brokerage, we're an interior design studio, and then we have retail. So we have a store and our new location, which we're super excited about, which is our office space, but an amazing outdoor space. We also have monthly events for the community, food truck and fire pits and fresh flowers. And so it's always this integration about the lifestyle of the Hudson Valley, along with services to help you, you know, get to your own goals and where those things collide. Right. But that's what I love about what you do. It's so, it's so all encompassing of that, that, well, ethos, I think I used the word earlier of that area. Well, I appreciate that. It's great. It's happened really organically, honestly. And I think our clients really appreciate it because generally speaking, each township is the stats are a little different, but the general population up here doubles on the weekend. So very dense weekend population. And I think a lot of people don't know where to start, right? We don't have a lot of inventory, like, you know, denser populated areas. So most of the time people are going to obtain a house that needs modification or restoration given the age of the home. And they don't really know where to start, nor are they here to sort of figure out the best way to execute it. Right. And which town to even look in. I mean, if they don't even know the area, because there's all these little adorable towns that are kind of close together, but still, I mean, they're all different. Exactly. For sure. So most of our clients come out of the city, whether they're full time or part time. A lot of people are making the transition to be up here full time, which is great. And most of the homes need some, you know, modifying, whether it's just around the floor plan or the aesthetic or the finish or a full overhaul. So you know, so we're there for the process. Right. And you mentioned aesthetic, I think a couple of times. What are, how would you describe sort of the key ingredients of that aesthetic that's found in the area? Is there a particular Hudson Valley style that your clients seem to want? What are some of the, if I go into one of those homes, what am I likely going to see that is indicative of the area? Well, from an architecture standpoint, you know, obviously there was, you know, it dates back, we have houses dating back some early 1700s. Lot of homes, particularly through the 1800s. And then, you know, I think that's the densest part of the architecture when you're talking about vintage here. So we have a lot of people who really do gravitate towards that traditional vintage home of the Hudson Valley, that farmhouse or the old barn. You know, people are really, you know, putting on their farming gloves that they've never even knew they have because of their draw to the land and the view and wanting to connect to sustainability and nature. So you know, I think you have a lot of vintage focus. You have a lot of people that are much more targeted around the land and that's their actual the number one focus. And then you definitely have sort of the modern pull, right? And we certainly have some mid-century architecture, depending on the area of the Hudson Valley you're in. Some have more than others. We're seeing more new products that is related to more modern of today. And then there's also actually quite a bit of sort of there was a lot of development that happened in the 70s and those homes are not as sought after and yet really make a fabulous transformation because it's a box that we can really just transform and it can go in a variety of directions. You know, I really love to work with my clients on a process around this blend of, you know, what's most important to them? How do they want to live in a space? Sometimes we can't be as specific around, you know, if they're if they're already obtained the house, we're going to modify it based on the architectural integrity of the home and the way they live. If they're on the journey to find the home and then have us renovate it, we're going to figure out what's the most important part for them, right? Is it the location? Is it the architecture? Is it the landscape? And then everything else has to have fluidity because there's just not enough inventory to satisfy everything. So usually, you know, sometimes people are dead set on vintage and so everything else around location and some of those things have to be malleable. Right. You know, it's opposite. But we heavily try to look for like checking the most important boxes of the client's needs the way they live and then meeting that with the architectural integrity of the home. Right. And I do get the sense that people aren't coming there and tearing down old homes and creating McMansions. They are generally speaking, the whole reason they're moving there is because there is sort of an aesthetic that they that they are drawn to that I would describe as, you know, a lot of wood because you're in the woods, a lot of natural materials, peaked roofs. And then and then you said the modern and I think that the houses that I've seen and there are several designers now that live in that area. And so I've seen their houses and the houses I've seen that I think are the most interesting are the ones that get that balance of respecting the history of the the culture that's there as well as the architecture. But then bringing in some modern pieces and finding new ways to reference the old while still living in an aesthetic. Maybe it's more minimalist or lighter, maybe. Then then what you may have seen twenty five, thirty years ago. And I'm sure that is exciting to you as well. So what are some of the different ways you're playing around with that style to because nobody wants their house to look like everybody else's. So how are you kind of helping differentiate? Yeah, no, it's a great question. You know, I I totally think that incorporating honest elements that are related to the Hudson Valley, even if you're going in a modern direction, makes a really big impact and an authenticity that is really valuable. You know, for example, we're doing a house for a client that it is a very old house and there's an addition going on. We also just did a very similar project for ourselves where we have this paradigm between old and new. So you take a modern addition, but it's still very connected both material wise and color wise. The difference is you have this play on much bigger glass and higher ceiling. You know, maybe there's a there's an opposite transition on the on the siding and things that really bring in the old and the new. But it feels connected as one house, right? Because sometimes that's that's gets lost. You never want to feel like you walk into a space and it's two houses put together. They have right one, but you can still honor two errors, errors in doing that. So that's one thing that I really love to do is to play on the old and the new. Yeah. Before we continue with the conversation, I want to introduce you to my slow style approach to creating a home you love. Slow style is a step by step framework that puts you at the front and center of your home rather than products, trends and other people's ideas of what beauty looks like. To get started, I've created a new worksheet called Dream Home Action Plan, and it's all about adjusting your mindset about what you really want from your home and what you want to experience inside it. Because I believe everyone deserves to live inside beauty right now, not someday when you can afford all the bells and whistles that you see on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. I'm dating myself. Does anyone remember that show? Anyway, this worksheet is the first step to reframing what you want to get out of life and how your home can help you achieve that. It's free and it's available on our website, littleyellowcouch.com. Just click on the yellow button right at the top called Free Guide, and then I'll jump in your inbox and we can start a conversation about your dream home. Again, that's littleyellowcouch.com. Okay, let's get back to the episode. Another thing that's a great way to bring in the history of the area is to utilize reclaimed materials. There's a lot of companies that even take vintage beams out of barns and things that have maybe fallen apart over time, and you can utilize them even in a very modern structure. It's a really wonderful way of connecting the times. Absolutely. I'd love to do that. Yeah, I could tell. It lights you up. I want to talk a little bit more about your shop. What do you sell there? You mentioned there's going to be an outdoor community space. Where is it? What do you sell? And also, what other things can people do there? If you were a tour guide, what would you tell people, oh, this is a must-see? Just in the area? Yeah. Yeah. So from our shop standpoint, when we first opened our shop, it's in downtown Rhinebeck. The front half was a little boutique. It's home decor, so tabletop, really beautiful glassware and linens and platters and that sort of stuff, through to throw pillows and blankets, some bedding, and decor. So coffee table books and objects. We try to feature local artists. We try to utilize sustainability when we can. So whether it's coming right from the Hudson Valley or not, really a lot of small vendors is important to us. But then the second half of the space was designed to kind of be our workspace, where you sort of get this understanding of what we do in interiors and in real estate. So usually people walk in and they pretty quickly see the holistic approach, we call it. Yeah. Oh, I get it. And the home decor is designed to really be our voice of what we like. And it also lets people achieve sort of picking and choosing a few things that they love so that they can feel good when they walk in their space, even if they're not prepared to do a whole renovation. Right, right. Moving forward, we're actually going to the store will become all a store. We'll still have representation of our services, but we're not going to use it as a workspace anymore. And then the new space, so we'll have two, the new space, I call it a living showroom. Okay. Meaning that everything designed in the space, you almost walk in and feel like it's an upstate down home. Okay. So it's really comfortable. It definitely has sort of a very strong perspective on design and all of the couches that you sit on and enjoy all the materials, everything are through vendors and people that we work with. So whether someone's coming in to just have a meeting or they're there as a design client or a real estate client, they're kind of getting that immersive experience. Yeah. So we're excited about it. Definitely. It's an outdoor space because it was a bar and- Oh, okay. So we will utilize the outdoor space as we get into spring for hosting community events. Fun, fun. And okay. And so, you know, top things to do there. Well, the outdoors of the Hudson Valley, I keep going back to that, but also what I didn't touch on is outdoor sports, right? Okay. So, you know, enjoying not just sports, but enjoying farm to table, different farms that you can pick your own. There's a lot of tasting rooms and cideries. So even in the winter, my husband has our kids on the ski mountain constantly because you have access. You really have access to a variety of outdoor space. So if I was to encourage people on what to do, I would certainly always suggest going to some of the farms. There's a few of them that are just amazing that really have a lifestyle part of enjoying the farm as well as having a nice meal. So that's a win. I also, I think the towns are so magical. Each little town has a true authentic special experience. So I really encourage people to spend the day, go to two or three different towns, enjoy them and shop around and see what they're like, because it's really amazing. There's adorable boutiques and there's antiques and little cafes and name the towns that you, where you kind of specialize. So me personally, I am very heavily on this side of the river mostly, but our company as a whole is pretty broad between Dutchess County and Columbia County. And are those each on different sides of the river? Sorry, I'm not, I'm not good with geography. Yeah, no, that's okay. So we have two people that work for us that are on the other side of the river. They do a lot in sort of Woodstock area and Kingston and that sort of space. And then we have some people that are more Columbia County, which is like Hudson and Germantown, those areas. And then our office is Rhinebeck. So we obviously do a ton of work around Rhinebeck, but we have design clients all over. I mean, we're doing one down in Putnam County right now. It's really about the project and the right, the right combination of attributes that get us really excited to work on. So we're, we're, we're pretty much in an hour radius of Rhinebeck, I would say. Okay. All right, great. I'm going to put some names out there because in the show notes page, you can actually read the names. So if anybody wants to kind of get out a map and say, okay, where is this magical area that Delise is talking about? I just want to give some actual town names so people can kind of find it all. Delise, you make me want to go there for sure. You make me want to go back and spend much more time there than I already have. And I understand that there might be a way for me to do that soon because you're also working on an Airbnb. Yeah. So when, when I first started in my career, I actually was an Airbnb, I started managing Airbnbs. Oh my gosh. Okay. We moved out of Brooklyn upstate. We just had our second baby. I was so eager to start my own business and get back to work and Airbnb just started. So I started approaching, my mom was an interior designer actually, and I started approaching her clients being like, I can help you rent out a house, your house. It was the weekend houses. Oh, one or two to say yes. So I quickly started reaching out to estate owners and slowly developed a pretty strong Airbnb business. So over the years, even when working, you know, launching my interiors and still doing sales, I always had my, my, you know, my hand in Airbnb and we've segued out of that as a company, but Airbnb is such a wonderful way of connecting the general public to the community and also to what we do. So we actually just today are furnishing our investment property that we just wrapped up. We're going to have that be an Airbnb. We think it's a really special and unique property. It does date back to 1770. Wow. The house was totally de-leptidated. We didn't even know if we could really bring it back to life, but we took the risk. It was flooded. It was a disaster and we stripped it completely down, finding every bit of authentic materials that were there and put it back together. And so today's, today's wrap up day. Oh my gosh. You must be so excited. Will we be able to share pictures of it on the show notes page of this episode? Yes, we photographed it on Friday. Oh, perfect. Okay. So how many bedrooms, how many people does it sleep? It's a three bedroom. They're small, probably sleep it as four or five. Every inch of what we put back was designed to have the human hands because that's what a house of that error would have, right? Everything, no perfect lines. Everything has a very authentic touch and feel. You do have an addition on it that feels much more contemporary, light and bright and big windows. And then you go in the old part of the home with all the historic beams and windows with wavy glass and you really get this connection to the Hudson Valley and the old and the new. So five people. It's 12 minutes to Rhinebeck, 10 minutes to the Taconic. So easy access. Yeah. Very private, pretty setting with a little stream and an old one. So it's cute. Oh my gosh. It sounds, it sounds amazing. Love it. Well, this has been really fun for me and I'm already dreaming about what I'm going to do this spring. It's going to be somewhere where you are. Delyse, why does style matter? You know, I feel like we live our life looking for experiences that evoke different emotions, whether it's through relationships or the food we eat or our memories and style and design. It's not meant in my opinion to be about following some set of rules, but about creating a space that is personal to those that live there and that creates an experience when you walk into the room and those emotions and that impact, whether it's for the owner or those that get to visit that to me is, is the essence of what design's about. It's about creating that emotional experience and what you take away from that space. So it is one of the greatest joys that I've gotten to do for others and for myself, even just designing something for my children. It's about walking the process and creating a space that leaves an emotional impression. I couldn't agree more. Thank you so much for really helping us dig into this part of the United States and getting us excited about it. It's been a real pleasure talking with you. Likewise. Thank you. Thanks so much for spending time with me today. If you've gotten something out of this episode, please be so kind as to leave a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you're listening from. It really does help this show stay on the air. And also don't forget to grab our free guide, the Dream Home Action Plan at littleyellowcouch.com. And also that's where you can find the show notes pages for all of these episodes with photos and links to things that we've been talking about. Have a great week. Bye for now.