The People

We are Carolyn and Ronan, and we are renovating our 200-year-old home in the Hudson Valley of upstate New York. We love each other, our two children, old houses, and adventures. By day, Carolyn is a reading teacher and Ronan is a landscaper/contractor/do-it-aller. With the help of our family members and close friends, we do 99% of our renovation work ourselves.

The House

While we plan on loving this house like it’s our own for now, we do hope to sell it someday.  Whether someday means next year or 10 years from now, we really don’t know.  Since we don’t plan on this being our “forever home”, we want to make sure that it appeals to the masses and we intend to figure out what people like by asking them you. We need you and your opinions! Help us transform this potential beauty back into the lovely lady she (probably) was long ago.

Things that we like:

• Colonial homes
• Old houses that function as well as new ones
• Bright, airy, sun-lit rooms
• Big windows
• Clean lines
• Fireplaces
• High ceilings
• Wide board floors
• Traditional features (we are looking at you, pocket doors)
• Built-ins
• Glass
• Beautiful, functional outdoor spaces
• Stone patios and walkways
• Simply and thoughtfully decorated spaces

Things that we are intimidated by:

• Wallpaper
• Light fixtures
• Paint that isn’t white, beige, vanilla, eggshell, bone- you get the idea
• Window treatments
• Hanging wall decor
• Empty walls/shelves waiting to be styled
• This list is sure to grow as we face the challenges that lie ahead…