MILLERTON RETREAT: POND

 

Creating a sense of space did not end with the completion of the loft above the renovated garage at this Millerton weekend retreat. Rather this notion extends from the interior to the exterior, connecting both realms to produce a cohesive whole experience for the home owners to enjoy.

Stepping through the French doors of the loft balcony, one gains the view and the revelation of the cottage-style garden and its Stissing Mountain backdrop beyond. As a continuum - a newly designed bluestone terrace, with its rustic stone fountain and pebble spillway, is crafted as the garden extended “living room”; where one can take in the breathtaking scenery.

Continuing out from the garden, a mix of wood chips and stones form the intended serpentine paths that wind through the fields and woodlands and link to other parts of the property,  maximizing the enjoyment of the 30 acres and the providing a reconnection to nature.

Strolling along the east side of the property, opposite from the garden, one will encounter a new footbridge of Corten steel, spanning over the existing stream that bisects the property. The footbridge, with its undulating steel tubes as its railings, blends seamlessly into the surrounding meadows of tall grass and trees.

Arriving at the other side of the bridge reveals another hidden gem, an approximately 17,000 sq. ft. pond. Although man made, it is thoughtfully designed and well integrated into the site as if it were part of the original landscape. Since its installation, it has become an inviting home to various species of wildlife - herons, frogs, other small birds and critters - a delight for the home owners.

Compositions of rocks and stones in the forms of water falls and babbling brooks are strategically placed and weaved in to preserve the natural setting of the property, along with careful selections and placements of native and water plants as part of the design, while the white oak boardwalk meanders along the periphery.