A Stay With a Story: Inside the Poconos Homes of Milena and Isaac Cohen

‍What started with a run-down yellow A-frame became a Tiffany-inspired retreat. A few miles away, another A-frame was being carefully restored into a cabin rooted in the surrounding forest. Behind both are Milena and Isaac Cohen, a design engineer and canine officer who have turned their shared love of building into a growing collection of distinctive stays.

When Milena and Isaac Cohen bought their A-frame in the Poconos, it was yellow, dated, and in need of a complete renovation.

Isaac had an idea: paint it Tiffany blue.

That one decision became the starting point for Pocono Dreams, and what the Cohens call the “Tiffany Dreams” experience. The color carried through the house, influencing the interiors and eventually the entire personality of the property.

They wanted it to feel a little like stepping into a Tiffany boutique in New York, but in the middle of the Poconos.

The house was gutted and rebuilt, with the Cohens handling much of the work themselves. Milena, a design engineer, brings her technical and design background to the renovations. Isaac, a canine officer, is equally hands-on, helping with construction, guest experience, and the countless projects that come with creating a house from the ground up.

“We create, design, and develop every single aspect of everything that goes into the house,” they say.

That approach is what makes Pocono Dreams interesting. The theme isn't simply decoration. It became a framework for the entire stay.

Pocono Dreams, or the Tiffany Dreams Experience

The Cohens bought the property in March and launched it at the end of July, moving quickly from a tired A-frame to something with a very specific identity.

They began calling it Tiffany Dreams, a name that allowed them to evoke the idea without using the Tiffany & Co. name itself.

The blue exterior is only the beginning.

Inside, the color and concept continue throughout the rooms. Outside, the same attention to detail carries into a backyard designed for entertaining and celebration, with an outdoor movie theater, sunken fire pit, barrel sauna, and hot tub integrated directly into the deck.

Milena built the barrel sauna herself. Isaac climbed a 40-foot ladder to install the exterior lights.

It's the kind of hands-on work that comes up repeatedly when talking to the Cohens. They aren't simply choosing furniture or approving plans. They're building, sanding, installing, painting, and figuring things out along the way.

They also designed celebration packages for guests, taking some inspiration from the personalized extras found at hotels.

One guest wanted to create a Breakfast at Tiffany's-themed birthday for her daughter. The Cohens held the dates while she arranged payment, then prepared the house for the celebration.

The family loved it and has already expressed interest in returning.

For a house built around an idea, those moments are part of the design too.

A Different Kind of Poconos Retreat

Pocono Dreams is also designed around its location.

The house sits in the western Poconos, roughly five minutes from Kalahari Waterpark and about nine minutes from the casino. Ski mountains are approximately 10 to 15 minutes away, with restaurants, bars, and other conveniences nearby.

But the property itself is tucked into a quiet community, giving guests a place to retreat after a day out.

It's a different interpretation of the Poconos from the one the Cohens created at their other property, Lover's Edge.

Lover's Edge: A Cabin Reclaimed

Milena found Lover's Edge in 2021, during the pandemic.

She had always been drawn to A-frames, and this one had the bones of something special. It also needed a lot of work.

The Cohens took on a full gut renovation with substantial structural work, removing the original deck and replacing it with a large U-shaped deck roughly 20 feet above the ground.

Large glass doors now open directly from the lower-level primary bedroom onto the deck, bringing the surrounding forest into the experience.

The property sits directly alongside the Delaware State Forest, and unlike Pocono Dreams, the design here is less about creating a theme and more about uncovering what was already there.

Original wood had been hidden beneath drywall and plaster. Tongue-and-groove walls had been painted white. The Cohens sanded and restored the wood, repaired the original floors, and retained elements such as the wood-burning stoves while adding modern heating and cooling.

The primary suite has its own sauna, along with a renovated bathroom featuring large slate tiles, a custom walk-in shower, and soaking tub.

Outside, the deck creates several distinct places to spend time, from the hot tub to the fire pit, lounge area, and grill.

The forest is never far away.

The Cohens estimate there are roughly 40 waterfalls within a 20- to 30-minute drive, with Resica Falls just minutes from the property's entrance. Hiking, mountain biking, rafting, canoeing, and kayaking are all nearby, while ski areas are around 10 to 15 minutes away.

Lover's Edge is quieter in spirit than Pocono Dreams. The house doesn't ask to be the center of attention. It lets the architecture, original materials, and surrounding landscape do much of the work.

Two A-Frames, Two Very Different Ideas

The contrast between the two homes says something about how the Cohens approach design.

At Pocono Dreams, an idea came first. The Tiffany-inspired blue became the foundation for an immersive experience.

At Lover's Edge, the existing architecture and setting became the starting point. The renovation was about exposing original character and creating a stronger relationship with the forest.

Neither follows a formula.

That may be the most interesting thing about the Cohens' growing portfolio. They aren't trying to make every property look like the last one.

Milena says she loves real estate and design, and that combination is evident in the way she approaches each project. Isaac brings the same enthusiasm from a different professional background, becoming deeply involved in the physical work and the guest experience.

The result is two homes that feel distinctly their own.

Why Book Direct?

The Cohens currently give guests several ways to book, including Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, while also allowing guests to reach them directly through their own website.

Building a stronger direct relationship with guests is part of where they want the business to go.

It's also part of why Locèlle exists.

We discover homes like these, tell the story behind them, and connect travelers with the people who created them. Instead of simply presenting another property listing, Locèlle gives guests a reason to seek out a particular home and, whenever possible, book directly with its owners.

For the Cohens, the relationship with guests doesn't begin and end with a reservation. They are involved in the details, from celebration setups to answering questions and helping guests make the most of the homes they've spent so much time creating.

Why Locèlle Loves Them

What drew us to the Cohens wasn't simply that the homes photograph well.

It's that there is a story behind the design.

Pocono Dreams started with a color and became an entire world. Lover's Edge started with an unusual cabin and became an exercise in uncovering its original character.

Both are highly personal, and both reflect the people who made them.

That's the kind of home we look for at Locèlle: places where architecture, design, landscape, and the people behind them come together to create something you wouldn't find anywhere else.

What's Next

The Cohens aren't finished.

They live in a pyramid-shaped house in Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, a property previously featured on HGTV as part of its “World's Ugliest House” series. The more than 4,000-square-foot home is now undergoing a major renovation of its own.

Because the community allows short-term rentals, it may eventually become the Cohens' next project.

For now, there are two very different A-frames in the Poconos.

One is blue, playful, and unmistakably Tiffany-inspired.

The other is quiet, wood-lined, and connected to the forest.

Both began with a house that needed something more. The Cohens simply had to figure out what that something was.

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