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Bidder Homes and Gardens

Perseverance and some savvy about auctions helped this family land its dream home at a bargain price.

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A long farmhouse table is flanked by Windsor chairs on one side and a simple bench on the other. It’s a multi-purpose space, a hub for informal dining, as well as art projects for the girls.

Van Deusen’s favorite spot is the center island in the kitchen, the hub of the house.

“I feel happy and peaceful sitting there with my husband, having a glass of wine and talking about our day,” she says.

A sumptuous master suite includes a cozy seating area and a luxurious bath. The plush ivory carpet was already in the house.

She created a serene, sedate sanctuary with a pale, tone-on-tone palette and opulent fabrics. The small sofa and club chairs in the seating area are upholstered in muted checks and floral prints. The bed is dressed in hushed hues of sand and cream.

“I wanted it to be soft and cool and comfortable,” Van Deusen says. “I need a place to rest—and to rest my eyes.”

Those soothing surroundings are heightened by luxurious linens, starting with the high-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets on the bed. “It’s a return to the hotel,” she says. “It’s enjoying nice sheets and towels every day at home.”

Outdoors, the couple expanded their open-air living area, installing a brick pathway that links an existing deck with a new patio of pavers. Rocking chairs are stationed on the front porch.

“I love to sit out here with my girls,” Van Deusen says. “We rock, we look at the trees, and we enjoy the peace and quiet.”
 

GET THE LOOK

• Incorporate a sense of warmth into family spaces with earth tones and fabrics such as chenille.
   
• Think of your bedroom as a suite in a fabulous hotel. Dress the bed in high-thread-count sheets of Egyptian cotton, in white or ivory. Invest in luxurious white towels for the bath.
   
• Update a traditional look by introducing contemporary pieces. Nona Van Deusen added modern upholstered chairs to rev up her Queen Anne dining furniture.
   
• Vintage wood and textiles balance the tile, stone, porcelain and metals found in modern bathrooms. An antique bench with a needlepoint seat gives the master bath a heightened feeling of luxury and substance.
   
• Look for unique finds at auction. A hand-painted rendering of flowers by a wallpaper artist is now framed as one-of-a-kind botanical art.