Susan Orlean Lists Rustic-Chic Hudson Valley Retreat for $3.5 Million

Set on 55 rolling acres in Dutchess County, the custom-built home is the work of Bill Gates’s architect, James Cutler

Spacious modern living room with large windows, a fireplace, and contemporary artwork on wooden walls.
Susan Orlean’s Hudson Valley home is on the market for $3.5 million. Photo: Ren Nickson

Writer Susan Orlean has listed her 55-acre Hudson Valley compound, anchored by a 3,000-square-foot house custom built by Washington firm Cutler Anderson Architects, known for designing Bill Gates’s Medina, Washington home. The Orchid Thief author—who was portrayed by Meryl Streep in the 2002 film Adaptation—and her husband, John Gillespie Jr., are parting with the Dutchess County getaway after 15 years.

Featuring rustic-chic interiors with sweeping views of Stissing Mountain, the three-bedroom abode was profiled in the New York Times in 2006, shortly after it was completed. James Cutler, principal at the firm, said it took two years to survey the site and develop the “choreography” of the structure after requesting Orlean and Gillespie send him separate lists of what each wanted out of their dream home.

Modern glass and stone house with a sloped roof, surrounded by trees, featuring outdoor seating and a large chimney
Photo: Ren Nickson

The resulting residence features myriad built-in furnishings and an open great room comprised of living, dining, and kitchen areas. The mountain vistas are visible from every room, including the main bath, which boasts a “world class” double-size soaking tub. Elsewhere on the grounds are an outdoor patio with fireplace, a treehouse, a detached writer’s cabin, a separate barn, and a swimming pond.

The home is listed with Ira Goldspiel and Steve Pener of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty. While the home is not yet under contract, an offer has been accepted, per the listing, which also states the property may still be available to show and other offers may be entertained. 

See more photos below.

Wooden door open in a rustic stone-walled entryway with natural light pouring in from windows above.
Photo: Ren Nickson
Modern kitchen with wooden cabinets, stainless steel appliances, stone accent wall, and large windows letting in natural light.
Photo: Ren Nickson
Spacious modern kitchen with wooden ceiling, large dining table, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a forest.
Photo: Ren Nickson
Spacious living room with large windows, beige sectional sofa, wooden beams, and a view of trees and hills outside.
Photo: Ren Nickson
modern home office with large windows overlooking a scenic view features wooden furniture and a colorful rug
Photo: Ren Nickson
Luxurious bathroom with a stone wall, large window view of mountains, bathtub, plants, and wooden elements.
Cozy bedroom with large window view, wooden ceiling, colorful dresser, and artwork on the wall.
Cozy wooden living room with sofas, armchairs, bookshelves, and artwork on walls, large windows, and forest view outside.
Photo: Ren Nickson
Outdoor patio with a modern stone fireplace, red cushioned seating, and large glass windows reflecting surrounding trees.
Photo: Ren Nickson
Modern wooden office shed with glass doors in a wooded area during winter.
Photo: Ren Nickson
Treehouse with ladder among tall trees overlooking a lake and grassy field with distant forest and hills in the background