Houzz Tour: 1680s Saltbox Is Refreshed for a Young Family
A designer preserves a Massachusetts home with midcentury American and eclectic English style
Update for the Entry
In the front entry, the original millwork and door hardware remain. “A lot of the original woodwork, posts and beams had already been painted over the years. They would not have looked good stripped, so we repainted those pieces,” Dalrymple says. “But wherever the natural wood remained, we kept it intact.” Her paint color choices are historically based and reflect hues used during the Colonial era. The sconces she chose have a traditional look, as do the light switches. And they are in antique brass, a favorite finish of the homeowners that fits in with the period architecture.
A fresh touch is the beautiful botanical Schumacher & Co. wallpaper that continues up the stairs and throughout the second-floor hallway. The pattern also came in a matching fabric, which Dalrymple used for the custom lampshades. Benjamin Moore’s Indi Go-Go paint on the trim perfectly matches a blue tone in the wallpaper.
Shop for blue botanical wallpaper on Houzz
In the front entry, the original millwork and door hardware remain. “A lot of the original woodwork, posts and beams had already been painted over the years. They would not have looked good stripped, so we repainted those pieces,” Dalrymple says. “But wherever the natural wood remained, we kept it intact.” Her paint color choices are historically based and reflect hues used during the Colonial era. The sconces she chose have a traditional look, as do the light switches. And they are in antique brass, a favorite finish of the homeowners that fits in with the period architecture.
A fresh touch is the beautiful botanical Schumacher & Co. wallpaper that continues up the stairs and throughout the second-floor hallway. The pattern also came in a matching fabric, which Dalrymple used for the custom lampshades. Benjamin Moore’s Indi Go-Go paint on the trim perfectly matches a blue tone in the wallpaper.
Shop for blue botanical wallpaper on Houzz
English Style in the Library
“This room was a kind of formal parlor room-front sitting room before, but my clients wanted more of a traditional English library turned on its head,” Dalrymple says. She began with a beautiful Middle Eastern rug to ground the room in color and pattern. The bright pinks and oranges in the hand-woven rug are unexpected and pleased the pink-loving homeowner. The designer also played up different shades of green around the room and brought in lots of antique brass finishes.
A distressed leather sofa adds cushiness, texture and a surface that’s easy to wipe up with a new baby in the house. She topped traditional mahogany side tables with green reverse-painted glass lamps designed by Kate Spade. Cheeky creatures add playfulness to the walls, and an antique chest of drawers serves as a bar on the left side of the room. “My clients love to play board games and wanted a spot to do that in here,” the designer says. She found an antique mahogany English game table and added velvet chairs on the right side of the room.
“This room was a kind of formal parlor room-front sitting room before, but my clients wanted more of a traditional English library turned on its head,” Dalrymple says. She began with a beautiful Middle Eastern rug to ground the room in color and pattern. The bright pinks and oranges in the hand-woven rug are unexpected and pleased the pink-loving homeowner. The designer also played up different shades of green around the room and brought in lots of antique brass finishes.
A distressed leather sofa adds cushiness, texture and a surface that’s easy to wipe up with a new baby in the house. She topped traditional mahogany side tables with green reverse-painted glass lamps designed by Kate Spade. Cheeky creatures add playfulness to the walls, and an antique chest of drawers serves as a bar on the left side of the room. “My clients love to play board games and wanted a spot to do that in here,” the designer says. She found an antique mahogany English game table and added velvet chairs on the right side of the room.
Here is one of the original 8-foot-wide fireplaces. “Most of the fireplaces had black-painted brick for surrounds, so we gave them an update with new tile,” Dalrymple says. In this case, it’s a 2-by-2-inch crackled green ceramic mosaic tile that picks up on the millwork’s blue-green paint. Using historically accurate paint colors allowed this more updated flourish to fit into the house well.
Paint: Newburg Green, Benjamin Moore
Find a local painter on Houzz
Paint: Newburg Green, Benjamin Moore
Find a local painter on Houzz
Cozy moss-green velvet wingback chairs add to the traditional feeling, while a small footstool covered in a Liberty of London fabric brings in a bit of English and midcentury style. Dalrymple also nodded to midcentury modern style with the light fixtures.
The house has a lot of well-placed sconces due to its low ceilings. “The ceilings are only 7 feet, 6 inches high,” the designer says. “When ceilings are that low, wall lighting is your friend.” The brass finish helps tie the more contemporary fixtures to the traditional fixtures in the home.
She also advises placing a piece of furniture under any ceiling fixtures in homes with low ceilings, as she did with the coffee table. “Even if you aren’t going to hit your head on it, there’s the uncomfortable feeling that you will,” she says.
Paint: Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball
Browse wingback chair options in the Houzz Shop
The house has a lot of well-placed sconces due to its low ceilings. “The ceilings are only 7 feet, 6 inches high,” the designer says. “When ceilings are that low, wall lighting is your friend.” The brass finish helps tie the more contemporary fixtures to the traditional fixtures in the home.
She also advises placing a piece of furniture under any ceiling fixtures in homes with low ceilings, as she did with the coffee table. “Even if you aren’t going to hit your head on it, there’s the uncomfortable feeling that you will,” she says.
Paint: Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball
Browse wingback chair options in the Houzz Shop
Mix of Old and New in the Dining Room
The dining room showcases the home’s original post-and-beam construction, balanced by nods to midcentury and European styles. Luckily, none of this original wood had been painted over during the past three centuries. To keep it intact, the designer eschewed any recessed lights or flush-mount ceiling lights. Instead, she found a chandelier that hugged the ceiling and pleased the midcentury modern-loving homeowners.
A large antique tapestry depicting a French garden design graces one of the walls, while a pair of botanicals with salmon backgrounds by Paule Marrot flank the door over matching bow-front chests topped with spherical lamps. Dalrymple had these botanicals floated atop rough Belgian linen and framed in acrylic to bring in a rougher and more rustic texture. This kind of attention to detail allowed the newer pieces to smoothly fit into the old home.
Paint: Ammonite, Farrow & Ball
The dining room showcases the home’s original post-and-beam construction, balanced by nods to midcentury and European styles. Luckily, none of this original wood had been painted over during the past three centuries. To keep it intact, the designer eschewed any recessed lights or flush-mount ceiling lights. Instead, she found a chandelier that hugged the ceiling and pleased the midcentury modern-loving homeowners.
A large antique tapestry depicting a French garden design graces one of the walls, while a pair of botanicals with salmon backgrounds by Paule Marrot flank the door over matching bow-front chests topped with spherical lamps. Dalrymple had these botanicals floated atop rough Belgian linen and framed in acrylic to bring in a rougher and more rustic texture. This kind of attention to detail allowed the newer pieces to smoothly fit into the old home.
Paint: Ammonite, Farrow & Ball
Custom Japanese dining chairs and a handcrafted Thos. Moser sideboard nod to midcentury modern style. Dalrymple had the chairs covered in a durable cotton velvet by Perennials Fabrics.
A blue glass cherry sculpture sits atop the sideboard. “I came across this piece and knew it was perfect for them in here,” Dalrymple says. She had a decorative painter antique the mirror in a way that included specks of blue to play off the piece. Simple Roman shades incorporate the homeowner’s beloved pink in a terra-cotta hue and bring in a more rustic texture.
This photo shows the beautiful wide planks of the original flooring. Dalrymple had the floors throughout the house custom-stained to tone down the orange tones in the wood as part of this phase of the project.
A blue glass cherry sculpture sits atop the sideboard. “I came across this piece and knew it was perfect for them in here,” Dalrymple says. She had a decorative painter antique the mirror in a way that included specks of blue to play off the piece. Simple Roman shades incorporate the homeowner’s beloved pink in a terra-cotta hue and bring in a more rustic texture.
This photo shows the beautiful wide planks of the original flooring. Dalrymple had the floors throughout the house custom-stained to tone down the orange tones in the wood as part of this phase of the project.
Centuries-Old Kitchen Sink
This reclaimed stone sink in the kitchen is more than 300 years old and came with the house. Renovating the kitchen will be a later phase of the project.
Design Workshop: Is a Phased Construction Project Right for You?
This reclaimed stone sink in the kitchen is more than 300 years old and came with the house. Renovating the kitchen will be a later phase of the project.
Design Workshop: Is a Phased Construction Project Right for You?
Comfortable Family Space
In the family room, Dalrymple began with an oversize leather sectional from Roche Bobois where everyone can sink in and enjoy family time. The large art piece is by Timo Lieber, an English artist friend of the homeowners’. It inspired the color of the large tufted ottoman. The rug is hand-looped wool.
An armchair with midcentury style adds another comfortable seat and is paired with a contemporary brass side table for a book or a drink. The fabric on the Roman shades adds dashes of bright pink and blue that play off the artwork and the ottoman. This fireplace has another new tile mosaic surround, which picks up on the accent color on the wall, Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue.
In the family room, Dalrymple began with an oversize leather sectional from Roche Bobois where everyone can sink in and enjoy family time. The large art piece is by Timo Lieber, an English artist friend of the homeowners’. It inspired the color of the large tufted ottoman. The rug is hand-looped wool.
An armchair with midcentury style adds another comfortable seat and is paired with a contemporary brass side table for a book or a drink. The fabric on the Roman shades adds dashes of bright pink and blue that play off the artwork and the ottoman. This fireplace has another new tile mosaic surround, which picks up on the accent color on the wall, Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue.
Fresh Comfort Upstairs
In the master bedroom, the 1680s millwork is contrasted by the midcentury modern-inspired double globe sconce and the brass-and-vellum chest. Like the more traditional chests in the dining room, this one is has a bow front.
In the master bedroom, the 1680s millwork is contrasted by the midcentury modern-inspired double globe sconce and the brass-and-vellum chest. Like the more traditional chests in the dining room, this one is has a bow front.
The bed was one of the only pieces the couple brought with them, and its height works well with the low ceilings. Dalrymple dressed it in a mix of traditional American bedding and embroidered French shams. Blue linen-covered nightstands and contemporary sconces flank the bed. “These are great because they are on articulating arms and adjustable heads to direct the light where it’s needed,” Dalrymple says. A swivel chair provides a comfortable reading spot, while the custom bedroom bench nods to midcentury style.
Wall paint: Middleton Pink, Benjamin Moore; trim and fireplace wall paint: Dix Blue, Farrow & Ball
Shop for a bedroom bench
Wall paint: Middleton Pink, Benjamin Moore; trim and fireplace wall paint: Dix Blue, Farrow & Ball
Shop for a bedroom bench
In the nursery, the animal-loving homeowners wanted critters to play a role in the decor, so Dalrymple found a fabric for the Roman shades that’s full of them, as well as the bird print over the changing table. And the happy whale is a reminder of the whales that live nearby in Buzzards Bay. She also brought in hits of chartreuse with the light fixtures, throw, side table and changing table box.
A later phase of the project will include more extensive renovations on the kitchen and the bathrooms.
Takeaways
Takeaways
- It’s possible to infuse a period home with untraditional style choices and still stay true to the original architecture.
- Using historical paint colors can make other more modern touches work in a pleasing way.
- When the ceilings are low, wall lights are your friend.
- Upholstering kitchen and dining chairs with indoor-outdoor fabric can make spills easier to clean.
More on Houzz
Read about other renovations of traditional homes
Find a pro for your home project
Shop for products and materials
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young family
Location: Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
Size: Five bedrooms, five bathrooms
Designer: Nikki Dalrymple
This circa 1680 saltbox has a long history that includes a major move. “About 25 years ago, the house was moved about 100 miles from Groveland to its current spot on a horse farm in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts,” says interior designer Nikki Dalrymple. “It was placed atop a full basement, and everything was painstakingly put back together to maintain its integrity.” This includes such original elements as the massive chimneys with 8-foot-wide fireplaces, doors, windows, hardware, millwork and floors. That careful renovation took five years.
The couple who recently bought the bucolic property as a country escape from their Boston home, about an hour’s drive north, loved the outdoors and the animals. When they were starting the project, they were expecting their first child. The property includes significant acreage, a horse ring and horse stables, which they rent out. Horse trails from the property lead down to Buzzards Bay.
Respecting History While Adding Personal Style
The homeowners had previously lived in London, and they wanted to bring some eclectic English inspiration into the home. “Also, their home in Boston has a midcentury modern bent in its style, so I wanted to nod to that style here and there,” Dalrymple says. “But respecting the original architecture of the antique house was the most important thing.”
This recently completed phase of the project was cosmetic and included new paint and wallpaper, a new electrical system, staining the floors, and outfitting the house with new furnishings, artwork and other accessories. The homeowners created a Houzz ideabook to share the things they liked with their designer. “We looked at each photo they had chosen and talked about what they liked about it,” she says. “They loved color and pattern, and they weren’t afraid to have fun with it.”
Create your own Houzz ideabooks
Find a local interior designer on Houzz