HISTORIC GEM

This 1772 Connecticut home gets a second lease on life with fresh updates.

This 1772 Connecticut home gets a second lease on life with fresh updates.

The home has an open feel, as everything flows from one room to the next.

When you’re an artist, you can have an eye for more than just fine art. That was the case for interior designer Amy Cupp. A car accident changed her aspirations from fine artist to interior designer, which led her to New York City and its many antiques malls, flea markets and design centers. “I had originally studied textile design,” Amy says, “so I was very into sourcing all the fabrics and that sort of thing. I’ve pretty much had every creative job in New York City since, from floral design to fancy wedding paper to stationery design.”

In 2010, Amy and her husband bought a house in Warren, Connecticut. This charming town in Litchfield County is referred to by some as the “Beverly Hills of the East” because it’s an appealing place for celebrities, artists and other creatives who prefer access to the big city from a setting of rural beauty.

In fact, Amy and her husband now run a bed-and-breakfast out of the 1772 center-hall colonial, while they live in the barn.

VINTAGE HOME VIBES

As for the home, it’s an 1880s barn. But even the 1880s structure isn’t the oldest home on the property. A center-hall colonial has been there since 1772. “At some point after 1772, they added onto the back of that house, which eventually became an inn,”Amy says. “The inn and barn went into foreclosure sometime in 2015, and we purchased it in the fall of 2016 and pretty much had to do a massive renovation of the barn. At the time, it did not have a certificate of occupancy, and we did a freshen-up in the inn.” In fact, Amy and her husband now run a bed-and-breakfast out of the 1772 center-hall colonial, while they live in the barn, which was designed to be the owner’s residence.

The home has one bedroom, two-and-ahalf bathrooms and an attached stone barn, and clocks in at 4,000 square feet. It has an open feel, as everything flows from one room to the next. “There are no doors in here except for the one leading to the party barn,” Amy says. “The stone barn is attached to the big barn.”

GRAND TOUR

Designed with a double-height ceiling, the old barn is accessed through double doors. The entryway makes a grand first impression with a double-height foyer. A double-width, open door leads to the office, which has built-in cabinets with a home office desk.

The kitchen rests along a nearly 30-foot wide wall. Amy painted the perimeter of the kitchen black to “add some scale into the space, because otherwise it would have just been this giant white box,” she says.

“It needed something to bring it down to scale, to make it more human.”This space is complete with a built-in coffee system and classic French cooktop on a seven-burner Lacanche range.

The master bedroom is equally statuesque with its high ceilings. The wooden floor showcases a vintage 1940s area rug and antique makeup table, along with other carefully selected pieces that reflect the character of the home.

ARTIST’S CANVAS

Given Amy’s art background, it’s no wonder the home is peppered with artwork. She collects both new and old pieces, allowing her vintage art to shine alongside the newer works. “Almost everything has been found secondhand at antiques stores, junk stores, the dump,” she says. “I bring lots of stuff home from the dump.”

Besides enjoying the home, which can be described as artistic and in line with its original feel, Amy continues to work as an interior designer. As for her ideal project, she has an appreciation for renovation work. “I like to see a project from the shell all the way through until I’m done decorating it,” she says. “Then I’m ready to move on!”

PHOTOGRAPHY B Y CO S TA S P I C A DA S

(top, left) Amy and her husband live in the historic Connecticut barn with their poodle. (opposite) One of the most prominent features of the barn’s kitchen is the island. It’s 14.5 feet long and just over 5 feet wide, which provides both plenty of storage and work space for making food.

Large blank walls are ideal for wall hangings, and Amy chose to hang a vintage American flag on this wall, alongside a double chaise lounge that’s the perfect place to curl up with a book.

Natural light bathes this farm cottage-style living room. The high ceiling allows for the display of Amy’s vintage poster collection, which she’s been curating since her college years from auctions and vintage poster shows.

The barn’s loft is accessible by a ladder. A metal canopy bed helps fill the ceiling space, while more of Amy’s vintage art collection lines the wall under the large window.

The large space of the barn allows for ample dining space too. Amy designed the dining table against the wall with bench seating as well as full armchairs on either side of the table for maximum relaxation around a meal. (opposite) In large spaces like Amy’s living room, area rugs are a good way to help break up the space. Amy showcases a black-and-white area rug here that works with her black and white furnishings.

The TV den is not a very wide room, so Amy decided to paint the walls black to make it feel cozier and more intimate. The furniture also has a darker hue, which helps it blend into the walls. (opposite) In this cozy seating area, the woodburning fireplace is the star, and Amy flanked it with two leather armchairs. She maintained the symmetry with identical table lamps and side tables that show off her woodpiles.

(opposite) A painting by artist Nathaniel Mather adds character to the colorful home office. Amy designed a large built-in desk and cabinet combination that makes wise use of storage space.