741 Albany Post Road

Built as a true escape, this modern barn style retreat sits on nearly six private, wooded acres in New Paltz, minutes from the trails, crags, orchards, and farm stands that make this stretch of the Hudson Valley one of the most sought after outdoor destinations in the region. The home was featured in The Wall Street Journal's Luxury Real Estate section (''A DIY Retreat With a Deadline''), and stands as a one of a kind property designed as a natural extension of the land, built from the ground up by its owner, who served as both architect and builder. The architecture is quietly modern but unmistakably local: clean lines under a custom Galvalume standing-seam roof, wrapped in grade-A cedar siding that grows more beautiful with age. Inside, the house is built entirely around togetherness, and it shows in every thoughtful detail: the great room, kitchen, dining, and living areas all live as one light-filled, cathedral-ceilinged space, with the dining and living zones defined by a custom console bookshelf. A wall of sliding doors on one side and floor-to-ceiling windows on the other, topped by huge skylights, frame views of nature and wildlife throughout. A wood-burning fireplace, its mantle hand-milled from trees cleared right on the property, anchors the living area, with a door just beside it opening onto the covered, ipe-decked porch. Four quiet bedrooms occupy a two-story wing of their own, set off from the great room by the home's L-shaped design for privacy and quiet away from the main action, and a cozy loft, reached by its own staircase and overlooking the great room below, comfortably fits a queen bed for guests. A full basement holds a finished game room, with a workshop and laundry room rounding it out. Step outside and the property does the rest of the entertaining. Sip coffee on the covered porch as the morning mist lifts off the fields, or gather around the firepit in the evening for s'mores while fireflies light up the tree line. An arbored terrace draped in dwarf wisteria, a wildflower-planted living roof over the covered entry portico, and a matching living roof atop the garden shed, which also houses a built-in treehouse and equipment storage, give the grounds a storybook quality throughout. Wander the property's own woodland trail and you'll find a hidden stone fairy house tucked into the trees, a magical detail that's become a favorite for visiting kids. With nearly six acres and room to expand, including full architectural plans, designed by the owner in keeping with the home's style, for a two-car garage with finished space above that can convey with the property. There's abundant privacy, a nearby vineyard and tasting room, and easy access to some of the best hiking, biking, swimming, and rock climbing in the region, along with apple orchards and farmers markets brimming with local produce. Efficiency meets comfort throughout. The home is fully geothermal for heating and cooling, with on-demand hot water and an LP range fed by a 500-gallon underground tank large enough to run an emergency generator for up to 10 days. Together with its wooded privacy and easy commuting distance to New York City, this is a rare offering, the kind of home its owners describe as having brought their family ''endless joy,'' and one that simply cannot be replicated in this market.