In Bed With: Amalia Graziani

The Hudson Valley is rife with beloved towns that have become go-to destinations for New Yorkers looking for an escape from the city. But we're now convinced no trip to Ulster County is complete without a stop at Callisto Farm, a tranquil 88-acre property dreamed up by Amalia Graziani that is nestled in the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains. A San Francisco native, Graziani studied real estate development and architecture at Columbia University and received her MBA from NYU Stern before founding Noor Property Group. But it wasn't until a trip to High Falls during COVID-19 that Amalia decided to make this special place in the Hudson Valley the site of one of her most rewarding projects yet. Originally built in the 1800s, the renovation for Callisto was a journey of patience and balance. Since its completion, Callisto has run as a chemical-free regenerative farm and has hosted countless events and culinary workshops. We spent a morning with Amalia at Callisto to hear how this project taught her how to give way to long arcs and how the farm's environment influenced her design philosophy.

Callisto feels distinct from your other development and interior design projects in its intention and purpose. Where did the idea for Callisto and the Farmhouse property begin?

I’d been developing properties in the Hamptons and NYC where perfection and precision was the singular goal, and where a very limited audience could experience my work. I felt both a professional and personal pull to create something land-based, nature-focused and where I could build community and have my work be accessible for broader groups.

What role does architecture, design, and nature play at Callisto?

Nature sets the tone. With the design I wanted to create visual contrast that still worked within a natural palette. In the homes we have elevated materials and pieces that feel more polished and urban, which is a little playful alongside the wild and untamed land and very rustic farm and barns.

How has working so closely with the land influenced your perspective on design?

The land teaches patience and humility. It reminds you that control is an illusion. Designing alongside farming has made me more attuned to cycles, restraint, and timing. I’m less interested in perfection now and more interested in durability — emotional, material, and ecological.

How do you approach balance — between city life and country quiet, work and rest?

I no longer believe balance is static. It’s seasonal. There are periods of intensity and periods of restoration, and I try not to collapse one into the other. The city sharpens me; the country softens me. Both are necessary, but learning when to step fully into each has been key.

What have you learned about patience or slowness through building Callisto?

I’m impatient and fast-moving by nature. This project has been so contrary to that. Callisto taught me to trust long arcs, to allow ideas to mature, and to resist the pressure to produce before something is ready.

How has your idea of beauty evolved as you’ve moved through different creative mediums?

In my work, beauty used to be closely tied with precision. Now it also includes honesty and imperfection. Callisto feels lived-in, weathered, and real.

What do you hope people take away from their time at Callisto — beyond the stay itself?

I hope it prompts enthusiasm about seasonality, local food, and land.

What rituals or routines help you feel grounded at home?

I cherish my solo time, particularly at the farm. I love long baths with herb salts, movement outside and meditation.

What does a perfect morning at Callisto look like?

Coffee from Black Dot cafe in town, a long walk on the property, stopping to hug the goats before diving into work.

What sensory details define the farm?

The smell of our outdoor cooking dome, burning wood, food on the plancha. The sound of our goats, the sweet acidic smell in our tomato greenhouse, where we grow 20 varieties each season.