[THE EDITORS OF CHRONOGRAM CHOSE TO PROFILE THIS HOUSE AND HOMEOWNER. THE FEATURED HOME IS NOT FOR SALE.]
As founder of the Listings Project, artist Stephanie Diamond has a strong passion for houses—and the pristine vaulted ceiling, glass windows, and wood-everything in her Phillipstown home show it.
The daughter of a landlord and an artist with "a photographic memory for every space she's ever lived in," it was natural for her to combine her love of photography with her love of shelter and her talent for creating community. Curated and updated weekly, her emailed "list" features "every type of space situation available"—including art studios, apartment shares and swaps, lease-takeovers, exhibition and rehearsal spaces—sharing them with members all over the world. More than just dwelling spaces, the Listings Project is a place to make meaningful connections and grow community creatively. True to her talent for connecting people with places, Diamond and her growing family have found a space especially suited to themselves in the rolling landscape of the Hudson Valley. A modernist house of glass, wood, and stone with an earth-friendly design, it honors the surrounding landscape's respective history. And, while it took Diamond time to find her place, she quickly forged a deep connection to the land and her newly adopted Hudson Valley community.
Both the road to Phillipstown and the road to running a successful start-up had their twists. After that first explicit emailed request, Diamond partnered with an internet provider and established a website where friends could sign up to receive listings. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, the number of submissions grew, all of them vetted by Diamond and then shared with an expanding roster of members. When her professional situation changed, Diamond realized she had to monetize the service but was hesitant to ask for money. She didn't want to lose her community but couldn't afford to keep working pro bono. So she wrote a letter to listers explaining her decision to charge on a sliding scale. Instead of rejections she received thank you notes. The overwhelming positive response —that she should continue, and that many members had already been looking for a way to repay her—challenged her notion that being an artist meant constant financial struggle. "Artists are not nonprofits," she realized. "We can make money." With the blessings of her community, Diamond hired her first employees and began adding new features and categories to the site.
Diamond's personal life added a few categories as well. She discovered the "5 Rhythms," a movement meditation and dance practice, and trained as a teacher. At one of the dances Diamond met her partner, an educator with a background in holistic youth development, equity, and inclusion work. They had a daughter, and after living in New York City for many years, decided to try life on the West Coast, relocating to Berkeley, where they lived for two years. It was a rather circuitous route, but this cross-country move helped Diamond realize where her true home lay. She found herself missing the East Coast attitude and people as well as the brood's extended families in New York and New England. However, their connection to the natural world was equally important—returning to New York City wouldn't do.
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