Low-Key Celebs Go Country with Catskill Farms

Not every celebrity needs a mega-mansion to salve their ego. Several of the hipper set have recently purchased traditional, stylish, low-key cottages in bucolic Sullivan County, New York, from designer and builder Charles Petersheim's Catskill Farms. Buyers like Albert Hammond Jr., guitarist of The Strokes, actor and comedian David Cross, Vice magazine founder Gavin McInnes, fashion designers and other artistic types get the best of both worlds - early American architectural features including wide plank floors, fireplaces, painted salvaged wood ceilings and wrap-around porches, along with whole-house audio, security systems, and modern kitchens.

While capturing the charm, beauty and character of the early 1900s in a private setting, Catskill Farms aims to eliminate all of the hassle and maintenance issues related to old houses, which is especially important for those with busy schedules who need to relax when they're finally able to get away from it all. Over the past few years, Catskill Farms has designed, built and sold over 40 new / old homes in Sullivan County, becoming the leading designer and builder of Upstate New York getaways. Another of their goals is affordability, hence their brand new mini-cottages series. Priced from $225,000 to $400,000, the picturesque dwellings (above) feature open floor plans and spacious interiors.