Design Diary: Home and Office, From Tavern to Oasis

June — a personal favorite — has arrived. Bright and sunny, she holds court with song birds and fragrant breezes, happily accompanied by concerts en plein air and farm fresh greens. We’re now deep into the region’s seasonal cultural bounty, relishing precious down time, along with cold brew and complex cocktails, savoring a picnic at Art Omi, or maybe just in the back yard. Whether residing part time or full in the verdant Hudson Valley, we all feel the allure of summer.

On a warm June day we find ourselves once again in charismatic Hudson, a boom town steeped in storied architecture and revered for its artistic and culinary scene. Walking a quaint back alley alive with wildflowers, we spy an unobtrusive two-story brick warehouse flanked by a gated courtyard to the west.

The quiet exterior of this mid-19th century building, nestled behind New York State’s oldest surviving theater, historic Hudson Hall, provides no visible clues to its checkered past, stylish current resident or modernist interior. The main entrance remains covered in aging plywood and ivy, a clever (and successful) idea designed to render the tenant within invisible. Directed around the side, we’re greeted by a lush, formal garden. We then enter the contemporary private residence of Peggy Anderson that also serves as headquarters for Peggy Anderson Associates, LLC, specialists in design, historic renovation and construction management.

Anderson purchased the 1,600-square-foot property in 2005 when she sold her loft in Soho and headed upstate. To the untrained eye, the building was a dilapidated, boarded-up warehouse with no windows, no light and no kitchen, but she saw an historic building with infinite potential. She promptly set up shop and office, and began the “slow evolution from industrial to residential.” The first major task involved installing custom handmade windows by Contractors Millwork of Sharon Springs, New York. Eventually she added a spacious kitchen and, with thoughtful landscaping, a small cottage out back became what is now the striking guest quarters.

The building was originally constructed as a tavern in the heart of Hudson. The early American taproom served beer to a steady stream of male-only clientele coming and going from the bustling Hudson Hall next door, and it even boasted a back-door brothel for those in the know. Rumor has it that the Opera House had a bell connected to the pub for thirsty theatergoers to ring for more beer.

Over the years since she purchased the old saloon and converted it into the elegant home and office it now is, Anderson has continued to add to her growing roster of celebrity clients. In 2014 she managed another extensive renovation of a 19th-century “former-blacksmith-shop-turned-eatery” for Zak Pelaccio’s renowned Fish & Game.

That job required the addition of two new fireplaces, an outdoor patio and considerable structural restoration, but the PAA-LLC team of tradespeople have years of experience in architectural preservation, code compliance and green building strategies and can handle even the most challenging projects. Preferring to select new clients rather than the typical scenario where the reverse would be the norm, PAA-LLC is usually an unpublished website and is currently accessible only through the link in this article.

Developed over time, with bold touches of Farrow & Ball paint, minimalist glass panels and her imposing paintings, Anderson has created a space where 21st-century design complements a 19th-century narrative. History has become an urban oasis, hiding in plain sight.