1017 Veterans Way, Phoenicia

OPEN HOUSE SAT 9/12 1-3pm.

This adorable two-bedroom Phoenicia cabin has a wild heart and a way of inspiring wonder. Warm, intimate and filled with natural light, it opens to native gardens, a labyrinth circling the firepit and mountain views rising beyond. A separate finished and heated studio adds a space of one's own, with a wall of windows facing the gardens.

Set in a true neighborhood just outside the village and around the corner from the mighty Esopus Creek, the house offers a Catskills experience connected to community and village life, with gardens, mountains and water woven into the everyday.

Inside, delicious knotty pine paneling and original hardwood floors give the house its unmistakable warmth. The open floor plan centers around the living room and woodstove, with an eat-in kitchen that keeps the cook part of the conversation. Windows in almost every direction bring in abundant natural light. Unexpected details include vintage 1940s metal kitchen cabinets and a pressed-tin ceiling in the generous primary bedroom, while a beautifully renovated bathroom and stackable washer and dryer add everyday comfort.

Originally built in 1946 as a seasonal hunting cabin from a kit - with a manufacturer's stamp still visible in the attic - the house has evolved for comfortable year-round living while retaining the simplicity and character of an old Catskills cabin.

The studio extends the possibilities, offering a place for an office, creative pursuits or simply some quiet apart from the house. With its light and views, it feels almost like a room within the garden.

Outside, the cultivated and the wild intermingle beneath a canopy of enormous mature trees. Native and pollinator-friendly plantings unfold with the seasons, attracting hummingbirds, butterflies and other visitors. Layered greenery gives the garden a surprising sense of privacy and enclosure, with places to gather and eat outside, and quieter corners for reading or drawing. The labyrinth and its central firepit create an unforgettable centerpiece.

And then there is Phoenicia itself. The village's restaurants, shops and lively small-town life are close by. Head across the nearby bridge toward Woodland Valley for a water and mountain view that regularly stops visitors in their tracks, or venture a little farther to the Romer Mountain trailhead. Come winter, Belleayre and Hunter Mountains are both about 20 minutes away.

Follow the labyrinth, watch the garden change, then come in and put another log on the fire. There is always something here worth noticing. Perhaps that's the real magic of this cabin: it makes the everyday feel extraordinary.