DePerno and Andrew Fry describe their circa-1900 house in Washington, CT, as a classic vernacular farmhouse with Arts & Crafts detailing. A screened gazebo, of sorts—which the owners rebuilt and use often for alfresco dining—came with the property.
The homeowners positioned vintage wicker furniture on the front porch.
A bow bridge vaults the narrow—but mellifluous—Kirby Brook that courses the property.
Chairs, spotted at a local tag sale, work well in the yard; the house’s barn assumes a dignified presence on the property.
It was at the foyer that the homeowners first had the idea to paint all of the home’s existing woodwork and trim white. “That established a harmonious backdrop for everything we added here,” says Michael DePerno. Elements include an antique English Campaign writing chest, a Chippendale chair and an antique Oriental rug laid atop a sisal.
The homeowners found the kitchen work island before closing on the house; it now serves as a regular dining spot.
A clipping from the garden works as a natural accent.
The living room is furnished with a lolling chair upholstered in a Rose Tarlow fabric. Modern elements include a circular, carved stone sculpture and a painting by Ronald Bladen.
A vintage Kaare Klint sofa fills a bay window area of the dining room; two Danish chairs are grouped at the antique Empire table, while an antique caned chair serves as additional seating.
A cabinet in the dining room is filled with everyday china.
A tableau, of sorts, in a corner of the dining room includes an American sidetable on top of which is a vintage Nigerian basket and a 19th-century French bronze sculpture.
The home’s top-floor office is a contemplative space with an inviting window seat. A mounted dance tunic becomes a multidimensional work of art; the lidded basket is from the Philippines.
The master bedroom features an antique pencil-post English bed; the African shield is an antique, as is the circa-1930 American fan, an object both decorative and practical.
The couple’s dog Fennie reclines on a George Smith sofa in a sitting room adjacent to the master bedroom; the painting is by Fabio Herrera.
The master bathroom also has its share of antiques.
