Nature Views, Eclectic Decor, and a Wicker Motorcycle—This Converted Barn Has Something For Everyone
Name: Ginny, husband, son, and dog
Location: North Castle, New York
Type of home: Converted Barn
Size: 2000 square feet
Do you rent or own your home? Rent from family
How long have you lived here? Since 2012
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We live in a converted barn that has been in my husband’s family for almost 100 years. When walking around the house you feel the history and love everywhere. We like collecting pieces randomly from estate sales and thrifting, which has given us a very eclectic look. Most recently, we scored a life-size wicker motorcycle from Facebook Marketplace.
Creating gallery walls has become our favorite way to showcase our treasured finds, most recently making our layered installation over our bed. It was a slightly dangerous finish since we had to put a ladder on the bed to get the last pieces up. I’m happy that is over with! We also like to have plants everywhere we can fit them. Up until recently, we were restricted to high-up zones since our toddler had a thing for picking leaves. But he’s learned now that they are his siblings and needs to be gentle with them. We also live with Xylo, the sweetest dog model ever.
What is your favorite room and why? Well this is sort of an easy question because the barn is open concept and our kitchen, living room, dining room, office, and bedroom are all in the same space. But if we had to choose a zone, we will go with the living room. That is where we spend most of our time. We have a log burner for those cozy winter months and two sofas that face each other for easy conversations. It’s where our son plays with his toys and where we unwind at the end of the day. Plus, our record player and bar cabinet is right there.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? We actually just bought a rug for our living room. We redid the gallery wall and there were so many new pretty colors that we wanted to bridge them with the rest of the room, while adding some lightness to the space. Plus it has an abstract pattern that is perfect for our dog friendly/ toddler playing lifestyle. It is the Reverie rug from West Elm.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Whimsical treehouse full of love.
If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be?(Ginny) Oh this is a tough one. I never in a million years thought I would live in a home like this; it is my dream home. So I would say something extravagant like an outdoor hot tub with twinkly lights above and a built-in fireplace where I can watch the snow fall on winter nights. (Matt) I would put in a basement for movie watching and a ping pong table.
Which fictional character would be most at home in your place? Maybe a modern day Hermione Granger. We like to have whimsical touches and love candle-lit evenings reading by the fire. She might appreciate the plants (and know a lot more about them than we do) and there are plenty of books to enjoy. Plus we have a ten-foot table in the kitchen (made out of the old floor beams upstairs) where she and her friends could feast like the good old Hogwarts days.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Plants, cozy lighting, and art that you love. Those three things make a space come to life. The nurturing and love that goes in to tending plants is magical—talking to plants is encouraged around here. Then lighting is just so important to both of us; we like dim cozy warm lights and tend to leave our twinkly lights up well past December, in to April. Finally art is something we bonded over early on in our relationship. We separately decorated our apartments (Ginny in Ottawa and Matt in LA) with pieces from garage sales and antique stores. We loved each others style and it was a seamless merging when we moved in together.
See more of this dreamy home on Ginny’s Instagram feed and her blog.
This submission has been edited for length and clarity.