Perched at the edge of a pristine private swimming creek and cascading waterfall, this celebrated c1820’s manor home in Eldred, NY “floats” above the surface of the water, inspiring the property’s iconic name: Floating Farmhouse.
Featured in Dwell, Architectural Digest and Travel + Leisure following a four-year design/rebuild process by acclaimed designer and owner Tom Givone, the property has been meticulously restored to period splendor while melding uniquely modern architecture and finishes. The result is a luxuriously spacious yet warmly intimate feel throughout the 3,400 square foot, five-bedroom three-bath residence. Travel + Leisure calls Floating Farmhouse “the most beautiful” destination in the Catskills and Dwell Magazine “a living laboratory for how to bring the vernacular past into the present.”
The property also operates as an established luxury vacation rental, film/photo shoot location, and executive retreat venue, offering the unique flexibility of enjoying a stunning private home while netting substantial six-figure income.
Five bedroom, two and a half bathroom home | 3,452 square feet on 8.69 acres | Covered porch cantilevered over the shoreline | 1,000 square foot great room with oversize wood-burning fireplace | Modern chef’s kitchen with 20 ft ceilings with polished heated concrete floors, hand-hewn beams, wood-burning pizza oven, and locally quarried bluestone countertops | Primary suite with oversized wood burning fireplace, centuries-old hand hewn beams, and spa-like ensuite | Original centuries-old wide-plank flooring | Coffered ceilings | Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking creek and waterfall | 1800s restored barn with overhead heating | Asking $2,350,000
Listed by Chelsea McGowan and Katy Porte with the Upstate Curious Team at Compass. For showings or inquiries, email chelsea@upstatecurious.com and/or katy@upstatecurious.com, or contact 518-755-3435 and/or 347-564-5371.
The sprawling covered porch, connected to the kitchen space and cantilevered over the water’s edge, is ideal for sunrise lounging, outdoor dining, and cooling off in the warmer months with a dip from the diving stones a few steps away. Kitchen/dining space with views over the water.
Travel + Leisure calls Floating Farmhouse “the most beautiful” destination in the Catskills and Dwell Magazine “a living laboratory for how to bring the vernacular past into the present.” With that in mind, the expansive kitchen features 20 ft ceilings, ancient hand-hewn beams, polished heated concrete floors, a wood burning pizza oven, and locally quarried bluestone countertops. A soaring “curtain wall” of glass and steel frames breathtaking views of the winding shoreline, further enhancing the sensation of “floating” throughout.
The 1000-square-foot great room features multiple living areas for socializing or cozy nook-and-book nesting in front of the oversized wood-burning fireplace, original centuries-old wide-plank flooring, coffered ceilings, and wainscotting milled from trees on the property, and banks of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the creek and waterfall.
Distinctly separated from the rest of the home by a central staircase, the expansive primary suite’s vaulted space soars with natural light through spans of original wavy-glass windows, and an oversized wood burning fireplace, centuries-old hand-hewn beams, spa-like ensuite, and the waterfall’s pulsing rhythms make it a true escape.
Two additional bedrooms plus a half bath downstairs and two more bedrooms plus a full bathroom upstairs provide ample accommodation for larger groups, with the full bath featuring a centuries-old hand-chiseled Roman marble sink and unique stainless steel-wrapped antique copper soaking tub.
Like the main home, the 19th-century barn (c.1800s) is a perfect marriage of original character and avant-garde design. Translucent anodized aluminum panels and large-scale automated hangar door seamlessly blur the barn’s cathedral-like interior and idyllic country landscape surrounding it. Overhead “stadium” heaters extend the functionality and seasonal usage of this special auxiliary space. Paths forward for expansion and development have already begun, including septic system and utilities, so that an additional guest house plus pool could readily be realized.
The 8.69-acre offering is a combination of 3.45 acres that the house sits on plus a 5.24 acre adjacent, but not adjoining, parcel next door. This secondary property has two large open meadows, evergreen forest, a gravel driveway and tons of potential for additional structures or just as a forever green buffer space.
Floating Farmhouse is located in the hamlet of Eldred, situated just minutes from the Delaware River and its hiking, swimming, and other recreational options. Charming river towns like Narrowsburg, Callicoon, Cochecton, and Barryville offer an abundance of fun shops and sophisticated eateries. Boutique hotels like The Eldred Preserve, Kenoza Hall, and Blue Fox offer additional dining options, as well as pool and spa services. There are close co-working spaces at Sullivan Public and Churchill Classics (both of which are a short drive to the Homestead School). Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center, site of the original Woodstock Festival at Yasgur’s Farm, is 15 miles away and has an impressive lineup of shows and events. Plus, Floating Farmhouse is just under a 2-hour drive to/from NYC!
