An interior architect’s own home is always revealing, especially so when his professional life involves designing some of the world’s most desirable hotels and retreats. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Grey Davis and his partner Chase Booth for more than 20 years. Spending weekends at their original upstate New York hideaway on Copake Lake was always a magical time. Their latest home is an entirely new proposition; there’s a quiet visual nod to some of America’s most iconic architecture, such as Philip Johnson’s Glass House, yet I have no doubt that this new home is an architectural masterpiece that will become as important and enduring in years to come.
Together with his business partner Will Meyer, Gray Davis has built Meyer Davis into an enormously influential force in international design. Their portfolio reads like a luxury traveller’s itinerary: Four Seasons Cabo del Sol in Mexico, Rosewood Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands, W Rome, Grand Hyatt Kuwait, Auberge’s Etéreo on the Riviera Maya and Four Seasons Athens, to name a few, alongside restaurants including Harrods Social in London, Sorelle in Charleston and Marcus at Baha Mar in the Bahamas. Their work is globally recognised for its award-winning status. Working on commissions for clients whose expectations extend to every surface, sightline and sensation, the practice’s ability to make such ambitious environments feel like a truly luxurious escape is central to its reputation.
It is this inherent sensibility that makes Gray and Chase’s latest lake home so appealing. Bringing a sophisticated understanding of hotels and hospitality into a private house means considering how a room feels when two people are reading quietly alone, while also considering how it can accommodate hosting friends for weekend stays or large gatherings. The creative considerations are more complex than they may seem.
Set in the Hudson Valley, not far from the Catskills, the house is a result of the pair’s more than three decades of living and building around Copake Lake. When the right site became available, it offered Gray and Chase the opportunity to pursue a more modern architectural expression, informed by their familiarity with the lake and a clear understanding of how they wanted to live.
Floor-to-ceiling glass and retractable doors open the rooms to the lake and trees, with deep overhangs extending the architecture towards the outdoors. Inside, two oak-clad volumes, one housing the fireplace and the other anchoring the kitchen, give the main living space its structure. Their placement establishes distinct areas without impeding movement or conversation, while an entry gallery, with bookcases housing books, art, and sculpture, separates the social and private areas of the home.
The material palette gives this openness a reassuring physical warmth. Wide-plank oak floors and stone sit alongside linen, bouclé and woven textiles, with drapery softening the glazing and custom millwork introducing subtle batten detailing.
The Hudson Valley’s reputation for exceptional vintage finds is relevant, too. Nearby Hudson’s antiques dealers are filled with opportunities. Grey and Chase have taken advantage of their proximity and used vintage furniture that has been reupholstered, placing it alongside contemporary and bespoke pieces, allowing years of collecting to contribute its own character to the new architecture.
That personal history continues through works by Nancy Lorenz, Bosco Sodi and Hugo Guinness, within a collection shaped by friendships and an enthusiasm for supporting artists. Plaster busts discovered in Hudson introduce another cast of characters, their mid-century maker having favoured ordinary faces over idealised beauty. These figures, with their age and individuality intact, add to the company in a house thoughtfully designed around the pleasure of hosting guests.
