A Primitive Primer

An old Connecticut schoolhouse inspires its owners to learn more about early American style and embrace traditional elements while making the space uniquely their own.

An old Connecticut school-house-turned-residence proves to be the perfect backdrop for a couple’s distinctive blend of primitive-inspired eclectic decor.

At first glance, the old home in Deep River, Connecticut, did

not captivate Ellie Edgeworth. It clearly needed a lot of TLC, plus, it was a daunting two-hour commute from where she and her husband, Bob, worked. However, Bob loved the place, so Ellie decided to give the house a chance, which proved to be the right choice for the couple. “Once we got in, we were so happy we did,” Ellie recalls. “We loved the area, and I was just beginning to get into more primitive style. It all fell together.”

The home was a blend of old and new and proved the perfect backdrop for Ellie’s evolving style. The original structure was a one-room schoolhouse built in 1885 (the original Winthrop Schoolhouse), but additions over the years had brought the home up to approximately 3,200 square feet.

After moving in, the couple put their own touch on the home by tearing down a few walls and converting the main part of the schoolhouse into a kitchen and “keeping room.” There was a courtyard between the old and new portions of the house, so Bob built a deck off the kitchen for easy access to the area. The couple also added more windows to bring the outdoor space into view. “We have a big family and do a lot of entertaining,” Ellie explains. “It’s so nice to have that functional space.”

When it came to achieving her “eclectic with a primitive flair” style, Ellie notes there is no particular rhyme or reason to her decorating practices. “It is a process—once it is right, you just know it.” For example, when she removed the existing kitchen ceiling and caught sight of the old beams, she knew it was best to leave them exposed and rough.

Personal touches also bring variety to the interior space. Wood milled from

a tree cut on the property now adorns the mantel wall in the living room. “It is little unexpected touches that can make such a big difference,” Ellie adds.

The couple worked with artist Susan Dwyer, who painted murals on many of the home’s walls. In the keeping room, Susan recreated a Rufus Porter piece that includes the original Winthrop Schoolhouse. “Back in the day, this was the ‘wallpaper’ people used. They were a way to bring a wall to life,” Ellie says of the murals.

To balance her preference for graphic wall art, Ellie takes pleasure in simple objects—pewter, pottery, wooden boxes, rolling pins, gourds. White lights strung from a twig tree, fresh flowers placed in a crock, and gourds and bittersweet overflowing from a trencher are the no-frills accents she loves to sprinkle throughout her home. “I have always been interested in an era where life was simple and every piece in the house had a real purpose,” she reflects.

Decorating her home inspired her so much that she opened a small shop, Home at Last, in nearby Old Saybrook, Connecticut, selling only American-made primitive and Colonial reproductions. There, Ellie encouraged customers to be confident and true to themselves when decorating. “Magazines and shops can give you food for thought, but you don’t have to actually duplicate what you see,” she explains. “I am neither a designer or decorator but someone who trusted my own creativity and used it to make a cozy and loving home for my husband, and a place for family and friends to visit.” Editor’s note: Since their home was photographed, Ellie and Bob closed their shop and relocated to Maine, where they are renovating their new home, which features post-and-beam construction and is shaping up to have the primitive style Ellie adores.

Ellie Edgeworth’s eclectic/primitive style comes to life in her living room. A local stonemason built the fireplace, and artist Kathy Graybill created several painted signs. The leather club chairs do not hark back to an earlier era, but as Ellie says, “you need to be able to mix comfort with pieces that you love.” Inset: A tavern sign painted on an old piece of wood helps create a second focal point in the living room. Gourds, garland and mini pumpkins stand out among buckets, firkins and other collected treasures.

Ellie and Bob left the original beams exposed in the kitchen and hung a collection of baskets from their flathead nails. A painted floorcloth ties together the room’s various elements. A reproduction pie safe makes a wonderful gathering place for fresh flowers, pumpkins and other autumn decor. Old school bells—Ellie began collecting them after moving into her home as a nod to its schoolhouse past—sit atop an antique lap desk.