The search for a weekend and summer retreat in Connecticut ended with this Warren home—a Covid purchase for a young family whose full-time residence is in New York City. They discovered designer Heidi Caillier of Heidi Caillier Design through her Instagram account and called on her to help them create their perfect getaway. “They wanted it to feel different from their primary residence in Brooklyn” notes Caillier. “It had to feel a bit rustic with layers, cozy. She wanted a fairly neutral palette with not a lot of pattern, plus vintage and antiques mixed in. And it had to be durable and unfussy.”
Caillier embraced the home’s woodsy surroundings and describes the residence as “a mashup of a mid-’70s cabin and a modern day cottage in the woods.” The couple’s must-haves included comfortable pieces that could stand the test of time—livable, approachable and layered. For inspiration, the designer looked to old-world interiors, cabin homes and British country houses. “I wanted to create that rustic, cozy vibe but with more simplicity and cleaner textiles than a British country house would take,” she explains. “I also wanted it to feel like it had been this way forever.”
Virginia Tupker Indian blinds adorn the windows of the sunroom, where walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe. A vintage table from Chairish is flanked by game chairs through Obsolete.
In the living room, vintage artwork from 1stDibs hangs above the mantel. Nickey Kehoe spindle chairs wear de Le Cuona’s Ragamuffin linen. The jute rug is from RH, the coffee table is from Shoppe Amber Interiors, and the floor lamp is through Visual Comfort & Co.
A Cloud 19 chandelier from Apparatus illuminates a dining table from Shoppe Amber Interiors and maple-oak chapel chairs from Obsolete. Vintage artwork is through 1stDibs.
This bedroom is furnished with a Charles Rogers bed and William Morris’ Fruits wallpaper.
William Morris’ Pimpernel wallpaper lines the walls of the bunkroom. The bed is from Room&Board, the dresser is from Pottery Barn, and the window treatment is custom in Michael Smith Devonshire textile.
In the living room, a de Le Cuona plaid linen on Nickey Kehoe spindle chairs was Caillier’s way of easing the homeowners into the use of pattern-play throughout the house. The designer then painted the sunroom in Farrow & Ball’s dramatic Down Pipe, creating a mix of spaces that feel somehow simultaneously light-and-airy and dark-and-inviting. “I think we did a really good job of making the interiors feel cohesive with the existing architecture,” says Caillier. “The bright living room against the dark sunroom feels well- rounded and pleasing.”
In a clever marriage of contemporary and classic, an eye catching Cloud 19 chandelier from Apparatus floats above a clean-lined dining room table from Shoppe Amber Interiors and Chapel chairs through Obsolete. William Morris wallcoverings in the guest bedroom and bunk room reinforce the overall old-world vibe. One of the biggest changes was the introduction of window treatments. “The window layouts were kind of funky to work with, so we had to consider how the furnishings interacted and what kind of treatments to do,” notes Caillier. “The clients initially wanted to do none, but they’re such an essential part of making the interiors feel complete and finished.”
“I love that this house now feels like it has come together over time and will likely be passed down through the generations,” the designer concludes. “I wanted the pieces to provide a backdrop for all of the special moments that will happen in this home over the years.”
