I Transformed My Plain All-White Kitchen with the Coziest Blue Paint Color (It Fits My 175-Year-Old Home!)

I see moving as an opportunity to go through my things, declutter, and donate anything I might not need. I feel like it’s a right of passage to question just about everything in your space during a move, but this time it felt a little different. I wondered if our original furniture and decor “worked” in the new space. 

Our Hudson home’s architectural style differed drastically from our Brooklyn brownstone apartment. Our Brooklyn building had been quickly renovated before we moved in, and we furnished and decorated it quickly too. In Hudson, the apartment was newly renovated, but the owners kept true to its original charm — the beams, fireplace, and other natural materials — and used a bright white coat of paint as the cherry on top. It was the ideal blank slate, but I had to make it my own.

Over the last two years of living here, I’ve been influenced by the design scene, architecture, and artisans around Hudson and have embraced a slower, more thoughtful pace of life. I now prefer to spend hours rummaging through a barn of old furniture and antiques than to do just about anything else. My home is a reflection of all of these things. And while it’s always evolving and a work in progress, I feel that my dining room and kitchen area reflect how I’ve been most influenced by my surroundings here.

And by town, I mean the dining room. The allure of an all-white space was tempting (finally, a chance to channel my inner Leanne Ford!), but I knew it would be hard for me. 

I ultimately decided to stay true to my love for color, and one of the first things I did was paint the dining room in Backdrop’s Stromboli Chess Club, a vibrant cornflower blue that reminds me of the wildflowers that grow around the Hudson Valley. In the hallway arch, I used Backdrop’s Barragan-Cito pink, a perfect strawberry ice cream color that’s a cheerful pairing with the blue.

One of the best things about living in Hudson is having access to all the incredible antique shops in and around town. 

The Antique Warehouse is one of the most notable; boasting over 40,000 square feet, their website says they’re “the most unique place to shop for your cottage or castle.” I can’t say they’re wrong. The Antique Warehouse is my and my dog’s favorite place to visit, so I come through a few times a week. She gets some treats from the staff, and I can easily scope out what’s new. I’ve found many treasures here, including my blue sideboard cabinet, orange coat rack, and little green chair (it’s about the size of a small child but I’m making it work!), among other things. The old me would be surprised to learn how much I love the wear and tear of these items, but I think it adds to their appeal. 

Beyond the antique shops, Hudson is filled with so many talented makers: painters, ceramicists, florists, you name it. The shops are great, but the people are what really make this place special. I’ve loved getting to know them (many of whom I’ve become friends with!) and decorating my space with cherished pieces from their collections. 

I use my blue sideboard cabinet to experiment with displaying some of my favorite pieces, which make for great conversation starters when I have friends over (just don’t ask me what the inside of the cabinet looks like). I spotted the artwork while antiquing in Millerton, another gem in the Hudson Valley. The floral arrangement was made by Amanda Bruns at Flowerkraut, and the ceramic pieces are by my friend Rae Wilson, a talented artist who makes gorgeous sculptures and other vessels I can’t seem to get enough of. 

First up, I turned to the fireplace. Hear me out: Something about a skirted anything feels more charming. I love the look of a skirted sink or kitchen island, so when our nonfunctioning fireplace (“nonfunctioning” is the key word here, of course!) became a catch-all for books and other random things, I took it as an opportunity to create my very own skirted moment at home. Not only was this a solution to help make the space feel less cluttered, but it also suddenly became more of a focal point and looked pretty darn cute too. All it took was a tension rod, cafe curtains, and a pack of brass hooks to make our fireplace feel refreshed and snug in our little country home.

Next, I tackled lighting. Depending on who you ask, lighting should be one of the first things you handle when designing a space — but to that I say, break the rules! Lighting happened to come later in my design process, but it was worth the wait. I never loved our original overhead light fixture. It wasn’t as bad as a boob light, but it also didn’t do the room any favors. When I saw Tulip launch a collection of renter-friendly light fixtures, I thought it would be perfect for the space. The installation was easy, and the fixture looks great, but what I didn’t expect was the dreamiest glow of light thanks to the yellow fabric. Win-win!

One more DIY for good measure: changing our cabinet hardware. I found these circular wooden knobs from H&M (the color has been discontinued) to replace the basic silver knobs our apartment came with. It instantly made the cabinets feel fresher.

You could argue that any treasured object holds a story, but what resonates with me and my home will inevitably differ from you and yours. My home is a collection of everything I love, and it brings so much joy — from the artwork on my walls to the postcards on my fridge and every little tiny detail you might not be able to see (like the custom home fragrance my husband and I made at Poured Candle Bar in town). It all speaks to me in one way or another, with stories from Hudson and beyond. I’m enjoying my collection of oddities, new and old. They’re all a memento and a glimpse of a certain moment in time that I will cherish for years to come.

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