Before Audrey Gelman opened the Six Bells, her tiny, country-chic housewares boutique on Court Street in Brooklyn, she bought a house in Pine Plains that seems to have served as a kind of proving ground for the design sensibility. There is wood paneling painted in saturated, early American colors, blue porcelain tile, a farmhouse table, gingham, ruffled pillows, quilts, cow and pig figurines, pitchers full of flowers — many of which are also for sale in the shop. And now the house itself is for sale, too, asking $2.995 million.
Located on nearly 68 acres at 53 Brooks Road, between the towns of Millerton and Pine Plains, the property includes a pond, a pool, two driveways, and three structures, including a garage that has been renovated into a guesthouse with a bedroom, bathroom, office, and kitchenette. The main house dates to the 19th century, and there’s a renovated red barn that’s been converted into additional space with sliding glass doors. In all, there’s six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and 4,000 square feet of space. Public records show that Gelman paid $912,500 for the property in 2018, before undertaking a full renovation, adding details like the painted paneling, a new kitchen, and new bathrooms. She worked with interior designer Ariel Okin on the project.
Besides lots of high-end finishes, the property includes a number of storybook details: a bookshelf wall with a secret door, a portal window in a children’s bedroom where kids can get a peek of what’s going on in the rest of the house, a pergola covered in grapevines. There’s also a Norwegian sauna, an outdoor shower, and some lovely landscaping. (It has also served as a backdrop for Six Bells photo shoots.) It’s unclear why Gelman is selling. Perhaps she’ll just stay at her new Six Bells hotel, which is just under an hour’s drive from the house, in Rosendale across the river.
