When Corianna and Brianna Dotson (known as Coco and Breezy), the identical twin entrepreneurs, DJs, and producers, first visited the Catskills, they quickly fell in love with the area’s natural beauty. “In the city, there was this underlying sense of anxiety, but as soon as I’d get upstate, my body felt free,” says Coco.

In early 2019, their friend Julian Darwall, who lives in Brooklyn, but had been spending time in the Catskills for many years, stumbled on a property in Shandaken — three acres of meadow and woods, with four fixer-uppers. He planned to turn them into the kinds of high-quality, affordable rentals that the area was lacking. “They were super run-down, and I couldn’t see the vision, but Julian has such a good eye for design,” says Breezy. “We trusted him.” So, with their friend David Leiberman joining as a fourth partner, they bought the property and got to work. “It’s a really fun model of collective ownership,” says Darwall. “It’s a friends-and-family kind of thing.”

Throughout the spring and summer of that year, they worked with a local contractor to transform the dated cabins into modern retreats, each with its own character, and designed to be comfortable home bases for exploring the beautiful countryside. The twins and Julian spent as much time at the properties as possible and really got their hands dirty – cleaning out all that was dilapidated and unusable in favor of the high-quality, organic materials. Through partnerships with Brooklinen and West Elm, they outfitted the spaces in cozy minimalism, and they stocked the kitchens with local amenities like Monkey Joe coffee and Upstate granola from Kingston. They named it The Lorca, after Federico García Lorca, a Spanish poet, playwright, and theater director who spent time in the area.

By the end of 2019, The Lorca Catskills was taking reservations. The cabins’ turn-of-the-century stone fireplaces and Scandi-chic plywood kitchens were soon popping up all over Instagram. Within months, the homes became in-demand respites for New Yorkers desperate to leave the city during the worst of the pandemic. “It was divine timing that we finished these when we did,” says Breezy. “People needed to escape.”

But The Lorca Catskills is so much more than an Instagrammable destination – it’s a welcoming, safe space for all people to access the healing powers of nature.

“As a black woman, I’ve felt really uncomfortable in the Catskills, and often still do, even as a homeowner,” says Breezy. “People want to foster diversity upstate, but that’s not possible unless there’s a safe environment for it. I’m excited to be part of creating that space.”

When the twins post photos of themselves hiking in the area or at the Lorca properties, their DMs fill up with other folks who may have never otherwise considered a trip upstate. “Growing up, spending time in nature wasn’t a thing for us,” Coco adds. “People of color often don’t see a place for themselves in these settings. But I see a lot of our people staying at The Lorca, and it makes me so happy.”

Still, there is a lot of work left to be done. “It can’t just be us,” says Breezy. Slowly, they’ve seen more people of color buying homes and opening businesses in the Catskills and they hope to continue to inspire and encourage more diversity upstate.

In terms of expansion, the collective has also purchased and renovated a fifth house on the property next door to the four original rentals, as well as a mid-century motel in the Adirondacks: The Lorca ADK. The latter is a true gem, nestled in the forest near a 50-mile-perimeter lake. Filled with carefully considered details (Darwall describes the vibe as “a little Wes Anderson”), The Lorca ADK is drive-in lodge with everything a guest might need to make the most out of their natural surroundings: kayaks for reaching the lake’s 10 interior islands, a grill, fire pits complete with supplies for making s’mores, lawn games, and more.

When considering what their future holds, the group is considering taking The Lorca international (“I’m manifesting a home in Costa Rica,” says Breezy). Wherever they go, their mission will remain: to make beautiful design and natural spaces accessible for all.

Find @thelorca in Sabael and Shandaken, New York. www.thelorca.com

By Tess Falotico-LaFaye

Images by Casey Kelbaugh and courtesy of The Lorca