Vermont Farmhouse

Circa 1790

During the COVID pandemic, this home became a retreat, rich with history and context, all of which is preserved with modern amenities and fresh paint. The seller did an exceptional job preserving all the original beams, barn, floors and windows, which Alison built upon in the renovation. All the art is original. And the landscaping was staged over several years.

A cozy kitchen and dining area with a small dog sitting on a wooden floor near a rug, a round black table with three black chairs, a white vase with dried grasses, a marble countertop, beige cabinets, stainless steel refrigerator, and framed pictures on the wall.

Alison removed extra cabinets, built a pantry, replaced the butcher block counters with authentic Montclair Danby Marble, sourced from a quarry only 45 minutes away. Her husband continues to collect vintage, copper pans.

The Kitchen

Modern kitchen with marble countertops, beige cabinets, faced with abstract framed art and black pendant lights.
Yellow flowers in a white vase and a wooden bowl filled with lemons on a marble countertop.
Kitchen with beige cabinets, wooden floor, and marble countertop. Copper pots hang on a wooden post. Two pendant lights hang from the ceiling. Dining area with framed pictures on the wall visible in the background.

The Process:

Building an Outdoor Kitchen Garden 

Planning, Digging, Cutting & Planting

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Dining Room

Alison curated art from a friend, antiques from Manchester, and the 50-year-old dining room table came from family to quickly fill this space. A vintage cocktail cart from Millterton, NY found its home here too.

A wooden dining table with a beige and brown striped table runner and a large ceramic vase filled with dried wheat stalks as a centerpiece. There are wooden chairs around the table and a modern chandelier with white and dark bronze spherical bulbs hanging from the ceiling.
A small wooden table with decorative items, framed photos, and artworks hanging on the white wall above the table.

Living Room & Parlor

These rooms work together to create wide open, sharing space. Keeping the original windows open without shades or window treatments was a deliberate choice. The original detail in the window panels are exposed. The furnishings are a mix of family antiques and finds from some favorite dealers both in Rhode Island and Vermont. Most of the art is from Alison’s mother-in-law and grandmother, and the sculptures and pottery came from an artist in Pawlet, VT.

A cozy corner with a wooden ladder used as a towel rack, hanging with three blankets or throws in white, gray, and striped patterns. A candle in a glass holder is lit on a black round table, alongside magazines. Large window reveals a snowy outdoor s
Living room with white walls, hardwood floors, a brown leather sofa, a woven armchair with pillows, a green upholstered chair, a glass coffee table with books and a vase, a tall floor lamp, and windows showing snow-covered trees outside.
A cozy living room corner with a white sofa, beige and dark gray pillows, a floor lamp with a brown shade, a wooden floor, a window showing a snowy outdoor scene, an ornate mirror on the wall, and a pair of small woven side tables.
A living room with a glass table holding a large vase containing greenery and red berries, two stacks of books on either side of the vase, a brown leather sofa with textured pillows, a framed portrait on the wall behind the sofa, and two windows with
Living room with brown leather sofa, yellow armchair, glass coffee table with books and a vase, framed pictures on white walls, floor lamp, and decorative pillows.
Living room corner with a decorative mirror, a brown leather sofa with a yellow patterned pillow, a wooden side table, a floor lamp with a black shade, and a window showing snowy outdoor scenery.
Interior wall with two abstract landscape paintings in white frames, a wooden beam, and a hanging ceramic beaded chain decoration.
Two abstract sculptures with rounded tops on tall black stands placed on a wooden floor near a white wall and window.
Three ceramic vases of different shapes and colors on a wooden surface with a plain wall background.

The Upstairs

The tiny desk in the corner was actually salvaged during the Pine Street renovation and holds the home’s guestbook. Art here is from family, and wall hangings are from trips to Mexico. Alison found the bench in New Bedford, MA. This room serves as the guest suite with a walk-in closet to the back, and like the other bedrooms, it showcases the home’s original exposed beams and floors.

Interior view of a staircase with wooden steps leading up to a landing with artwork on the wall, a decorative branch in a white pot, a table with a lamp, and a chair in a well-lit room with white walls.
View of a small bathroom with a pedestal sink, mirror, and two windows, visible through an open door from an upstairs hallway with wooden floors and a furniture cabinet.
A corner of a room with a slanted ceiling, featuring a vintage metal filing cabinet with framed photos and a vase of lavender, a landscape painting on the wall, a brown leather chair, a baseboard heater, and a round gray rug on wooden flooring.
A cozy attic bedroom with a bed covered in a white quilt and decorative pillows, a wooden bench at the foot of the bed, and artwork on the wall. There is a small window below a wooden beam that lets in natural light.
A cozy bedroom with a bed that has decorative pillows, a wall-mounted branch art piece, an open door leading to a hallway with framed pictures, and a pet bed on the wooden floor.
A wooden Windsor-style chair with a curved backrest and spindles, placed on a wooden floor, in front of a small, rectangular window with multiple panes, in a room with a white wall and a decorative wooden beam.
A mid-century modern wooden dresser with six drawers and white knobs, placed against a wall with a large wooden beam above it, in a room with a sloped ceiling and hardwood floor. Two table lamps with beige shades and black wire bases are on the dress
A small ceramic vase with dried yellow flowers on a wooden table, with an open notebook and a pencil in the background.
A decorative wall sculpture made of four wireframe cubes arranged vertically on a white wall near a window in a room with wooden flooring and a wooden side table.
A vintage typewriter on a black table, with a beige lamp behind it. A beige upholstered chair is partially visible in front of the table, against a white wall and ceiling.

With each Spring, a new project to set the space to entertain with family and friends. In 2024, Alison and her husband plan to build the outdoor kitchen garden and expand the formal rose garden. Since moving in, they’ve cleared out the private brook, built a barrel sauna, planted a small apple orchard and installed an outdoor shower. Outdoor sculptures followed from a Vermont artist.

The Exterior

Open barn with wooden doors, interior decorated with string lights and American flag, patio table with candles, outdoor fire pit on grass.
A rustic dining table set for a meal with glass plates, napkins, and cutlery, decorated with candles and small pumpkins. The table is near a large window showing an outdoor scene with trees and green grass. Firewood is stacked inside the cozy, wooden
A lush green yard with landscaped flower beds and a modern sculpture of four linked rings in the center. In the background, there is a small wooden structure resembling a cozy cabin or shed, surrounded by tall trees.
A white two-story house with black shutters on its windows, a black front door, and a steep gray shingle roof. There are white hydrangea flowers in front of the house on a grassy hill, with steps leading up to the front door.
A white wooden fence with a green plant climbing on it, situated on a grassy lawn with trees and garden beds in the background, under a partly cloudy sky.
Small outdoor wooden barrel sauna with a glass door, a chimney pipe on top, and a wooden step leading inside, set on gravel with green trees in the background.
Rustic wooden barn interior with a table set for a meal, decorated with string lights, a painting on the wall, an American flag hanging, and some gardening tools leaning against the wall.
White hydrangea flowers growing near a house with an American flag attached to the house exterior.
A woman wearing a black dress and straw hat tending to vegetable garden in a rural area on a sunny day with a blue sky and scattered clouds.
Raised garden beds with colorful blooming flowers and plants, a grassy lawn, large trees, a white shed, a picnic table with an umbrella, and a clear blue sky.
Small white shed with an open door, window, and a light fixture outside, situated in a grassy yard with trees.
Pink and purple flowers blooming in a garden with green grass in the background.
A landscaped garden with a metal sculpture of three nested circles on a grassy lawn, surrounded by lush green plants and trees in the background.
A scenic outdoor scene featuring a group of leafless trees on a grassy hill. In the background, a white house is visible under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. The ground is covered with fallen leaves and pinecones, and a small stream runs th
A lush garden with colorful flowers, raised garden beds filled with various green plants, surrounded by trees and a partly cloudy sky.
A lush green garden with trees, grass, and flowering plants. There is a wooden sauna with a chimney on the right side, surrounded by dense foliage.
Raised garden beds with blooming flowers and lush green plants, a white house with a grey shingled roof, black car, outdoor picnic table with umbrella, and a grassy yard with trees in the background.
A backyard scene with a round table covered with a white patterned tablecloth, two wooden chairs, and a bottle of wine with a wine opener. In the background, there's a white house with black shutters, a porch, and a grassy lawn with trees.
Colorful flower bed with purple and pink flowers in a wooden frame on green grass, with a well-maintained lawn and trees in the background.
A house with white siding and a pitched roof, surrounded by green trees and a flower garden with pink and purple flowers in the foreground under a clear blue sky.
Garden bed with green bushes on the left and small plants on the right, bordered by wooden planks, on a grassy area.
A view of a white house with black shutters, a brick chimney, and an outdoor patio with a picnic table and umbrella, as seen from under tree branches with hanging circular metal decorations.
A landscaped garden with flower beds, a sculpture of five interconnected rings, and a background of trees under a blue sky.
A two-story white house with a porch and black shutters, lit from inside, with an open barn-like garage filled with tools and American flags. In the foreground, there is a small stream, a grassy lawn, a barbecue grill emitting smoke, and trees overhe
A fire pit with burning wood on a stone platform outdoors in a grassy area surrounded by trees, with a pile of firewood nearby.
A man walks across a grassy yard near a small fire in a fire pit, with trees in the background.
A black barbecue grill with a single raw steak cooking on it, set on green grass near a small creek with trees in the background.

The Process:

Planting a Lavender Field

Plant, Cultivate & Design

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Long Before We Arrived

 Clearing the Brook, Yard

& Building Gardens

Two men planting small trees on a grassy hillside with a dog nearby, in front of a house and trees in the background.
Round wooden tiny house under construction on a gravel surface, surrounded by green trees, with a door and partial interior visible.
A frozen pond in a rural area, surrounded by leafless trees, with houses visible in the distance under a cloudy sky.
A man standing outdoors in a grassy area wearing work clothes, gloves, and a black beanie. There is a wheelbarrow filled with weeds or garden debris nearby. The background features trees, a small creek, and a partly cloudy sky.
A wooded outdoor scene with a small stream running through the forest, a grassy clearing with a barn decorated with an American flag, and various trees and plants around.
A person digging a hole in a grassy field in a fenced-off area on a sunny day, with trees in the background and a large metal sculpture nearby.
A scenic view of a grassy park with trees, some with leaves changing color, under a partly cloudy blue sky.
An elderly man with white hair wearing a peach polo shirt and gray pants is tending to a garden of bright yellow flowers with green leaves, on a lush green lawn with trees in the background.
Sauna Construction
Person laying stepping stones on a gravel pathway outside a white house with a small dog nearby.
A flatbed truck carrying a large evergreen tree wrapped in burlap on a grassy area with green trees in the background.
A small stream flowing through a forest with fallen leaves on the ground, some yellow and green leaves on the trees.
A red truck with a black dump bed parked on a grassy area near a forest, with a yellow excavator attached behind it. There are some tree stumps and logs on the ground near the forest.
Potted lavender plants with labels on soil, placed on a black surface outdoors.
A landscaped yard with a modern metal sculpture of four connected circles, surrounded by four flower beds with small bushes and pink and white flowers, and a background of trees and a white house with a car parked nearby.
Close-up view of orange lilies growing in a garden with a house visible in the background, shaded by trees on a sunny day.
Yellow flowers with dark centers in the foreground, rain droplets on leaves, a grassy yard with a small white shed and a house with an American flag in the background, trees, and a car on a rainy day.
A white house with an American flag hanging on the side, a picnic table with an umbrella, a charcoal grill emitting smoke, and a grassy yard with trees and a bright blue sky.

Barrel by the Brook

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Building a Sauna

A man with a small dog standing outdoors on a grassy area, smiling next to a large rusted metal sculpture in a wooded area with trees in the background.
Two men working outdoors with two dogs, one brown and one yellow, on a grassy field, installing or repairing a tall metal structure under a partly cloudy sky.

 With Every Season

Snow-covered house with lea and chimney, surrounded by snow, leafless trees, a driveway with a parked car, and a mailbox marked 0609.
White house exterior with black shutters, white flowers in front, and trees in the background.