The latest from architectural documentarians Chibi Moku takes us deep into New York’s Catskill Mountains to the Emerson Resort & Spa, a beautifully-renovated vacation destination on the wandering Asopus River.
The Emerson approached New Haven-based interior design firm CAMA to re-imagine and unify the interior experience and design across their 66,500 sq. ft campus in an effort to rebrand as a restorative destination for wellbeing where guests can replenish mind, body, and soul.
The inspirations for the renovation were Ralph Waldo Emerson’s romantic ideology of nature and the beauty of the surrounding landscape. CAMA combined these inspirations with biophilic principles, which strive to design interiors that reconnect people back to the natural environment in which they originally evolved.
This approach led CAMA to utilize materials, textures, patterns, lighting and a curated art collection that referenced nature while also striking the right balance between casual comfort and sophistication. The nature inspired details can be prominent, such as the large windows, used throughout to brighten previously darker areas with natural sunlight; or inconspicuous details, such as the beautiful LED lighting in the attached Woodnotes Restaurant that mimic the dappled lighting created by sunlight peeping through tree leaves; or the river stone flooring in the spa that reflects the Esopus River, which flows directly behind the resort.
Artwork was commissioned primarily from local artists with varying techniques and mediums. Many pieces were influenced by the Catskill natural landscape to create a sense of place and establish a culture and appreciation to the setting of The Emerson.
Below, take a virtual tour of the Emerson and be transported to nature with Chibi Moku’s stunningly filmed documentary.
