Lasting Warmth
Written By Megin Potter | Photos by Randall Perry Photography
“The Saratoga” is a single-level beauty boasting a generous connection to nature in a secluded pastural landscape."
A crispness cuts through the air as deer and turkeys traverse the ridge.
Coyotes and fisher cats emerge from their forest dwellings for a drink by the stream. A blue heron stands stoically on the pond’s edge watching to see what Dean Wasniewski will catch today. Will it be a largemouth bass? A blue gill? A catfish?
“The base of the Adirondacks is a hunting and fishing paradise,” said Dean. He grew up in a family of avid outdoorsmen and is honoring that tradition in the 2,550 sq. ft. ranch style timber home he shares with his wife, Annemarie, in the town of Saratoga.
Working with Timberhaven Log and Timber Homes, in Pennsylvania, on the design, Annemarie helped inspire what has now become one of their more popular models - “the Saratoga” - which features single-story living, open floor plans, and a great room adjacent to a galley-style kitchen.
Featured in Log and Timber Home Living magazine in 2021, the house was also a 2023 Timber Home of the Year finalist.
Rustic Elegance
Paying homage to the pastural history of this 31.5-acre parcel, the Chestertown-based builder, Mike Lewis of High Peaks Log Homes, constructed the exterior of the 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath home with timbers of eastern white pine, highlighting the barn-red stained siding with jet black trim.
A radiant red poinsettia wreath accents lush topiaries by the bright red front door while vibrant evergreens strewn across the timber trusses mounted above the 20’x 24’ front porch pump up its curb appeal and offer visual clues to the symphony of wood inside.
Retired for five years, the Wasniewskis have furnished the interior of their home with elements of their life in Franklin, Massachusetts and the beaches of Cape Cod, as well as with forestry and hunting trophies.
Making an Entrance
As visitors step in from the timbered porch they are greeted by a sizable great room, kitchen, and dining area with a spacious, yet cozy, feel.
A complex network of kiln-dried beams draws the eyes upward. Demonstrating the ample versatility of wood, three colors and five different blends of stain were used on the 1-by-12 circle-sawn shiplap walls for an appealing visual effect.
Guests are awed by the contrasting colors and nail-free mortise-and-tenon joinery, and the Wasniewskis are fond of the accessibility that single-level living affords their elderly visitors.
“We like to entertain and have people come visit. When it’s one level, everyone can traverse the area and socialize together,” said Dean.
A Taste of Tradition
In the kitchen, the wood’s warm tones are balanced by cool matte black appliances and a generous 15’ leather granite island, imbuing the space with a lodge-like vibe.
Converted milk can pendant lights carry over the property’s farmhouse heritage, while the one-of-a-kind cabinetry, made of distressed cherry and curly maple hand-crafted by son-in-law Jared Phillips, owner of Saratoga Custom Cabinets, exposes the unique beauty of natural wood.
On the back of each of the six branch-legged stools, holiday decorator Angela Pachal, owner of Deck Your Halls NY, has hung individual mini wreaths, making each an equally special spot to sit as a traditional Italian meal is prepared on Christmas Eve.
“With our Italian ancestry, we celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes and while we might not do all seven, we do as many as we can,” laughs Dean.
Toasty Snuggle Sessions
Structurally sound and as tight as can be, the Wasniewski’s home keeps them pleasantly protected from whipping wintery winds and plummeting temperatures.
Snuggling up by the floor-to-ceiling “Ticonderoga” stone fireplace, sipping champagne and opening presents feels even more inviting with two live potted blue spruce trees decorated with classic Christmas metallics.
Strings of beads adorn the locally-sourced black walnut mantel in an asymmetrical arrangement balanced by a close grouping of stockings, candles, and LED-illuminated birch trees.
To achieve that quintessential Upstate rustic glamour, plaids and rich reds add to the fire’s cheery golden glow.
Soak Up the Sun in the Trophy Room
A large bank of windows in the trophy room says, sit down, settle in, and connect with nature while soaking up some scenic views.
Patterns and plush furs inject life into the space, which is dedicated to Dean’s dad, Richard “Dick” Wasniewski, a prolific Great Northern American hunter who netted big game in Alaska and British Columbia, and was recognized by the renowned Boone and Crockett Club.
Annemarie enjoys this room because, in the early morning, the sun bathes it in light.
Out back, beech logs are perched around the 16-foot circular fire pit and atop the stone patio where family and friends gather to take in the spectacular views of the surrounding pasture and wooded landscape. Yes, this home does indeed have lasting warmth.