We came, we saw, we fell in love with the Berkshires, and decided to move here.
Perhaps like you, I have special memories of the day we moved into our Berkshire home. Although we were weekenders at the time, the shift from Manhattan to Sheffield felt dramatic. I knew little about gardening, and even less about furnaces and flues. Over the years, as we became full time residents, the chores associated with home ownership developed a seasonal rhythm; cleaning the fireplace, servicing the furnace, and cleaning the gutters became as regular as bringing home the mums and pumpkins, the ice melt and the bulbs.
When the movers arrived, we were somewhat prepared. We directed them to place the furniture in the eat-in kitchen we felt so lucky to have, to the dining room we never had before, and to the “great room” where we would share many days with friends and family, as well as the sweet solitude of being alone in front of a crackling fire. I asked the movers to place the pieces where we thought they would look best, knowing that there would be ample opportunity to shift pieces “once we got settled.
And settle we did, as did a few of the furnishings!
Throughout the last fifteen years or so, we have, of course, changed some things. We’ve replaced the sofa with a comfy sectional, added windows to the screened porch and replaced a rug or two. Pieces from my favorite auctions have been enjoyed, and then replaced with my next special find. We have painted and repainted and re-arranged a lot. But there are still a few items that I must confess are exactly where the movers put them.
There is furniture in the house that I began not to notice. Is that really the table I still want beneath the television? Or the best place for my favorite chair? Might I replace the table and lamp with a lighter looking floor lamp? Structure and routine are comfortable, and reassuring. And then, one day, we look around and wonder if there are better ways to arrange the furniture, to display the art, or to enjoy the view.
My house is the perfect example of the “shoemaker’s children”; my family may be the last to benefit from my expertise. As I facilitate design changes in my client’s homes, there is something to be said for coming home to the comforts I have lived with for years. Recently however, I decided to improve my kitchen without undergoing the inconvenience of a major renovation.
This first photo shows the kitchen window as it was when the house was built, in the 80’s.
I have “flattened” the window wall and replaced that kitchen window with a large, insulated, clear pane of glass. I now have unobstructed views of the porch and the garden.
Many of us are working more at home. One day, when you need a break, look at the room that you’d most like to update. Imagine the room completely empty and start mentally moving the pieces into your space. Edit as you go; are there pieces that really do little to enhance the space? That you never use and are ready to part with? Or that you’d like to keep but that need an update? Clients with whom I’ve worked know that I love fabrics. The same sofa covered in a different fabric can dramatically change the feeling of a room. Is the room dressy and elegant? Casual and relaxed? Colorful and bright or creamy and calm? Fabric can be transformative.
Now that you’ve lived in your home for a while, you can, with the benefit of your experience and observation, begin to re-imagine your favorite room; sometimes, a small change can make a tremendous difference in the appearance and enjoyment of your home.
Re-designing your space again can be uplifting and need not be as costly as you might imagine.
One client invited me into her home to ask about the cost of redoing her powder room. The space was rather limiting in terms of layout, and we didn’t think an expensive bathroom renovation was warranted.
The first photo shows the powder room as we found it. Nothing had changed since the homeowner moved into the house. We created a budget within which we could realistically transform the space. The plan required minimal plumbing and electrical services.
As you’ll see in the photo below, we changed the wallpaper, the countertop, the sink, and the faucet. We kept the vanity but freshened it with new hardware. A new lighting fixture made a major difference too. The monies the client saved by not gutting the space went toward other aspects of the project
Recently, I’ve worked on some major renovation projects, most of which include a new kitchen. White cabinetry is popular and pretty, as are painted cabinets. In my home, however, I opted to keep the cherry cupboards that work well with the style of our post-and-beam home. My kitchen has a large eat-in area, but always lacked an island in the workspace. I decided to approach the project as I had the powder room above; make a few changes that would have a major impact. The costs were relatively moderate, as was the disruption to the family.
Working with the original cherry cabinets and wide board floors, we changed the countertop, sink and faucet. I used a jelly cupboard I had purchased at auction as the base of our small island. The quartzite top was purchased (a remnant!) at Rock Solid. I did, thankfully, engage an electrician to wire the island. It now has outlets for appliances and houses the microwave. I covered some stools to coordinate with the chairs in the kitchen, and use them to work, eat and read.
Our six kitchen chairs live around a 60” round table, and looked like this when purchased at auction:
With the help of Mill Upholstery, the chairs were padded, upholstered in performance fabric, and trimmed with the same leather used on the stools.
Whether you’re investing in a major renovation or just feeling the need to update one room, I hope the process will not feel onerous. Do as much or as little as you’d like, work with someone you trust, and part with the pieces that you’re not using or enjoying. You’ll appreciate what remains even more
