Home On The Range
What do you say to clients who want you to build a sprawling mountain retreat in the bustling suburb of Brighton, New York? “OK,” if you’re Danrich Homes. That’s what the clients wanted to hear, and that’s what they liked about partners Dan Catone and Shane Olney of Danrich Homes. “They were open to our ideas,” the homeowners said.
Inspired by their love of nature, when it came time for these homeowners to build their dream home, they thought, “Maybe we can bring a little piece of the Adirondacks and the Colorado mountains to our little spot in Rochester.” From the oversized great room to the veranda overlooking the scenic backyard, Danrich Homes checked off everything on the homeowners’ wish list.
The 7,490-square-foot home, completed in 2014, sits on two wooded acres that neighbor the backside of the Country Club of Rochester. The homeowners said they feel like they have the best of both worlds: a peaceful retreat, conveniently located to shopping and work.
“We call it our modern mountain house,” the homeowners said.
Leave No Stone Unturned
From the front, the home’s wood and stone façade and staggered peaks transport you to the Colorado Rockies. Inside, the massive stone hearth, cathedral ceilings with exposed cedar beams, and hickory floors complete the effect. The homeowners were very involved in the design of their home, and it shows. Everywhere you look there is detail that is uniquely them – from the five-foot antler chandelier hanging in the foyer, to the open staircase against a three-story backdrop of ledgestone, to the artwork on the walls.
The kitchen table is truly a conversation piece. The homeowners commissioned DutchCrafters to make a kitchen table base out of a real tree trunk. The tabletop is an impressive slab of walnut, rescued from the bottom of Lake Ontario. “There’s an energy when you bring things from the outdoors in,” the homeowners said. “It just feels good.”
The Great Outdoors
The landscaping is just as impressive. The backyard was painstakingly designed with boulders, conifers, and other shrubbery all set around a stone patio and in ground pool, installed by Beauty Pools, Inc. A backdrop of mature trees completes the picture.
“When we look out the back door, it gives us that feeling like looking over a lake,” the homeowners said.
Give Credit Where Credit is Due
The beauty of this home is resounding, and largely due to all the positive energy that went into building it. The homeowners couldn’t express enough how much they enjoyed working with Danrich Homes.
“A key part of the building process was the builder’s son Pierce Catone,” the homeowners said. “He is a young guy who worked tirelessly on all aspects of our home. Even getting into our pool on a freezing day to help guide the boulders, to helping to hang pictures. Truly above-and-beyond service.”
The builder felt the same way. “The homeowners’ involvement and appreciation made it a special and unique project for upstate New York,” Olney said.
Possibly the best piece of advice the homeowners received came from the architect, James Fahy, of James Fahy Design. It was he who recommended the juxtaposition of the house to the golf course. Fahy understood that this couple didn’t want to look out their picture windows to watch people playing golf. Good advice, the homeowners said, because “we don’t golf!”
“We feel really blessed, number one, to have this (home), but then to work with the people we worked with. There’s so much good energy from every person who put their touch on this house,” the homeowners said. “We had a dream team, truly.”
Home Sweet Home
Although their three children are young adults now, there is plenty of room for them when they come home. “They do seem to come home a lot more now,” the homeowners said. They wouldn’t have it any other way. They love spending time with family and friends in their new space. “It’s a great gathering place,” they said.