A House in the Country

Nestled amid the lush, gently rolling hills of cattle and horse farms in Millbrook, New York, is a handsome Greek Revival house that looks like it’s always been there. In fact, it is brand new—the collaborative effort of architect Peter Pennoyer and his wife, interior designer Katie Ridder. This irresistible book, exquisitely illustrated with photographs, finely rendered plans, and hand-painted illustrations, tells the home’s story. The design followed Pennoyer’s conviction that historical examples are a springboard for the imagination and offer compelling solutions for new architecture. So, though many characteristics of the house are classical, and, more specifically, Greek Revival, it is also thoroughly contemporary and environmentally friendly, with an exuberantly colorful interior. Of equal weight to the house's interior and exterior design is the fabulous landscape. A passionate, self-taught gardener, Ridder brought her design talent to the creation of the home's garden, inspired by an English cottage garden, with a lush, dense mix of more than 200 perennials, annuals, rare plants, shrubs, and bulbs. The book features a gatefold pullout of the garden plan, complete with a comprehensive key to flowers and plantings.

Peter Pennoyer’s eponymous firm is widely published and recognized for imaginative and elegant designs that draw from history and tradition. The firm is on the AD100 and Pennoyer is the winner of the Veranda Art of Design Award and the Frederic E. Church Award. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and has written and lectured about architecture and style. Peter Pennoyer Architects has projects from Hong Kong to Newport, Rhode Island, and commissions for leading artists and tastemakers across the country.

Katie Ridder has been included in the Top 100 lists of designers for House Beautiful, Elle Décor, and New York magazine. Her firm produces fabrics, wallpaper, and rugs of her design.

Architectural historian and author Anne Walker has collaborated with Peter Pennoyer on four monographs on the history of 20th-century American architecture.
Interiors photographer Eric Piasecki contributes to Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and many other publications.