Our Newest “Hammertown Home”

by Elizabeth on Sep 16, 2008

(from our most recent Hammertown Newsletter)

In the interest of unbiased reporting, I feel the need to admit that the story you are about to read is completely biased. I have always wanted to live in a restored barn. So, when Joan suggested customer Ann Harding’s full-time residence in Millbrook as the next, Hammertown Homes feature, I jumped at the chance to tag along as scribe and photographer.
Ann’s home is a consciously restored 19th century barn not far from the center of Millbrook village. After five long years of searching for the right property and barn, her realtor finally called her with The One. Ann is like many of Hammertown’s creative and visionary customers and although the house had been restored, she saw many personally inspired changes that could be made to both the house and the grounds. Guided by Farm Wanted, a book written by the home’s original owners as they chronicled their own restoration, Ann set to work.

In the year since she took residence, Ann has replaced every window in her home and created for herself a true living space. From the adorable hallway nook she transformed into a home for her pet rabbit to the expansive “California room” added to the exterior, all choices were made with both comfort and style in mind.
Set on seven acres with incredible pastoral views, Ann’s home is that rare contemporary residence that while thoughtfully renovated and re-stored, does not look “decorated”. Not a “precious home”, this is space is for living – a place where people feel, in Ann’s words, “both comfortable and comforted”. The rooms are spacious but not voluminous, echoing the original feel of the structure.

Ann’s home is an experiment in the palest of neutrals from the crisp white linens on her bed to the custom-made white Roman shades and cool linen tones of the Barrington slipcovered sofa (from Hammertown) in her bedroom. An artist who has recently started to experiment with photography, Ann works on keeping things simple. She mixes her own paints, prefers oversized artwork on the (mostly bare) walls and admits to having removed a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf in her living room during her restoration process. Rather than dominate the space with a the large shelf, Ann spreads the books and accessories it may have housed throughout her home in unique ways: an antique, book-laden bench sits behind her sofa, vintage vases and trays decorate her bedside dresser and…..Overall, this creates an uncluttered but lived-in environment…a much sought after style in this time of excess and one that reflects the “soul” of this home and its owner.
Ann’s calming kitchen with its signature Hammertown island, radiates both modern simplicities and farmhouse sensibilities. The cement counters (one of the only prior elements that Ann did keep) and a stainless steel Viking stove blend seamlessly with the vintage-inspired island, twig bar stools (also from Hammertown) and antique items that dot the space.

The kitchen flows to what can only be described as one of the most enticing living spaces I have ever seen. With three coordinating pieces from Mitchell Gold + Bob William’s Nikki furniture collection, all slipcovered in simple white linen, the living room is a down-filled haven of comfortable, relaxed style. In the center of all this plushness, is another Hammertown signature piece, a one-of-a-kind ottoman upholstered in an antique Turkish carpet remnant. The bold golds and reds of the ottoman both ground and enliven the mostly neutral space and introduce colors that are echoed in the neighboring dining area.
All told, this is home that holds history not only through the memory of its original purpose but also through the antiques, vintage pieces and other unique accessories that enhance the décor. When shopping for such items, Ann uses her discerning eye as a filter, preferring to buy something that she really responds to even if she isn’t sure where it might go. In the end, she is confident (with good reason) there will be a place for these pieces in her home. This is a sentiment I have often heard professed by Joan back at the shop. To paraphrase her Hammertown rule of thumb, “if you truly love and respond to something, from a large piece of furniture or table lamp to a piece of handmade pottery or a vintage linen pillow, buy it and bring it home. This is how your unique and individual style will flourish and grow.”

Throughout Ann’s home you can see the many ways in which Hammertown has helped inspire and enhance her design. From her extensive book collection and MG+BW furniture to antiques, rugs, reproduction Swedish pieces and Fish’s Eddy dishware, there are bits of Hammertown in every room. What we LOVE is how Ann made them her own. This speaks to the very core of what makes a Hammertown Home. It is not a cookie cutter redo of our shop, but rather a representation of the owner’s unique sensibilities…with a little help from Hammertown. When Joan saw the cunning use of one of Hammertown’s woven cotton throws as a “slipcover” of sorts on an outdoor sofa (see above right) she herself was inspired and delighted.
In today’s society where value is placed, despite the current green craze, on more and larger and bigger, Ann Harding’s home is a homage to the joys of small pleasures, individual touches and old-fashioned comforts. Thanks for sharing it with us.