The first house Brittany and Jordan Weller saved was in Houston. Instead, their search brought them something unexpected: an abandoned 1930s cabin in the Schoharie Valley, now called Hemp House—and their own design studio, Earth to People.
Photography courtesy of Earth to People.
The couple perched temporarily in Albany County while they searched for the right place to land—”something that spoke to us; a place to set down roots and create a reflective getaway that invites you to relax, unwind, and recharge within the canopy of nature,” Jordan writes.
“Nestled within the mountain range in between five state forests and perched gently beside Catskill Creek, there was an immense sense of the untouched, the rawness of nature waiting to be both explored and reflected.”
The house had been abandoned for several years and had dilapidated wood siding and a sagging wood porch.
We opted for pine as it grew on the East Coast, whereas cedar is typically from the West Coast or brought in from Asia, making pine the more sustainable/mindful choice for us based on our geographic location.” The technique, Jordan says, provides fire and weather resistance and protects the home from decay and insects.
The process was slow, almost meditative—the opposite of some of the modern manufacturing techniques where wood is charred using automated machines and propane.” The couple’s two sons then helped with the last step: applying a natural tung oil finish.
Inside, the house was in rough shape.
One major change is invisible but gives the house its name: the addition of zero-carbon plant-based hemp insulation.
Inside the house, the couple hewed to a material palette “meant to mirror the surrounding landscape,” the couple writes on their site, including “local Eastern pine, an Eastern white cedar shingle roof, and field stone sourced from the property itself.”
The fieldstone fieldstone fireplace and wood cladding are highlighted, not hidden.
The wood-clad living area.
In an effort to avoid fossil fuels at all costs, the duo opted for energy efficient electric appliances: a Smeg fridge, Forté dishwasher, and Forno range.
Carpenters based out of Wading River, Long Island, built the custom cabinetry.
The farmhouse sink was existing in the house and restored on site. The couple sourced them from Hudson Reed.
Even the plumbing was fitted mindfully.
The couple sourced the cast-iron bath tub from the Historic Albany Foundation, a non-profit architectural salvage warehouse.
The verdict, post-renovation?
And the move to start their own studio with what they’d learned?