This Farmhouse Went From a Dilapidated Wreck to a One-of-a-Kind Country Gem

Yes, that's the same house! During the next two years, the couple chipped away at an extensive structural and aesthetic to-do list to uncover a beautiful, character-rich home filled with carefully chosen antiques. The only thing (still) missing? That darn bookcase.

Christina and John's one stipulation when selling their former Catskills home? They'd take the 1950s Chambers stove with them. With the prized cooker in tow, Christina set out to transform the dark, run-down kitchen into an inviting space full of country charm. "The stove's sizable footprint made the reno tricky, but special pieces are worth the extra effort," she says.

As luck would have it, she scored a perfect mate for her beloved Chambers when she uncovered a cast-off cast-iron sink at a nearby abandoned house. (The home's caretaker gave her his blessing.) Christina painted the lower cabinets a dark gray-blue (Night Train by Benjamin Moore) to let the old-fashioned white fixture and appliance pop. In lieu of upper cabinets, the couple crafted open shelves from wood scraps that now display Christina's collection of souvenir plates alongside cake stands, enamelware, and sweet little pie birds.

In true farmhouse fashion, the home's understated stairwell is tucked behind a doorway. To add interest—and to skip the cost of a runner—Christina painted the steps white and then added brown (French Press by Benjamin Moore) and slate (Stonybrook by Benjamin Moore) stripes down the middle.


RELATED: 55+ Best Staircase Ideas to Step Up Your Home Decorating Game

At the top of the stairs, Christina displayed her father's collection of antique maps in assorted frames, all of which were spray-painted gold (Gloss Gold by Krylon) to feel more cohesive. (TIP: To give them a weathered look, she struck each one with house keys after the paint dried.) The rusty shade of Smoldering Red by Benjamin Moore provides a rich backdrop to the loose arrangement.

In John and Christina's room, the home's red-and-blue palette takes a moodier turn. "Instead of bringing in an all-new scheme, I opted for subtler versions of colors already in play throughout the house," says Christina. "It's one of my favorite design tricks for creating a different feel without having a room seem out of place." An antique brass bed with a dramatic 54-inch-tall headboard adds to the sophisticated look. Mismatched dressers and 99-cent bird prints flank each side of the piece.

The spacious attic-turned-bunkroom houses five—five!—antique twin beds (two are shown). Christina and John adorned the previously unfinished space with wood paneling; the ambitious DIY project took the couple a month to complete. Mismatched quilts and layered rag rugs up the cozy factor, and a stately taxidermy, rescued from a now-closed Brooklyn boutique, presides over the sleeping quarters.

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In the main bath, a beloved sideboard with brass hardware and a unique blue-and-white tile backsplash (previously used in the couple's dining room) was retrofitted to serve as a bathroom vanity.

In the downstairs bath, a gauzy shower curtain encases a claw-foot tub, allowing natural light to permeate the space. Instead of building out a linen closet, Christina brought in an oversize armoire to warm up the space and add to the country feel.

RELATED: 30 Creative Clawfoot Tub Ideas for Every Bathroom

Despite the home's crusty exterior, all the expansive porch needed to take it from scary to airy was new floorboards and a fresh coat of paint. Inspired by a superstition that a light blue ceiling would repel bees, Christina painted it a soft blue-green shade. "When we were renovating, John and I would escape here at the end of the day for a glass of wine," Christina says. "The breathtaking view always reminded us what all that grueling work was for."

Quick fix: While many homeowners assume historic windows (identifiable by their telltale wavy glass) need replacing, a local historic preservation society can connect you with a carpenter who can likely restore or weatherproof them in a matter of days—much less taxing than a top-to-bottom window replacement endeavor.

This antique china cabinet was intended for indoors, but when it was placed here during a moving break, the homeowners decided the porch was the perfect perch.

Christina, John, and Julian pose on the porch.

If you're like us, you never get tired of seeing a fixer upper farmhouse get a fresh new look. Here are some of our favorite farmhouse renovation stories:
*Take a Look Inside This Mississippi Hunting Lodge That is Now Filled with Antiques
*This Fully Restored 1800s Farmhouse is Filled with Vintage Charm
*Singer Songwriter Holly Williams Turned an 1820s Kentucky Charmer into the Cutest Farmhouse Ever