What an Honor
Living in the heart of the Midwest didn’t stop this creative Indiana homeowner from designing a New England–inspired Cape Cod that honors Colonial style.
Inspired by East Coast architecture, an innovative Indiana homeowner designs her Midwestern Cape Cod to include Early American elements.
Vicki Atwood has long been fond of all things Colonial, from the architecture to the antiques. “I’m a hopeless romantic, and I think there is romance and beauty in how people lived then and in simple, old things,” she says. In fact, when Vicki lived in a previous house, she would dress up in Colonial garb and offer living history lessons to local schoolchildren. It’s no wonder, then, that when she had the opportunity to design her own home she chose to build something in the style of that era.
When Vicki and her husband, Woody, built their Franklin, Indiana, home nearly 18 years ago, she acted as the general contractor and even drew up the plans herself before having an architect draft the official blueprints. That allowed her to be in control of every step of the design process and ensured she could choose the details she loved, including a central fireplace, which is a key element in historic homes. “It’s really a cross between Colonial, Federal and cottage,” she says of her style.
Vicki’s skills as a self-taught painter and carpenter allow her to both create elements on her own and work with others to execute her ideas. Her ingenuity powered the entire home’s concept: For example, well before such a scheme was as on trend as it is today, she designed her kitchen cabinetry with feet and trim that make the individual cabinets look more like built-in furniture. She also incorporated niches and shelves that allow her to show off collections of chocolate and cookie molds.
Vicki delights in devising details, such as dreaming up unique tread brackets for the stairs, commissioning a local living history museum’s blacksmith shop to make andirons, or mixing three colors of stain to get just the right hue for the hickory floors. She has a similar enthusiasm for finding just the right accessories for each room, scouring auctions, eBay and antiques shops for everything from old books and parchments to 1700s onion bottles recovered from shipwrecks.
In keeping with her preference for history-imbued style, Vicki uses these treasures to set up scenes that look like a person from the past has just stepped away for a moment. “Instead of putting a picture on the wall, I like to use furniture to create a vignette,” she explains. For instance, she might prop a desktop with old eyeglasses, books and a piece of antique parchment with a pen on top.
Years ago, Vicki was more of a traditionalist who favored “real Williamsburg style.” Nowadays, she likes to decorate with primitives and mix in some newer elements, including whimsical folk art and reproduction rugs and linens, to keep her home from feeling too much like a museum. “I love the charm and character of old things, but I still have to live in it,” she notes. Although she is happy with her home and considers it complete, Vicki enjoys lending a hand to friends and family for their decorating projects. She encourages those who might be unsure of tackling a project to dive in. “If something looks expensive, it’s very likely you can find a way to do it yourself or find someone who can that you can barter with,” she says. “Don’t be afraid of failing—just try it!”