The Nature of Home, Heart & History
DESIGNING A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IS AN ART FORM, BUT THE ALCHEMY OF TURNING IT INTO A HOME IS ANYTHING BUT FORMULAIC
It may come from the homeowner’s intentions to care for loved ones or emerge from the relationship with the land. A sense of home can also be gradual, developing over time through life’s shared joys, sorrow, and small comforts.
Located on a dreamy 10-acre parcel of perfection that includes a rambling portion of Cazenovia Creek is Jim and Becky Biddle’s home that embodies all of the above.
“A house is essentially a scrapbook of one’s life from sights, sounds, and smells,” says Becky. “Our home is an intentional collection of places we’ve been, places that have inspired us, and experiences we’ve had.”
A Shared Storyline
The Biddles’ home itself is a patchwork of experiences, many of which are overlaid with those of Jim and Becky. The original house was constructed as a single-level ranch, which was eventually sold and converted into the Healing Waters yoga studio, inspired by the creek that flowed nearby. The new owner added two upstairs apartments, one of which Becky rented. She felt bonded to the location and regularly attended yoga classes. (Coincidentally, Becky’s mother and Jim recall visiting the house long ago.)
“You feel a presence and a life force there,” Becky explains. “People feel a calm connection to the property.” Jim and Becky met in 2019. After marrying in 2021, the couple was f iguring out their next move. Healing Waters had shuttered in 2020 due to COVID. They approached the owner about purchasing the entire structure and the 10-acre parcel and the owner agreed.
Jim and Becky met in 2019. After marrying in 2021, the couple was figuring out their next move. Healing Waters had shuttered in 2020 due to COVID. They approached the owner about purchasing the entire structure and the 10-acre parcel and the owner agreed.
Becky had a vision for every inch of the patchworked structure — how to transform two apartments and a yoga studio into one cohesive dwelling, how to honor the flourishing natural world outside its doors, and how to create a lifestyle compound capable of growing a community of family and friends.
Trish Bailey, of Bailey and Harris Architects, brought Becky’s ideas to life. The former yoga studio became an open concept kitchen, dining room, and living room, and the upstairs apartments became the primary suite and a smaller, indoor yoga studio.
Trish says, “The shape I inherited was the outside envelope. We changed all the windows and the interior. It was a busy amalgam of shapes, height, and scale, and felt disjointed.”
The enclosed staircase leading to the larger apartment was ripped out and rebuilt into a graceful, fluid curve connecting the upstairs and downstairs. Trish describes it as a “relaxed curl.” A cozy nook behind the stairway is a play space for grandkids.
Natural Connections
The entire home is designed with the intention of bringing the tranquility of the outdoors, inside. Trish points out that many houses use transition zones, and this house has none. But that’s what sets it apart.
Balancing its expansiveness with tranquility, the main floor is loaded with floor-to-ceiling windows. Hardwood floors run throughout the space, while the sitting area flooring is slate, which continues, unbroken through to the exterior patio, courtyards, and walkways.
“In winter, it’s a snow globe and in summer all the doors are open,” Becky says.
The kitchen ceiling was pushed up and is now a beamed cathedral ceiling with skylights that flood the interior with natural light. A large two-sided, see-through stone fireplace brings a sense of strength to the main space. The front entry is the principal entryway and serves up a framed view of the exterior.
Joyful Destination
The structure’s unique shape provides many interesting exterior pockets for outdoor nooks and courtyards. Becky’s vision fills them all. There is a woven wood wall and a fountain inspired by a hike across the Camino de Santiago. The property’s yurt was moved closer to the creek and is used for warm-weather yoga, a book club, sound baths, and family weddings.
The interior is also replete with special moments. The breezeway’s stone wall and minimalistic decor imparts mindful serenity. A handmade prayer wheel from a yoga retreat in Sedona, Arizona is spun every day, and the massive yellow stained-glass doors leading to the upstairs yoga room were the original doors to Healing Waters. Inside, music fills the house, while the outside soundtrack is played by the melodious creek’s many moods.
Humans aren’t the only ones drawn to the land. Wildlife galore still lays claim to the property and Becky welcomes these rightful residents into her community of family and friends. This calm and peaceful oasis is a place to feel healthy and full of gratitude.
“It feels like a residential spa,” Trish says.