The Upstater: Retro-Mods, Spacious and Bright

Fridays at 11, Brownstoner Upstate brings you a selection of properties within three hours north, and a little bit east or west, of New York City.

The design sticklers would have a field day with us if we called these homes “Mid-Century Moderns,” because technically, they are not. Some have called them Three-Quarter-Century Moderns, but others poo-poo the term as fakery. We could just call them “Contemporary,” but that encompasses too many design aspects to adequately describe what we’re seeing. So, we decided to make up our own term for the late 1960s-to-1970s-era homes that maintain many of the characteristics of mid-mods: The wide-open spaciousness, enough huge windows to make the resident bird population weep, giant fireplaces, stone tiling, and sleek lines. We’re calling them Retro-Mods, and we adore them. Prepare to have your eyeballs delighted by a few we found around the counties of Dutchess and Putnam.

There is so much going on in this massive 4,446-square-foot Millbrook (Dutchess County) abode that we didn’t know where to start: The incredible great room, the stone bathroom, the primary colors in the bedrooms, or the deck overlooking the pond. You’re just going to have to visit the Brownstoner listing and see for yourself. Beds: 4. Baths: 4. Lots Size: 3 acres. Taxes: $11,637. Distance from Brooklyn: 1 hours, 55 mins.

531 Chestnut Ridge Road, Millbrook (Williams Sykes Realty) GMAP

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In retrospect, perhaps we shouldn’t have started with the Millbrook house. That’s going to be a tough act to follow. Regardless, we love the yellow cabinetry in the kitchen of this circa-1975 number in the Putnam County village of Carmel, not to mention the multitudinous windows, and the gorgeous scenery surrounding it. As for the wood paneling…well, they can’t all be perfect. Beds: 3. Baths: 2.5. Square Feet: 2392. Lot Size: 1 acre. Taxes: $14,907. Distance from Brooklyn: 1 hour, 29 mins.

691 Golf Ridge Road, Carmel (Houlihan Lawrence) GMAP

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Meanwhile, in another part of Carmel, this little late ’60s piece of niftyness is going on. Great vaulted ceilings with a big stone fireplace and other various stone accents, all on four very picturesque acres. Beds: 4. Baths: 2.5. Square Feet: 2920. Taxes: $11,277. Distance from Brooklyn: 1 hour, 26 mins.

430 Pudding Street, Carmel (Rand Realty) GMAP

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We lost count of the skylights after a while, and that’s one of the things we like about this 2,000-square-foot house located just outside of the main drag in Hyde Park. It appears as as if some recent renovations have been done in the kitchen area, but we still dig the little breakfast nook booth attached to the TV room with top-lit built-in shelving. Cool and unique. Beds: 3. Baths: 2. Lot Size: .56 acres. Taxes: $6711. Distance from Brooklyn: 2 hours, 4 mins.

38 East Market Street, Hyde Park (Williams Sykes Realty) GMAP

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