Design Spotlight: Cozy-Chic Retreats in Upstate New York
In the Catskills, a pair of restaurateurs share their top design tips for creating Airbnbs that are all about the little luxuries (hello farm-fresh butter).
By Jessica Dodell-Feder
Photographs by Nicole Franzen
When you own the one full-service restaurant in your tiny town, you get plenty of practice taking care of guests. “Our lives are pretty much dedicated to entertaining people,” says Sara Mae Zandi, who, along with her husband, Sohail, is a proprietor of the acclaimed Brushland Eating House in Bovina, New York. And their customer-centric skill set extends beyond meals: With four Airbnbs in the area, including a farmhouse across from the restaurant and a cabin on Bramley Mountain, they’re service-driven home hosts, too. They deliberate over details, from pillows (medium-weight down, which is cushy yet supportive) to drinking glasses (charmingly mismatched, like they’ve been collected over time), and they’re sticklers for order and cleanliness — not just the mop-and-vacuum kind. “We’re anti-knickknack,” Sara says of styling their spaces sparingly, in calming color schemes. “We like to let the houses speak for themselves.” Naturally, this entails keeping some quirks intact — like layers of peeling wallpaper in a bedroom — and finessing other features to show spaces in their best light (painting an entire interior snowy white, from the floors up).
But it’s not all about decor for these two; they’re also big on little luxuries, lining bookshelves with vintage wildlife guides to immerse visitors in the local landscape, stocking pantries with essentials (including farm-fresh butter, eggs, and milk), and offering an in-house minibar to eliminate the pressure of finding a place to get a drink at night. “People who come here want this to be their fantasy country house for a little while,” says Sara. “That’s the experience we create.”
“Our goal is ultimate comfort. The claw-foot tub is big — people really love a good bath. And I will never cheapen out on a towel.”
— Sara Mae Zandi, Superhost
The Heart of the Home: The Kitchen
What are a pro’s key kitchen elements? A deep farmhouse sink, vintage dishware, and beautifully weathered cabinets.
Embrace the Elements
The Zandis were told that the original owners painted the gable as a nod to their two children; Sara was so charmed by it, she named the cabin “Owl’s Nest.” A Persian rug gives the neutral living area a hit of color. The desk is topped with a few accents but zero clutter. Says Sara, “We like rooms to feel cozy, but also like no one’s been here before you.”
Keep Things Light
The hosts went through gallons of Benjamin Moore’s White Dove in this Airbnb, so they named it the White House. The floors got multiple coats of tough-wearing deck paint.
Master the Layered Look
The superhosts admit they wouldn’t have picked the bedroom’s peeling wallpaper on purpose, but they kept it for the character it adds. Crisp white linens offset the timeworn style.
“I love the idea of filling an Airbnb with the smell of a rustic meal. It makes an unfamiliar space feel like home.”
— Sohail Zandi, Superhost
Drinking it All In
With only a few watering holes in the area, a minibar felt like a must. The couple stocks it with spirits, mixers, and wine from Dixie’s, the wine shop they own in nearby Delhi — and guests leave money in a cash box, a.k.a. the honor system. “We set you up with everything you need,” says Sara. “The message is ‘Come, stay, and unwind.’”
Their Classic Recipe: The Country Chicken
Nothing indulges your senses more than some good home cooking. Try this hearty entrée from the Zandis — with just a few common ingredients and basic equipment required, it’s a cinch to make in an Airbnb.
Ingredients
(serves 2 to 4)
3–4-pound chicken (Snowdance Farm in Livingston Manor is our go-to for delicious, responsibly raised chickens.)
¼ cup + 1 tbsp. fine sea salt, divided
1 tbsp. finely ground black pepper
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4¼-pound mixed root vegetables, peeled (Use local root vegetables if possible. Farm stands are around the corner. We love the combo of 3 celery roots, 6 medium carrots, and 6 medium turnips.)
3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and rinsed well, diced ½-inch thick (6 cups)
2 medium heads of garlic (1 cup whole cloves), peeled
1 medium yellow onion, sliced ½-inch thick
Instructions
1. Remove all wrapping from chicken and place it on a plate. Rub with ¼ cup salt and the pepper. Place seasoned bird in refrigerator, uncovered, for at least an hour; the salt will aid in removing extra moisture in the skin, which will help make final product crispy.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F.
3. Rough-cut a third of the celery roots, and half of the carrots and turnips, into 2-inch pieces, setting remaining veggies aside. (We like adding them to leftover chicken to make a soup later.) To a large bowl, add celery root, carrots, turnips, onion, a third of the leeks, half the garlic, the olive oil, and remaining salt. Toss to combine, and transfer to a large roasting pan.
4. Place chicken on vegetables, breast side up, and cook in oven for 15 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 350°F and cook for 20 minutes per pound. (Internal temperature should register 165°F.)
6. At the end of roasting and when the skin turns a deep golden brown, remove chicken from the oven.
7. Baste chicken with its own juices and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving.
About the author: Jessica Dodell-Feder is a writer and an editor at Food Network Magazine. She’s a native New Yorker who now lives in Brooklyn. Follow her on Twitter.
