We are Upstate With Interior Designer and Hotelier Azie Shelhorse

As the visionary and creative force behind {verdigreen}, Azie Shelhorse has transformed old buildings, salvaged treasures and vintage finds into vibrant, modern masterpieces—breathing new life and heart into everything from furniture to storied Hudson Valley inns, including Twin Gables in Woodstock. What began in 2010 as a creative outlet and Etsy shop–entrepreneurial pursuits that were more manageable while a mom of a young family– has blossomed into a design empire, complete with artful, character-rich hotels that engage and amplify whatever local communities they happen to thrive within. 

This upcycling mama has really made her mark by weaving her original, approachable style with personal life stories striving to find balance. Meanwhile, through small business ownership and life struggles, Azie imbues every aspect of her work with originality, play and passion. Whether hand-painting murals, curating eclectic, colorful spaces, creating design tutorials, or sharing tales from her journey, Azie’s personality and originality shine through. Along the way, her benevolent empire has left a trail of character-rich hotels and wildly original interiors that stretch from the Hudson Valley to the southern coast. 

INSIDE+OUT recently caught up with Azie, stepping into her colorful world to learn how she infuses her life and spaces with intention, joy, and a healthy dose of play.

INSIDE+OUT: Tell us about your journey as an artist and designer and how that evolved into your hospitality business: {verdigreen}. 

Azie Shelhorse: I grew up expressing myself through various forms of art, from choreographed dance routines to fashion sketches, writing poetry, and performing songs. This passion for creation, combined with my inclination to redecorate my childhood bedroom every few years and, later, my dorm room and apartments in young adulthood, eventually evolved into a love for interior design. I opened my {verdigreen} Etsy shop in 2010, driven by a desire to breathe new life into forgotten relics. I frequently visited estate sales in Atlanta, upcycling furnishings to sell in my online store. As my business grew, I began vending at local markets and, after moving from Atlanta to Montclair, NJ, expanded to a brick-and-mortar store. After a year of its success, we opened a satellite store in the East Village, which eventually led to interior design projects with residential customers and, later, some commercial projects, including a restaurant and hotels. 

Somewhere along the way, I was invited to be a juried designer at Housing Works’ Design on a Dime, where I spent three years relishing the world of design challenge fundraiser energy.  The fewer rules, the more fantastical my designs were, and it was something I began craving to do for myself—to let loose and enjoy what unfolded. During this time, my partner, Travis, was gaining hands-on experience in the hospitality industry, working in hotel finance and acquisitions before transitioning to operations as the Director of Finance for several NYC hotels. In 2018, we began looking for our first property with the plan that he would be the finance/operations + development/sales guy and I would be the design/guest relations + marketing/branding gal. By October of 2019, we “landed” our first {verdigreen} hotel location in Woodstock, Twin Gables, and it’s been a wild ride ever since! 

INSIDE+OUT: {verdigreen} Hotels (a boutique lodging brand) include an impressive collection of lodging destinations that were “founded by design and rooted in community.” Can you share your design process around this mission?

Azie Shelhorse: We, ourselves, are travelers who love to experience new adventures on our trips. It was important that our hotels reflect the local spirit of each destination. 

Authentic hospitality has been watered down between the larger chain hotels and the DIY Airbnb approach to overnight stays where you are responsible for doing house chores. At {verdigreen} hotels, we strive to provide a warm welcome with friendly service and attention to detail to tailor your stay to suit your needs.  I like to use the phrase “Stay inspired” as a play on words to both stay inspired and be inspired by your stay with us. The deliberate design choices from the wall color palette to artwork, from the candle scent to the curated playlist at each hotel, from our breakfast offerings to the lighting temperature and negative space are all there to inform the guest experience using all five senses. We apply this concept at all of our hotels along the East Coast, and since each destination is so different from New Hampshire down to Florida, none of our properties are homogenous, and each provides its own unique stay.

After we find a property, I got acquainted with the building, the guests, and the surrounding area, which would inspire the redesign prior to the renovation. We then hired local contractors, sourced decor items from local shops and artists, and donated all of the previous linens, kitchenware, and furnishings to local organizations in need (ie, Family of Woodstock was a benefactor of our Twin Gables renovation.) So we really feel rooted in the community from the initial stages of ownership and then even more so as we become a part of the fabric of the town over the years. 

INSIDE+OUT: As a hotel proprietor and an interior designer, what do you believe today’s leisure traveler desires? 

Azie Shelhorse: Perhaps I am a bit biased, but I think intentional design matters. Guests want to know that someone considered the fabrics, art, and finishes in the room to help tell a story, that there is an easily accessible place to charge devices, and that there are ample hooks on the walls. We all desire comfort and convenience as well as the opportunity to experience something that feels both original and special. 

“The deliberate design choices from the wall color palette to artwork, from the candle scent to the curated playlist at each hotel, from our breakfast offerings to the lighting temperature and negative space are all there to inform the guest experience using all five senses.” – Azie Shelhorse

INSIDE+OUT: Tell us about your {verdigreen} properties in the Hudson Valley and what makes them unique.

Azie Shelhorse: We have a total of four {verdigreen} branded properties in the Hudson Valley area. 

Twin Gables of Woodstock, our first hotel, is a Victorian Guest House with artistic roots that pays homage to the Byrdcliffe Colony as well as the wellness and music community in town. We recently renovated to provide each guest room with an en suite bathroom and created the rooftop terrace for seasonal Sunday morning yoga, which is included with your stay.  The rooms are quirky and colorful, with artfully selected wall coverings and design details. Twin Gables is in the heart of town, right on Tinker Street, and walkable to all the abundant grooviness Woodstock offers. 

Hotel Mountain Brook is a luxurious, rustic retreat located in the picturesque town of Tannersville. With an elevation of 1900 ft, this first-class Adirondack lodge sits just above the Kaaterskill Falls and Wild Forest, Hudson Valley’s most scenic landscape. Guests love the full breakfast we offer, as well as the gorgeous mountain views and the grounding energy on the mountaintop. The rooms were designed to feel rustic luxe and offer upscale comfort while providing an organic aesthetic of wood, stone, and moody statement lighting. Visitors love the Game Room, which is fully stocked with books, movies, board games, complimentary snacks, and a shuffleboard. The outdoor area offers a stone terrace with a fireplace, another fire pit with Adirondack chairs, a bocce ball court, and a star-gazing and yoga deck.

Silver Maple Farm is a timeless and spacious post and beam inn in Columbia County, in the sweet spot where the Hudson Valley meets the Berkshire Mountain foothills.  Designed in a fresh Euro-pastoral color palette, it transports guests to a rustic countryside retreat. The Great Room offers a wood-burning stove, an extensive curated library, and a game selection, and is where the innkeepers will greet you in the morning with a fresh, hot breakfast. We chose soothing natural hues and layered textures to lull even the most resistant guests into a state of supreme relaxation. Visitors love that they have access to the babbling creek, our wooded trail, the seasonal s’mores and fire pit in front of the rustic red barn, and our sprawling lawn flanked by Silver Maple trees for Summer picnics and intimate weddings. 

Our most recent hotel added to the {verdigreen} family is the Phoenicia Lodge, which will be getting a refresh over the course of the next year. Though we are in the beginning stages of our renovation, we are excited to announce that the Main Lodge is ready for guests! What once was the owner’s quarters was opened up as the Great Room for breakfast and lounging, as well as a new two-bedroom suite. It’s right next to the beautiful Esopus Creek and feels like a nostalgic, cozy hideaway in nature. Guests love the mid-century cabins with mini kitchens as well as the retro motel rooms, the Summertime fire pit, and the proximity to Phoenicia Diner.

INSIDE+OUT: One of your properties, Twin Gables in Woodstock, NY, recently underwent a full renovation. What was the inspiration for the update, and what can guests expect from their stay? 

Azie Shelhorse: When we purchased Twin Gables six years ago, we started a renovation project that was only partially done when the pandemic hit. Between having to shut down before our “Grand Opening” and also not realizing how much work the hotel actually needed after years of neglect, we decided there would be a “Phase Two” renovation sometime down the road. During the pandemic, shared bathrooms were a challenge, so it was eventually on our Phase Two list to provide en suite bathrooms to all guest rooms.

When we toured Twin Gables prior to ownership, I asked the innkeeper at the time if I could get on the roof, which was a flat slab of space overlooking the backyard. There was no door to the outside space (and no guard rail), but I climbed through the window to get a feel for its potential and just knew it would be a lovely spot for morning coffee, an evening glass of wine, or a place to stretch or practice yoga. With a sunny view of the mountain and the coolness of the adjacent cover of the canopy of trees, it was as immersed in nature as you could get on Tinker Street, so *that* was the inspiration for the rooftop renovation. I call it our Wellness Terrace because it feels like a direct connection to an exhale. As you walk up the white wood stairs, following the rays of light shining through the door, it can offer a meditative experience if you allow yourself to be present.

We have sustainable cork mats and blocks for guest use and seasonal Sunday yoga classes as part of a weekend stay. We are really happy to be a part of Twin Gables’ history. It was built in the late 1800s, and it will celebrate its centennial as an operating hotel in 2026—which is wild! This most recent renovation gave it the life needed to carry on for another 100 years…well beyond our lifetime.

INSIDE+OUT: What is one question you’re constantly asked or the biggest misconception about your business?

Azie Shelhorse: That owning a B&B or being an innkeeper is a “romantic notion.” Sure, there is beauty in romanticizing life, and it’s likely crucial to our survival, but working in hospitality means eternally working holidays and weekends to ensure they are perfect for others. Similarly, people think interior design is a glamorous gig, but it’s mostly dusty and physical, with unexpected challenges to problem solve, and other people explain why you can’t install something the way you pictured it.

INSIDE+OUT: What impact does your business have on your community? 

Azie Shelhorse: All of our hotels play a role in the communities they serve. Tourism, whether you love it or don’t love it as a local, directly injects money into the economy. When guests visit, they eat at local establishments, shop at local retail, and support local music venues and attractions. That also provides increased tax revenues and supports the creation of more tourism jobs (i.e., our team at each hotel is composed of local employees), which in turn revitalizes the community. Aside from those obvious economic benefits, we partner with local businesses as well.

For example, in Woodstock, we offer guests a tour of the Woodstock School of Art, we have a local psychic and massage therapist with whom we can connect interested parties, we provide guests with recommendations and occasional discounts to several restaurants, etc. In Tannersville, we partner with a local hiking guide; we offer in-room flowers from Moonlight Meadow Flower Farm, and we send guests to all the local restaurants, and help make reservations if needed.  We also sponsor Greene County and Ulster County Travel Guides and playhouses and donate to school fundraisers. We host special guests for festivals and offer our hotel as a meeting place for Chamber events and open houses.  Lastly, we are active on social media and blog on our websites, so we are constantly encouraging new visitors who may not know the areas well to come visit. We provide itineraries full of information because we like to think of each hotel as the guest’s home and the town itself as their destination. 

INSIDE+OUT: What local businesses do you rely on to be successful?  

Azie Shelhorse: To be totally honest, we rely on all of them to be successful. Without other local businesses, we would have no cute town for guests to experience and no employees to hire. We are big proponents of cross-promoting, whether it’s giving concierge-level recommendations to guests or reposting local businesses’ stories on our social media. We believe the more the merrier, even when it comes to other hotels in the area…many of which we work closely with to share resources and help with overflow. 

INSIDE+OUT: Tell us about your relationship with the Hudson Valley. When did you discover the area, and what are some of your favorite places? 

Azie Shelhorse: Travis and I have been visiting the Hudson Valley together as a romantic getaway during our newlywed years and then as an antiquing destination when we had our vintage furniture storefronts in the East Village and Montclair.  Prior to that, Travis’ father brought Travis and his brother to Woodstock when they were younger to show them where he lived during a part of his childhood so he has always had a connection to the town. Additionally, as a self-proclaimed woo-woo girl, I’ve always been attracted to the metaphysical shops, the alternative wellness offerings, and the connection to nature that I found while visiting the small towns in the Hudson Valley. Woodstock made the most sense to us as the first location for our hotels as a result of our collective experience. 

Some of my personal faves: walking along the Comeau Trail, live reggae at The Station in Woodstock, dinner at Jessie’s in Tannersville, a stroll through the Artist’s Cemetery, vegetarian meatball takeout from Sharkie’s, a Thai bubble tea from YumYum, a lazy wander through Houst Hardware, a special treat from Bones & Stones in Tannersville or  Mirabai…I could go on. 

INSIDE+OUT: What is the idea behind Innkeepers partnering with you? Is that an interior design service or more? 

Azie Shelhorse: This can be anything from Interior Design to Operational Support, similar to what we are doing with Phoenicia Lodge. We have identified a need to apply some of our industry experience to these smaller properties in order to help them grow to their full potential. 

INSIDE+OUT: What do you do for fun? What are some of your favorite ways to unwind when you are not working?

Azie Shelhorse: I love to read and challenge myself each year to read more books than the previous year. I typically break my own records by adding fluff pieces to my regularly scheduled programming of whatever has the most enticing cover.  I love spending time with our sons. They are teens and will soon be in college, so I realize their days are numbered. We try to see shows and concerts and travel as much as possible with them while their time at home lasts.  I take long walks and evening art classes with my girlfriends, I watch The White Lotus with Travis, and I scroll on TikTok in awe. 

INSIDE+OUT: Who or what inspires you personally?

Azie Shelhorse: Traveling, to no one’s surprise, is a huge source of inspiration. I especially love the education it provides and how it opens our minds to different ways of life! It’s something we revel in sharing with our children. I also attend ICFF and other inspiring design trade shows each year to meet new vendors and see what is out there to be sourced for projects. It’s my favorite show because it’s international, thus not entirely beige-washed by domestic interior beauty standards.

INSIDE+OUT: Tell us something about yourself that people would be surprised to know.

Azie Shelhorse: I was a classically trained opera singer. When we attended Travis’s Nanny’s 95th Birthday party in Long Island, I sang her an Italian Aria from La Molinara. 

INSIDE+OUT: If you could have one superpower, what would it be? 

Azie Shelhorse: I’d love to have the power to turn worldwide oppression into compassion.

Photos Courtesy of {verdigreen} and Katrina Zoe Norbom

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Follow/Connect with Twin Gables via Website | Facebook | Instagram | Inside+Out Spotlight

Follow/Connect with Hotel Mountain Brook via Website | Facebook | Instagram | Inside+Out Spotlight

Follow/Connect with Silver Maple Farm via Website | Facebook | Instagram

Follow/Connect with Phoenicia Lodge via Website | Facebook | Instagram

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