This New York Farmhouse is the Perfect Mix of Vintage and Modern
Think hip and historic have to be mutually exclusive? Think again! The recently renovated Beekman 1802 farmhouse pairs classic architecture with a fresh color palette for a seamless mix of old and new.
As cofounders of skin-and-body-care company Beekman 1802, Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell are the ultimate multi-hyphenates: best-selling authors, television personalities, farmers, and artisanal goat-milk purveyors to name just a few. It’s perhaps no surprise then that the couple’s home is as layered and dynamic as they are. “Our design style is a true attraction of opposites,” explains Brent. “We embrace a high-low look and a juxtaposition between the past and the present.” Their expansive Sharon Springs, New York, farmhouse has given them plenty of space to let that aesthetic play out. Located on what is known as Beekman Farm and built in 1802 (hence their company’s name), the Georgian-Federal structure was begging for some TLC when the pair first laid eyes on it more than 20 years ago. Together, Josh and Brent devised a plan to bring the home back to life and put their own spin on it.
“It has such a long history and the architectural lines are so distinct and boxy, we decided to lean into the opposite of that with decor that’s a bit more organic and modern,” says Josh. And so, while they revived historic elements such as ebonized wide-plank floors, working fireplaces, and fine millwork (including dentil moldings and chair rails), they introduced bold wallpapers, modern-industrial light fixtures, and streamlined furnishings. “Historically, Americans utilized very bright colors. They had incredible wallpapers and woven rugs that were bright because those were the things that you kept forever. The furniture was plain and more likely to be replaced,” says Brent. “We embraced that approach.”
Step inside to see the dreamy results...
The Homeowners
Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, better known as the Fabulous Beekman Boys!
Get the look:
Exterior paint colors: Satin White by Sherwin-Williams
Entry Hall
The entry hall’s large zinc table harkens back to the days when spacious hallways also doubled as entertaining spaces. On top is a terrarium made in the shape of the farmhouse that was crafted by a local blacksmith.
Get the look:
Trim paint color: Acanthus Gloss by Sherwin-Williams
Unexpected Color
Canary yellow stair treads give the softly colored entry hall zing, while pops of black on the runner and curved panoramic portrait of the house (designed by Vermont artist Tom Mullins) ground the look.
Dining Room
Josh and Brent juxtaposed the dining room's sophisticated red and green color scheme with simple furnishings, including mismatched green chairs and a dining table built by Brent as a present for Josh’s 40th birthday.
All in the Details
The couple loved the extravagance of the dining room’s pre-existing red gilt wallpaper and the room's original dentil molding adds pleasing-to-the-eye depth both up top and as a chair rail.
Get the look:
Trim paint color: Breakfast Room Green by Farrow & Ball
A Clever Collection of Federal-Style Mirrors
Only the largest mirror in the light-reflecting grouping of Federal-style mirrors is a pricey antique. The others are reproductions found on eBay, some of which were laser-cut to appear as if they are disappearing into the molding.
An Old-Meets-New Kitchen
The previous remodel of the kitchen was completed in the 1990s, and Brent and Josh didn’t feel as beholden to the more recent past as they were to true period details. One 20th-century element that survived their complete redo? The large brick fireplace and its impressive copper hood. They also layered in bronze hardware and nickel fixtures. “We believe in the rule of three. We wouldn’t have just two metals in the kitchen, but three makes it work,” says Brent. Down below, reclaimed barn wood floors, laid in a herringbone pattern, add historic integrity.
Get the look:
Cabinet paint color: Smoke and Mirrors by Benjamin MooreCeiling and wall paint color: Vanilla Milkshake by Benjamin Moore
Trim paint color: Moonshine by Benjamin Moore
A Cozy Kitchen Prep Area
A hardworking prep area tucked away next to the fireplace houses recessed shelves to keep ingredients within arm’s reach, crocks for corralling everyday utensils, and a modern Miele microwave–convection oven combo. The hanging collection of copper pots ensures the practical merges with the pretty.
Light-Filled Rooms
With the luxury of ample privacy (the farm is 60 acres) and stunning views, the couple chose to go sans window treatments, save a few sheer panels in the bedrooms, a decision that has become one of the couple's favorite aspects of the house. "There are more than 40 windows, and each one of them has a beautiful vista. It's like living inside a snow globe at times, with the outdoors integral to what's inside," says Brent.
A Welcoming Library
With the original ebonized floors anchoring the room, Brent and Josh decided to play it cool on the library walls with a pale yellow. Though the room is toned down (by comparison!) it is actually one of the couple’s favorite spaces in the entire house.
Sentimental Collections
“At the time house was built, there was a great sense of exploration and collecting exotic things from around the world,” explains Josh. “Home libraries were where they put those items on display. This is where we keep finds from our own travels. It's our life, but also historically representative at the time.”
Pretty Upstairs Hall
This stately hallway overlooks the blue and yellow bedroom, a room that thrives in its unconventional color scheme.
Get the look:
Trim paint color: Acanthus Gloss by Sherwin-Williams
Patterned-Filled Guest Room
The classic country combo of blue and white (and yellow!)takes center stage in the upstairs guest room. “We love how the modern pattern in the wallpaper puts an unexpected spin on the look,” says Brent. Also unexpected: painting the wall below the chair rail sunny yellow. “We made working around the existing millwork a priority,” says Josh.
Get the look:
Wallpaper: Serpentine Wallpaper by Hygge & West
Wall paint color: Sudbury Yellow by Farrow & Ball
Floor paint color: Old White by Farrow & Ball
Bedroom
For a cocoon effect in the main bedroom, the couple painted the frames and interior backings of a gallery of photos the same verdant shade as the walls and woodwork.
Get the look:
Wall and trim paint color: Calke Green by Farrow & Ball
Blue Bedroom
In this handsome guest room, soothing shades of blue lend cohesion to a rag-tag of finds. From the polished nickel bed (a holdover from Brent’s days with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia) to the groovy mid-century pendant light, the room is a case study in couple’s “attraction of opposites.” Adding even more variety: the stately eagle sculpture keeping watch by the window. “It blew off of the top of courthouse in a neighboring small town,” explains Josh. “It was too damaged and too old to re-install, but he fits in just fine here.”
Get the look:
Room paint color: Needlepoint Navy by Sherwin-Williams
Expansive Gardens
The recently added Moon Garden is named after the many light-colored flowers and foliage that glow in the moonlight, such as lilies, lavender, maples, salvia, petunias, allium, daisies, and mock orange.
A Picturesque Red Barn
The farm is home to 60 acres and just as many dairy goats, with the original barn as the epicenter for all things Beekman 1802. The skin-and-body-care brand might have never been if not for their neighbor, “Farmer John.” “When we moved in, we found a letter in our mailbox from John asking if his goats could live in our barn,” explains Josh. “That’s how Beekman 1802 started, with a herd of goats and an act of kindness.”
Beekman 1802 Goats
A gaggle of goats supervises from the barn.
Editors' Picks: Farmers' Market Inspired Recipes
Is This the Best Small Town in the Midwest?
This Lakeside Cabin Is Full of Old-School Charm
23 Perfectly Patriotic Ways to Use Mason Jars
