Litchfield County
A copper wall on the outdoor shower simulates the reflective quality of a waterfall, while clusters of lush banana plants ratchet up the tropical vibe.
Riding in style and comfort: Eye-catching art from Palecek and a double-sided fireplace keep the Peloton company.
Even the washroom sink—a copper vessel with a waterfall faucet—hints at an island aesthetic.
No detail was overlooked, from pillows and umbrellas to conveniently placed baskets to stow damp towels.
Retractable glass panels open to a pool that is thirty feet wide by sixty feet long; “that’s a big pool!” notes Skolnick, and it incorporates a submerged spa and a series of gradual entry platforms for soaking in the water.
Bleached pine boards and bluestone slabs provide a beachy, yet sophisticated backdrop for contemporary lighting and a tropical palette; the chair fabric is a fun nod to a traditional batik pattern.
Repurposing done right: the wingback headboard in the master bedroom acted as the back cushion of a daybed in Cupp’s previous home.
A form once used to make train station posters and advertisements hangs in the master bathroom as art.
Cupp envisioned the new screened porch to be visible from the front entry, linking the barn to its landscape.
This painting, which hangs in the vestibule leading to the master bedroom, is by local artist David James Valyou.
The nickel-gap kitchen cabinets match the proportions of the barn’s existing vertical barnboard.
An antique partners desk is the centerpiece of a cozy nook where the owners will sit to enjoy a glass of bourbon.
Cupp picked up the leather rockers second-hand from Chairish, especially for sitting by the fire.
The designer threw a cowhide over the dining room table she inherited from her mom. “I thought, hey, this is a dairy barn,” she says. “It’s stain-proof, heat-proof, and I can vacuum it.” The dining area’s framed lithographs belonged to Cupp’s husband’s great-grandmother.
The primary residence (left) connects via a breezeway to a second barn, which the homeowners dubbed the “party barn” and use for entertaining.
Amy Beth Cupp used Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint on the walls and ceilings of the TV room; the dark matte color makes the room, which is only nine feet wide, feel cozy in the winter and cool in the summer. The artwork hung around the existing barnboard is largely junk-store finds, says the designer.
Amy Beth Cupp used Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint on the walls and ceilings of the TV room; the dark matte color makes the room, which is only nine feet wide, feel cozy in the winter and cool in the summer. The artwork hung around the existing barnboard is largely junk-store finds, says the designer.
The designer’s comprehensive approach extended to the placement of the owner’s Nantucket baskets and boxes on the living room’s étagère.
The screened porch resembles a small A-frame cabin; breezes can blow right through the latticed wicker furniture.
The stone-lined swimming pool, original to the house, is fringed by landscaping and a wildflower garden.
Waterworks, in Westport, was the source of the contemporary furnishings in the spacious master bath builder Chris Washington carved out of the original master bedroom.
The serene master bedroom is a study in quiet neutrals and soft textures.
Waterworks, in Westport, was the source of the contemporary furnishings in the spacious master bath builder Chris Washington carved out of the original master bedroom.
The Josephine sofa from J. Robert Scott makes the living room a favorite spot for snuggling up with a book on a sunny afternoon.
The kitchen was truly in move-in condition; the only additions were the pots and pans and a pair of Holly Hunt crescent stools.
A few large, simple furnishings, including sofas in muted colors, help scale the great room down to human size, but the custom Holly Hunt chandelier bespeaks rustic grandeur.
A modest shingled exterior belies the home’s light-filled interior spaces. High-peaked rooflines hint at the multiple vaulted ceilings inside.
Typical of the home, the dining room blends the owner’s collected possessions—table, chairs, and artwork—with new lighting, rug, and wallcovering.
In the master bath, a nineteenth-century French gilt-bronze and crystal chandelier adds a bit of whimsy to the sleek marble and polished-nickel fixtures. An original wooden beam highlights the expanse of new windows.
A guest room offers a dramatic juxtapositioning of antique Edwardian beds, a Georgian bachelor’s chest, and a massive iron chandelier.
The large, circular window is the centerpiece of a sitting area off the kitchen, where French bergère chairs mingle with a wingback settee and an array of patterned throw pillows.
Glass star chandeliers illuminate the long kitchen island, which offers seating for informal meals.
A weighty chandelier and German ostrich lithograph add drama to the dining area, where modern, slipcovered chairs surround an antique pine French Canadian farmhouse table.
In the first-floor powder room the original beadboard ceiling contrasts nicely with a vintage mirror and modern sconces.
In the Americana room, splashes of red, white, and blue complement Deyber’s collection of patriotic objects, including a portrait of George Washington and a trio of carved eagles. The linen-covered chairs and sofa strike just the right balance of comfort and elegance.
Shagreen-clad nightstands, Frette bedding, a Murano glass chandelier, and a silver-gilt canopy bed give the master bedroom its sense of luxury.
A generous swath of pale marble guarantees a pristine look for the owner’s bath.
A cozy guest room is outfitted with furniture from a local shop. “We did a lot of shopping,” says Quinn with a chuckle.
Quinn carries the water’s color into the pool house with a graphic rug and pillows from Colony Rug Company.
JANUS et Cie’s Amalfi collection lounges lend style to the pool.
The new lattice-framed pergola leads to the dairy room.
An oxidized crane stands nearby.
The landscape offers a variety of intimate spaces.
A mirrored bar and Louis Vuitton trunk make an elegant pair in the dining room. The trunk holds throws, so it’s also functional,” the designer notes.
A cowhide rug brings texture to the loft.
The living room’s high ceilings hold photosensitive panels that are blue by day and rose-colored at night.
Designer Karen Quinn discovered the striking fire screen on 1stdibs.
Inside, a barn-board wall and a stone floor evoke the home’s farm past.
Landscape designer Jeff Stevens and interior designer Karen Quinn turned what was once a dairy room into an inviting entry space. Urns of geraniums and a crisp hedge of Winter Gem boxwood provide the initial welcome.
A bathroom was designed for easy care and timeless good looks.
“Mix it up and let color rule” is the mantra in all of the bedrooms, including a children’s bedroom that sports blue-striped walls and mismatched bed linens.
A William Morris paper creates a traditional backdrop in the nursery, while one of the homeowners’ many Moroccan rugs adds a bold, bright accent.
The master suite reflects the homeowners’ love of color, texture, and Moorish design. The headboard is custom-designed by Robin Henry and upholstered in a wool felt from Holland & Sherry. The chest at the foot of the bed is a family heirloom.
The master bath is simple and elegant, a vision in white.
The homeowners fell hard for the backyard view when they first spied the fixer-upper in 2004.
The modern, streamlined kitchen was designed by architect Stacey Jacovini Storm during the initial renovation in 2007.
Henry punched up the breakfast area with bright fabrics.
The ceiling casts a rosy glow, thanks to a coat of Pantone Creole Pink paint.
A love of Moorish and Moroccan design inspired the home’s vivid colors, brilliant patterns, global accents, and eclectic blend of traditional, modern, and midcentury silhouettes. The great room sports a round sofa from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams outfitted in a bold Fabricut fabric.
Designer Robin Henry added cool blues to lend a soothing counterpoint to the fiery reds and oranges.
The library can be made cozier by closing it off from the adjacent living room via sliding barn doors.
The open-corner window configuration used in the sitting area is repeated upstairs in the master bedroom. “It feels like a tree house,” says the homeowner. The angled ceiling hints at the eccentricity of a vintage farmhouse.
The windows that wrap the sitting area reference traditional style, but their oversized proportions offer a view a farmer could only dream of. Belgian-linen upholstery, soft throws, and ample pillows plump up the comfort.
The metal serpentine-front buffet is one of Seitz’s favorite pieces, followed closely by the two standing lamps and the metal antelope’s-horn stool. The painting of the rabbit above is by Patrice Lombardi, a longtime friend of the homeowner.
The kitchen’s broad, granite-topped island provides plenty of space to cook and entertain.
Designer Joanna Seitz chose the dining room’s dimmable glass globe pendants to complement the industrial lighting used elsewhere, but disappear against the backdrop of windows. The custom-made table and stackable, recycled-rubber-slat chairs were among her other finds.
Rusticity reigns just inside the main entry, where a ship-lapped wall and a hand-painted floor cloth offer a warm welcome.
Inside the connecting wing, structural beams wrapped in reclaimed wood, an industrial-style ceiling fixture, and a portrait of an inquisitive steer offer subtle reminders of life in the country.
Simple triangular brackets and a row of rafter tails create rhythm on the deck, which overlooks surrounding meadows and a neighbor’s barn.
Perkins worked with Connecticut Post & Beam to design the barn-like pool house with rough-sawn siding and a tin roof. It has a small kitchen, bathroom, outdoor shower, and a stone fireplace.
Kingsley-Bate furniture cozies up to the pool house fireplace.
In the bunk room, a Pottery Barn Kids light fixture hangs above one of six mismatched antique beds dressed with vintage quilts and Pendleton blankets.
In the children’s bedroom, a pinwheel made of vintage banners hangs above a tole lamp.
In the master bedroom, Lola, one of Perkins’s five dogs, rests on a bed with a headboard that Perkins designed and upholstered in Ralph Lauren Home fabric. A lamp by Currey & Company is paired with an antique drop leaf table used as a nightstand.
A Gucci scarf framed like a piece of art came from Perkins’s childhood home.
Color, pattern, and texture create drama in the dining room, where the ceiling wears a watery-blue, high-gloss paint and the walls are covered in a printed paper from Cowtan & Tout.
Stools from Restoration Hardware line up at the kitchen island, which has a top of Pietra del Cardoso sandstone. Perkins mirrored the cabinet panels to reflect the views of the other side of the room.
The center section of the newly built Greek Revival is a copy of the nineteenth-century house that once stood on the property.
The collection of vintage photographs of Native Americans belonged to homeowner and designer Marisa Bistany Perkins’s mother-in-law.
An antique dry sink is used as a bar in the barn room.
In the lounge area that connects the great room to the barn room, an iron and rope chandelier by Solaria hangs above two leather chairs from Privet House.
The garden room adds hints of pale lavender and green to the gray that unites the first-floor rooms.
Shades of cream and white give the master bedroom a feminine feel.
Yet another corner of the family room makes the perfect spot for casual dining.
The kitchen needed little more than new light fixtures to freshen it up.
Meadowbrook Gardens worked with the homeowner to bring beauty and privacy to the pool area.
The ikat-covered lounge chairs swivel.
Designer Karen Quinn created an intimate sitting area focused on the spacious family roomâs stone fireplace. The palette takes its cue from the honey-toned paneling.
Light spills in on a second, smaller Âsitting area in the family room.
The entry, displaying just a few of the objects the homeowner has collected over the years, hints at the easy comfort of the house.
A front parlor makes a cozy space for low-key entertaining.
The genteel clapboard house sits on two well-tended acres overlooking Washingtonâs historic green.
Filled with greenery, a dining alcove on the patio radiates European charm.
Dragoo designed the tufted headboard in the cozy master bedroom.
A custom wood-veneer shade tops the midcentury Scandinavian lamp that sits on the Natuzzi sideboard in the study.
Heirloom lithographs depicting farm scenes hang above the study’s fireplace.
The dining room’s dark walls "make things pop," explains the designer.
A colorful Oushak carpet sets the library’s welcoming tone. The George Nelson pendant lamp adds a modern note, while classic articulating brass lamps from Michele Varian aid nighttime reading.
The kitchen is outfitted in butternut wood cabinetry and millwork.
The master bedroom, like the rest of the house, wraps its inhabitants in a warm embrace.
Architect Reese Owens designed the walls of a children’s room to look like the inside of a cabin.
The great room’s massive hearth features stone pulled from the property as well as from nearby quarries.
Much of the custom woodwork, including the dining table, was crafted by Massachusetts artisan Thomas Sippel.
The warmth of wood carries in from the outdoors, enveloping the vestibule.
The homeowners wanted an Adirondack-style rustic retreat that would feel welcoming at any time of year, including snowy winter weekends. The warm glow of the wooden exterior promises shelter from the storm.