Integration of new design with historical architecture
Antique heirloom curating and rejuvenation
Family friendly furniture and fabrics
Credits
Contractor: Weatherall Design
Publications
September 2016, Old House Journal
A Storied Old House
September 2013, Design New England
Heritage Restored
WKD's experience in historic preservation and antique curation restored this gentleman's farm into a casual, comfortable, livable home for its new owners.
SHARE PROJECT:
At night, the candlelight's gleam creates beautiful reflections on our client's collection of inherited silver on display in their dining room.
Our clients desired a pretty rug that would also withstand all the comings and goings of the family, as this old house had no hallways! We easily complied by finding this family friendly carpet, with its classically inspired design.
Almost every antique in this dining room came from a collection our clients already owned, and our task was one of curation.
After a careful review of all their existing antiques, we chose which antiques to place, and where, and which antiques to pass along to others. The new furniture we added, therefore, became very important because it had to fit in naturally with their existing collection.
We added the host and hostess chairs, rug, chandelier and window treatments and also reupholstered everything that was to be kept.
Creating a visual surprise was our idea when we gave our clients a few of our own porcelain birds to perch inside their home's original wooden beams, to delight their future grandchildren.
Our clients loved the way we curated and repositioned their existing family antiques. We also added new lighting and a calm color palette with softly textured fabrics.
Life on a gentleman's farm includes animals, which was one of our favorite aspects of designing this house. Our clients naturally wanted us to make their interior animal friendly, which we were more than happy to do.
Our clients' English heritage means they delight in all things garden and outdoors, so this black and white English topiary wallpaper was an immediate favorite with them for their guest bathroom.
Very old houses that have been added onto over and over again can sometimes be topsy turvy, so paramount on our clients' wish list was a large new entry, in keeping with the visual rhythm and feel of the existing structure and its casual, farmhouse vibe.
Our clients' home, built in the 1670's and added onto over the years, is situated on a quintessential New England piece of property. This pastoral setting was a perfect match for the calm and serene interiors we created for them.
