A Remodeled 1800s Greek Revival Home Is Filled With Antiques, Moody Colors, and Portrait Paintings

Name: Madeline Schallehn, my husband, Lucien, and our two cats, Wolfgang and Daisy
Location: Ballston Spa, New York
Type of home: 1828 Greek Revival
Size: 1400 square feet
Years lived in: 7 years, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We purchased our home in 2012. It was our first home and we started small, with new floors, removal of wallpaper, and painting. We work hard to piece together each room and fill them with one-of-a-kind pieces. My husband and I both love antiques and paintings.

Portrait paintings are my favorite kind; a lot of soul goes into each painting, and I’m always so honored to have each piece. My style has definitely evolved over time, but I will never lose my love of antiques. We renovated our kitchen two years ago and that’s where I could really show my creative side! My husband and I did everything ourselves. We both learned a lot, it took a little less than a year, and not a day goes by when I don’t appreciate every single corner of that room. We truly love our home.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Eclectic, antique, unfitted, English cottage, maximalist

What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room would have to be my kitchen. My husband and I did everything on our own. We took down a wall between our very small kitchen and an adjacent bedroom. Since our house is almost 200 years old, we had some surprises, but overall we were able to keep our layout in mind and work with the house and its quirky old home structure. We used all antique upper cabinets and worked within our budget, we even made the countertops with epoxy! They look beautiful, but the kitchen is my favorite because I was able to be the most creative.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing I bought was a beautiful antique pink velvet couch! I found it in Facebook Marketplace and I couldn’t believe the canning was in perfect condition!

Any advice for creating a home you love? It of course takes time and money. As well as a lot of creativity and thought. I never try to rush anything, I try to really get a feel of how I want a room look. It just seems more organic when you wait to find the perfect pieces, especially when shopping antique or vintage.

This submission’s responses have been edited for length and clarity.

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