The Fallkill Project
We are so excited to share our latest project, one that is near and dear to our hearts. We’ve been calling it the Fallkill Project, and as we get closer to its completion we’re falling more in love with the land and the house and the neighborhood. This property will eventually be an Upstate Down Rental, but for now we get to bear witness to its transformation.
Let’s back up. About a year ago a small historic home (with a totally bizarre 90’s addition off the back) came into our lives. Dutchess County is full of old homes, but this home is really, really old– 1770s old! Jon and I have a thing for old houses. And new houses. Well, as you probably know, we love houses – old and new, but we especially love the marriage of the two. We immediately fell for this one and began dreaming up its next incarnation.
As we began peeling back the layers of paint and wallpaper and paneling, we felt like we were uncovering all the lives this home has lived. When you take apart a house this old, you realize that everything was made by hand: every beam, every stone, every brick and tile was fashioned by someone. This realization informed our design decisions. Wherever possible, we went with handcrafted finishes in natural materials. The marble sink in the bathroom, for example, wouldn’t necessarily have looked the way ours does, but the material itself is authentic to the time period.
We selected neutral colors that serve as a backdrop to showcase the structure itself. There’s no white paint. White wouldn’t have been true to the era. Yet, we didn’t want to go backwards. Fireplace surrounds from that time were carved from wood. That doesn’t make much sense – instead, we used a cement treatment on the surface of the fireplace to mimic plaster in a color that resembles the walls and a material that’s more indicative of the time period.
In terms of layout, we separated the kitchen from the living and dining rooms. We imagine breakfast in the kitchen, lunch on the deck and dinner in the dining room, with after dinner drinks by the fireplace.
In addition to shoring up the foundation, we installed new electric, plumbing, and mechanicals. We added a spacious deck and impressive glass sliders to highlight the beauty of the woods, stone walls, and meadow. As we finish up this gut renovation, we’re honored we got to spend time with this beauty. Can’t wait to share more when it’s totally done!
