WEB-EXCLUSIVE HOME TOUR

在一个国家那是别致的农家大院Inspired by English Cottages

The hodgepodge aesthetic is a cozy and colorful delight

June 3, 2022

When a Washington, D.C.–based tutor stumbled upon a 100-acre property outside of the city at the height of the pandemic, it was love at first sight. The historic compound had an original farm-fresh feel that she wanted to update with charming furnishings.

Three years earlier, the client in question had completed a gut renovation of her Arts and Crafts home withCameron Ruppert Interiors. She turned to the decorator again for help replicating that same aesthetic in this project—which Ruppert refers to as “bold maximalism.” Architect Suzie O’Brien andJeffco Developmentwere also integral to the process.

“She didn’t want it to feel like a brand-new house that she’d gutted, but rather [one that was] layered on top of the original,” Ruppert explains of her client. “I knew from working together before that she loves dimension and tons of patterns and color, but she wants it to last. It had to be timeless.”

In relocating to the farm full-time, the homeowner sold “almost everything” from her D.C. home. That meant embracing the property’s four separate structures as their own clean slates and imbuing each with its own distinctive purpose, be it a study area or guest quarters. Ruppert took advantage of the relatively small footprint of each dwelling to install unique elements that would be “too much” for an open-plan house.

Needlepoint-fronted cabinetry, one all-yellow area, pink-painted wood floors, and no shortage of U.K.–imported textiles quickly followed. “If we didn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s because we wanted it to feel original,” Ruppert says, pointing to the deliberate choice to paint the walls and trim the same shade in every room, rather than use contrasting white trim. “It’s not perfect. The walls aren’t a level 5 finish, but that’s okay. It all felt right in this house.”

Throughout the two-year process, Ruppert “edited endlessly” to create an English cottage–inspired “hodgepodge” of furnishings and decor. She waited for four months after the furniture was installed to add what she calls the “top layer” of accessories, mirrors, and the like to ensure it’d feel collected and not overly designed. That led to swapping art for a mirror over the fireplace in the main house living room so as not to distract from other art in the space.

“It’s hard to anticipate when you’re so far into a project,” Ruppert says. “I needed to see it come together and let it play out to get a fresh perspective. A lot of people might think, This doesn’t go together, but it does once you see the finished product. Given the house and what the client wanted, this turned out to be the right approach.”

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Nicholas Herbertwallpaper in the entry looks as if it’s been with the home forever, even though it’s new. Muted paint trim in Farrow & BallJoa’s Whiteadds to the overall ambiance.
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Ruppert created built-in storage in the mudroom painted in a customFine Paints of Europeblue hue that she then replicated in The Urban Electric Company light fixture.
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Farrow & BallSetting Plaster, seen here in the main house living room, pulls together tones from aCowtan & Tout–upholstered plaid sofa,Fortunyvelvet settee, green ottoman byHolland & Sherry,and Pierre Frey window treatments. “There’s a lot going on, but it works,” Ruppert says. “There are pink walls, patterned drapes, and plaid and velvet. The client really wanted a pink living room, so we had to work with that. And it was super important that the living room looked great at Christmas.” The Pierre Frey curtains are therefore fittingly red and green.
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The homeowner initially said “no to yellow,” Ruppert says. “But once we showed her the wallpaper and matching fabric, with its little cherries, she was fully on board. The greens in the wallpaper played off the kitchen too.” The yellow is Farrow & BallBabouche,和灯具Waterworks.

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Ruppert sourced an antique game table from 1stDibs to fit perfectly into this living room window nook. “We took inspiration from country homes in England,” Ruppert says. The window treatments are again by Pierre Frey.
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Ruppert kept as many original details as she could, like the kitchen range, tile work, and cabinetry. She gave the elements a facelift by painting the cabinets Benjamin MoorePeale Green,更换硬件,adding island pendant lights by The Urban Electric Company.
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The client brought the piano and dark wood dining table with her from her first house, and the pieces fit perfectly into the country chic aesthetic. Window treatments byChelsea Textiles,antique dining chairs, and lighting by The Urban Electric Company up the ante.

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Ruppert translated this uninsulated stone structure into an all-season study for her work-from-home client, who requested recessed lighting, warmth in the winter, and storage for books. Ruppert installed brass track lighting and mounted it to the wood beams, along with custom bookcases with needlepoint cabinet fronts byHunt & Hope.She sourced the antique Laurin Copen desk and antique desk chairs from1stDibs. “The client loves to needlepoint but can’t have needlepoint furniture because of her cats,” Ruppert says. “The cabinet fronts were the perfect solution.”
Photo: Stacy Zarin Goldberg

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A freestanding electric fire adds warmth for the winter in this cozy study. The pair of armchairs are upholstered inIan Sandersonfabric, and the pillows are byPierre Frey.A soft rug underfoot bySalvesen Grahamadds to the warmth. “We painted the wood floors pink,” Ruppert says. “We wouldn’t do that in an entire house, but it works here.”
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A sumptuous retreat, the main house primary bedroom features a canopy bed with Chelsea Textiles upholstery that complements a Pierre Frey–upholstered sofa at its foot. An antique desk serves dual function as a nightstand and desk, with a chair draped inElizabeth Eakinsfabrics. The ceiling light is byColeen & Company.

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In the guest house bathroom, Ruppert installedAdelphiwallpaper that pairs well withBalineumwall tiles in the shower.The Urban Electric Companysconces andSoane Britainshades lend another pop of pattern to the space. “There were bright blues and pinks in the house before its renovation, so we went with it,” Ruppert says of the palette.
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Adjacent to the guest house bathroom, Ruppert created a space for getting ready, complete with a vanity, sink, and no shortage of natural light. Farrow & Ball’sBreakfast Room Green,seen on the cabinetry, pulls out the same tone seen in theLee Jofaapricot floral window treatments. An ornate mirror byCarvers’ Guildcompletes the space.