Get Inspired with These Interior Designs at Hudson, New York

During the President’s Day long weekend, I went on a trip to Hudson, New York. It’s a quaint town in upstate New York, and they have so many lovely mansions and antique stores, you can’t help but dreaming what your future home might one day look like.

So, today, let me guide you through some beautiful interior designs, for your inspiration….

First Stop: Frederic Church’s Olana

Olana is the previous home of the famous American artist, Frederic Church. Born in 1826 to a wealthy family in Connecticut, he studied to become the central figure of American landscape painting at a young age of 20. In 1870, he began constructing Olana, a mansion located on the hilltop of his Hudson farmland in upstate New York, overlooking the Hudson River. He would later raise his four children with his wife Isabel here in this estate, which he established as his primary home.

Their guest waiting room. Imagine drinking tea here, while appreciating the magnificent views of the Hudson River.

One interesting character of this house is that it’s Arab-inspired. Frederic Church was an avid traveler, and he spent months traveling across the world with his family during his lifetime. He and his wife got especially taken away by the beautiful Islamic designs in one of their Middle Eastern trips, which made them decide to build their house in the same style. An Arab mansion in the middle of upstate New York, how unique is that?

Islamic designs in the corridors, which accentuate Frederic’s landscape paintings as well.

Their indoor greenhouse. The family would open it in the summer to create a little garden, and close it in the winter for warmth. Photo from Olana.org.

Part of the living room. Photo from Olana.org.

To better entertain guests (and themselves), the Church household incorporated a mini stage underneath a staircase that connects to the living room. This way, they can host small performances at home, such as plays and poem readings. Such a cool idea, would you like a stage in your living room?

Frederic’s studio and show room. Photo from Olana.org.

Another look of his main studio. Note the oriental vases from Asia, and a Mexican painting he bought on a trip to South America. Photo from Lehman Maupin.

Their dining room is also a gallery of Frederic’s art collections, easily capturing attention from guests as they dine.

What a quirky home, don’t you agree? I particularly enjoyed the mix of cultures you can see in their collections from all these traveling. Though Olana is a mansion with a lot of history, it is definitely not sleepy. You can tell the Church family lived a rich and happy life in this estate.

Second Stop: Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn (where George Washington had slept)

During our trip, me and my travel companion stayed at the Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn, around 30 minutes away from Hudson. This historic inn has operated since 1766, and it is said that George Washington had previously slept here!

It is a very cozy place, and we enjoyed our stay. Here are a few peeks into the inn -

And that concludes our trip. We were amazed by all these beautiful designs we saw over the weekend, and they inspired us to imagine what our dream homes would look like. My travel companion said he would love a historic, classic home library with fabulous woodwork. It would be the perfect environment for him to read and write. For me, I need to have a gigantic kitchen with a marble island. Sunshine would stream through the kitchen windows, lighting up the flowers I have on display, and I will be working on my weekend cooking projects in a delicious aroma.

I’m curious, what does your dream home look like?

If you are in the New York area and want some interior design inspirations, I highly recommend spending a few days at Hudson!

*Header photo of a Hudson antique store by Architectural Digest.