Shortly after the Young British Artists boom of the 1990s, the London-based couple Gary Hume and Georgie Hopton decided to expand their operations with a second home in upstate New York, working between the two cities. They found an idyllic 19th-century farmstead in the hamlet of Accord in the Hudson Valley and put down new roots.
Now, some 20 years later, the abstract painter (who represented Britain at the 1999 Venice Biennale) and multimedia artist, respectively, are permanently returning to the U.K. and they’ve put their beloved retreat up for sale, asking $4.25 million.
The living room of Gary Hume and Georgie Hopton’s upstate New York home, with Nicola Tyson’s (2011) on the wall. Photo: Gabriel Zimmer/Catskill Image. Courtesy of Compass.
Hume and Hopton discovered Accord after visiting the home of a friend, British painter Nicola Tyson, in a neighboring village. So they sniffed around until they found a gem of their own, which they have lovingly restored and then some, leaving “their unique stamp on nearly every inch” of its 41.5 acres, according to the listing with Compass real estate.
The couple has, in those 20 years, built the property up into what they call a “creative compound.” The secluded getaway boasts a 2,300-square-foot main house with three bedrooms, three fireplaces, and country-style touches everywhere, from hand-painted wallpaper and freestanding tubs to exposed wood beams and a “rocking chair porch” in back. The kitchen is outfitted with Miele appliances and copper and marble countertops.
Hume’s studio, with its saw-toothed roof and weathered Cor-Ten steel siding. Photo: Gabriel Zimmer/Catskill Image. Courtesy of Compass.
Interior view of Hume’s studio. Photo: Gabriel Zimmer/Catskill Image.
As charming as the main house is, the star attraction has to be the studios, each its own structure. The saw-toothed roof of Hume’s studio at the top of a hill can be glimpsed from nearly every spot on the property. In fact, the 4,500-square-foot space with 25-foot vaulted ceilings, plus an exterior of weathered Cor-Ten steel, can’t be missed.
Hopton’s studio, too, features large skylights that bathe the space in natural light, while the one dubbed the Little Studio is the coziest of the bunch, with its rustic sitting room and loft-like bedroom.
Interior view of the Little Studio. Photo: Gabriel Zimmer / Catskill Image. Courtesy of Compass.
The land around the former farm, built in the 1860s, could hardly be more bucolic, with sprawling meadows, orchards, woodlands, and a cedar hot tub in the middle of a garden. There’s even a shaded pond with lily pads and a dock to complete the storybook setting.
Note to potential buyers: none of the artworks are included with the sale of the house. But here’s the good news: the outdoor sculptures, and some furnishings, are available for purchase.
A pond with a dock on the property. Photo: Gabriel Zimmer/Catskill Image. Courtesy of Compass.
