COLOR WITH CONFIDENCE

Step inside an 1802 New Jersey farmhouse brimming with bold colors that offer an updated touch to collections of unique primitives.

An 1802 New Jersey farmhouse stays true to its period roots thanks to the homeowners’ penchant for earthy colors and authentic primitive style.

KKim and Rich McLaughlin once dreamed of leaving their densely populated county and living amid the scenic New Jersey countryside. That “someday” dream came true much earlier than expected, though, after a visit with a dealer friend at a favorite flea market five years ago. The dealer casually mentioned that her house outside small-town Alloway, New Jersey, was for sale. Intrigued, Kim pulled up the listing, and the couple bought it on the spot. “We like to say we bought our house at a flea market,” Kim says jokingly.

The farmhouse was built in 1802 and once served as a stagecoach stop and boarding house, and over the decades, the structure was expanded and renovated by previous owners. After moving in, the McLaughlins made mostly cosmetic changes to better suit Kim’s tastes for earthy colors and authentic primitive style. She decorates with intention and simplicity—and a keen eye for symmetry. For the couple, new furnishings must be functional as well as aesthetically pleasing, and after Kim configures a room to her liking, it stays that way—no arranging and rearranging.

That’s how she maintains composure despite managing a multigenerational family of six, a good-natured cat named Binx and an antiques business. “It gets chaotic, so my surroundings need to be calm,” she says. “That can be the only peace I get. I can’t have a lot of clutter, and I can’t be moving things around.”

Kim, who has had a lifelong passion for history and antiques, became a dealer about a decade ago. She and a friend take buying trips to antiquing hotspots a couple of times a year to stock up for their spring and fall barn sales. It’s a fun diversion for Kim and another way she brings serenity into her world.

The living room was one comfort project that took her a couple of tries to perfect. The room is a cozy and often-used space that doubles as the home’s family room. The walls were originally navy blue. “My daughter walked in and said, ‘This room gives you a hug,’ ” she recalls. Kim painted the walls a light color because navy didn’t work for her decorating style, but the intimate feeling disappeared. So, she repainted a satisfying deep gray-green hue and got it back. “Thank goodness for paint,” she says. “It’s an easy switch.”

The eat-in kitchen, on the other hand, is a large expanse that accommodates a crowd. Kim arranged her furnishings around the perimeter to leave an open area for family members to gather and for guests to mingle.

A handy trick she turns to when trying to decide where to place an item is to photograph it in various locations. She then compares the pictures side by side, and inevitably one will appear more attractive than the others. “It’s like dressing yourself,” she says. “You look in the mirror and keep going until you get it right.” Whether by trial and error or with a solid plan in mind, Kim relies on her knowledge of antiques and her preference for simplicity to create interiors that are camera-ready.

Above: The 1802 farmhouse expanded with porches and dormers is the perfect country retreat for Kim and Rich McLaughlin’s lively family.

Right: Decorative shadow-box molding and a Williamsburg chandelier bring a hint of formality to the dining room. The table and black Windsor chairs are a deliberate mismatch to create a diverse look. Kim painted the chairs with a spray gun to avoid the time-consuming task of painting the turnings with a brush. “Chairs are so labor intensive to do yourself,” she explains. The neutral-toned rug keeps everything else in the room highlighted and coordinates with the kitchen rugs.

Above: Kim couldn’t find a furniture piece large enough to cover the longest dining room wall, so she put together two complementary arrangements instead. With simplicity and the number three as her guide, she accessorized the stepback cupboard with a trio of crocks and a dough bowl. She hung the plate rack, lined with pewter plates, directly above the wooden bench. Between the two arrangements, a hay rake and lantern give vertical lift.

Kim anchors the kitchen gathering area with an oversize primitive cupboard and an Asian-style rug. She stacks and mingles functional pieces with decorative accents like the crock set inside the open cubby of a cabinet and the small chest of drawers perched on a wooden stand. To add visual balance to the setting, she mounted a pot rack hung with copperware in one upper corner and a rack holding an assortment of baskets in the opposite one.

A huge fan of textiles, Kim thoughtfully layered her breakfast room from floor to ceiling. She chose the braided rug to coordinate with the striped one in the adjacent kitchen. The plaid fishtail swags repeat the room’s warm hues while preserving the bucolic view. The jewel-toned table runner offers a touch of spunk. “I think all spaces need a pop of color even if you have a neutral palette,” she says.

The focal point in the McLaughlins’ living room is a built-in wood-burning stove crowned with a decorative mantelpiece. Deep gray-green walls are brightened by the crisp white woodwork, woven window shades, multihued braided rug and peachy accents. Turning up the cozy mood, Kim lavishes the modern-day seating and a wooden blanket crane with vintage quilts and heritage textiles.