Before and After: A Once-Cluttered House Is Now Light, Bright, and a lot More Enjoyable
Before and After: A Once-Cluttered House Is Now Light, Bright, and a lot More Enjoyable
Name: Eileen Preston and Mark Cooper and kids
Location: Pleasantville, New York
Size: 3,200 square feet
Years Lived In: Eileen Preston 1 year, Mark Cooper 11 years; owned

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Our home is at the end of small wooded road. I love the privacy and land. This house has lots of windows! As a nature lover, I bring lots of plants and natural elements in. It is sunny and bright and having a lot of green leaves indoors gets me through the winter.
We didn’t care much about having a formal dining room and thought it would get more use as a game room. Being a Cape Cod-style house from the ’60s, there was a bedroom and full bathroom right off the dining room. We decided to take out the bathtub in the existing bathroom and use the space for a wet bar, with cabinets and wine fridge in the adjoining guest room, which is now the sitting room. We now have a new powder room, and a sitting room with a wet bar to relax or entertain. The sitting room has large French doors, which open up to the game room, formerly, our dining room. During the holidays, we cover the pool table and it becomes a very large dining table.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: I love bringing outdoors in. Plants and natural elements. I feel at home in a natural, relaxed, and eclectic space with lots of windows.
Inspiration: I’ve always been drawn to the unique European style and its quirkiness. The interiors and exteriors of the homes in France, England, Italy, Holland, Spain… seem to evolve throughout the years—not appearing to be instantly decorated. [Spaces] filled with plants, art, family heirlooms, and interesting objects with lots of comfortable furniture is very appealing to me. I also follow SF Girl By Bay and I love Leanne Ford’s style. She is a true inspiration.
Biggest Challenge: Moving into my partner’s house with all of my stuff and all of his. He lived there over 10 years! Designing around existing items—like the large “where do we put this family heirloom” piano. It forced me to find creative ways to use what we had and make it all work.
Proudest DIY: Our vintage pool table found on Craigslist for $200. Although we paid a lot more to transport and restore with new felt and bumpers, we spent months sanding, staining and finding parts to bring it back to its glory. I have to give Mark most of the credit for this.
Biggest Indulgence: It didn’t happen yet. A cream-colored vintage leather rock lounge chair or Montis chair by Gerard van den Berg and gorgeous vintage modern lighting from the ’50s thru the ’70s.
Best Advice: I love to start with Pinterest to find my inspiration. Also, painting a room makes a huge difference. Or try moving furniture around, maybe a different room in the house. Edit down the clutter, add lots of plants, and find unique accessories. I love Etsy. Article has well-designed and comfortable furniture at great prices.
What’s your best home secret? Shop online for unique items and skip the big retailers. We bought our carpets directly from Morocco and they are unique. I will say again, Etsy—from pillows to prints or crystals and vintage finds to style a book case. A favorite of mine on Etsy, “You Sentimental Idiot.” The artist creates really fun and small and affordable prints. I keep buying her prints.
Resources
PAINT & COLORS
- Living Room — Sherwin-Williams Shoji White
- Game Room — Benjamin Moore Secret
- Sitting Room — Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray
- Bathing Alcove — Benjamin Moore Wedgewood Gray
- Powder Room — Benjamin Moore Cloud Cover
- Hallway — Wickham Gray
LIVING ROOM
- Macramé — Etsy/WallKnot
- Sofa — Jean Michel Sectional , Lillian August Home Furnishings
- Pillows — Anthropologie and HomeGoods
- Cocktail Table — Interlude Ava
- Beni Ourain Rug — Moroccan Rugs USA
- Big Dipper Arc Lamp — CB2
- Vase — Target
- Oda Small Capsule Table Lamp — France and Son
- Peak Media Credenza — CB2
- Fitz Chair — France and Son
- Art on Peak Media Console — A very large study of Maureen Meyers’ “Small Study” re-created by me, Eileen Preston
- Art above Fireplace — Eileen Preston
- Art on Piano — Nude by Michael Lentz;Artfully Walls, and on wall SGRAFFITO 424 by Michael Lentz
- Large Chinese Rice Wine Jug — Brimfield Antiques Show
- Indian Throw — Anthropologie
ON BOOKSHELVES
- German Bed Warmer Used as Modern Vase — Etsy/theVINTAGEporter
- Three Prints — Etsy/yousentimentalidiot
- Palo Santo — AmazonPottery; Etsy/GardenStyleLiving
- Hippocrates Bust — Etsy/GardenStyleLiving
- Pink Baskets — Etsy/MonochromeVintage
- Prism Mercury Vase — West Elm
- Sage Smudge Sticks — Shamans Market
- Pakistani Basket — Etsy/MackenzieBryantCo
- Vetiver Tassel Room Freshener — Connected Goods
- Raw Marble Object — CB2
- Assorted Antique Books — Etsy/ThePaintedTrunk
- Match Striker — Amazon
- Watering Can — IKEA
GAME ROOM
- Pool Table — Craigs List
- Moroccan Rug — atlasweavers.com
- Bullseye Poster — Etsy/lacklusterco
- Small Sheepskin Rug — IKEA
- Larger Sheepskin Rug — Lillian August Home Furnishings, Norwalk, Connecticut
- Mid-century Bench — Target
- Pillow — Block Shop
- Woodchuck Target Poster — Etsy
- Ramblin’ Jack Elliott poster — By Dirk Fowler
- Antlers — Two’s Company
- Basket — HomeGoods
- Metal Dome Pendant Light — Leanne Ford Project 62 for Target
SITTING ROOM
- Print – “Not a Circle” by Kate Castelli; Industry West
- Barbell Nickel Floor Lamp
- Sven Sofa — Article
- Nord Chairs — Article
- Smoked Glass Vase — Target
- Bookshelf — West Elm
- Wood Side Table — Houzz
- Nickel Swing Arm Sconce — CB2
- Cowhide — Cowhides International
- Pillows — West Elm
- White Vase — West Elm
- Small Chinese Rice Wine Jug — Brimfield Antique Show
ON BOOKSHELF (Most I already had but similar finds)
- Wooden Sculpture — Target
- Small Ceramic Bowl — Etsy
- Vintage Playing Cards — Amazon
- Vintage Copy of “1984” — depot.com
- Acacia Bowl — Etsy
- Buddha Statue — Bungalow Room
- Old Books — Etsy
- Small Vase — Etsy
- Print — Creativity Explored
- Antique Chess Set — Love Antiques
POWDER ROOM
- Ceramic Floor Tile — Set In Stone
- Sink Cabinet — IKEA
- Mirror — CB2
- Titanium Faucet — Kohler
- Light Fixture — Cedar & Moss
- Art — Pier 1
- Waste Basket — Finnish Design Shop
HALLWAY
- Wall Hanging Tapestry — West Elm
BATHTUB ALCOVE
- Towel Ladder — Amazon
- Print — Minted
- Laundry Basket — Kimberly House
- Bath Caddy — CB2
- Print — Minted
- Dip Dyed Stools — Serena & Lily
- Story Bookcase — Design Within Reach
Thanks Eileen!
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