The mouldings, which are original to the house, create separation from room-to-room. Built-ins were also added to house the couple’s record player and collection.
Rustic elements with modern touches and a bit of glam give new life to a Victorian Colonial Revival with river views.
By Jenn Andrlik • Photography by Rikki Snyder
New York City transplants Peter and Brittney Walgren purchased this Victorian Colonial in Hastings-on-Hudson. They wanted to inject the older home with a new lease on life after having a son, Teddy, and leaving their apartment in the West Village.
Brittney has a background in floral design, and her design aesthetic aligned perfectly with Greenwich-based designer Becca Casey’s vision. “Brittney sought a home that had vibrancy,” says Casey. “We helped visually freshen up the home with light walls, transitional furnishings, and a slightly West Coast aesthetic.”
The entry and “boot room” that was created by designer Becca Casey.
“I like to describe my style as neo-traditional,” says Casey. “I celebrate traditional silhouettes by juxtaposing them with a modern and light atmosphere. Textural barn woods canvased against fresh stucco walls, ethnic textiles layered against neutral textiles, and found pieces that have a deliberate wear to soften the space are what I truly love to mix.”
The color palette in the Walgrens’ home includes off-white walls, sage and chartreuse greens, and matte black, which come together to create an understated arrangement.
Both the homeowners and designer thought it important to work with the original features of the house. “The intricate carpentry and wood moldings spoke largely to the history of the home,” says Casey, “while original inlay floors and glass door hardware spoke to its Victorian heritage.”
​Casey used classic furniture pieces mixed with more rustic elements throughout.
Paint was the jumping-off point for the overall design. “We were working with a lot of really heavy molding [and] red and blue walls, and there was a lot to peel back before we could implement the fresh and family-friendly space it now stands as,” says Casey.
To create harmony in each of the rooms, the walls and moldings were painted Simply White by Benjamin Moore. The original wood moldings around the door casings were preserved. “[They] acted as a divider from room to room,” says Casey. “My drive is always to open the space up as much as possible and to create a warm canvas and then layer in a mixture of pieces.”
​In the dining room, the fireplace was painted to give it texture and an older look while the oak table was paired with mid-century modern chairs.
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A sophisticated and sweet nursery designed for the homeowner’s young son that will grow with him.
Casey reclaimed a voided area off the foyer to create a “boot room.” Church-like benches were replaced with a custom-designed built-in to “create a sense of purpose for a growing family,” says Casey. To complete the room, Casey chose Granada tile set in the floor, finished the millwork in Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon, and added brass fixtures.
She redid the living room fireplace with a beautifully crafted stucco façade and terra cotta tiles. The room includes a mixture of textiles, including bouclé, ticking, and an antique Khotan rug. A Herman Miller Eames chair creates the perfect corner for reading.
The exterior of the Victorian Colonial home. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s International Realty.
The library sits adjacent to the living room. Casey painted the room with Farrow & Ball’s Railings and accented the space with a chartreuse settee and mixed throw pillows. She added a built-in to house the couple’s antique record player and record collection (each record given by a guest at their wedding).
“In the dining room, an oak table with midcentury-style chairs grounds the space,” says Casey. The table can hold up to eight guests. “The fireplace was painted in a textural paint to give it an older, more worn feel, and an original Egyptian artwork gifted by Brittney’s mother sits atop.”
A relaxing and stylish outdoor area.
The overall atmosphere of the home is very natural with a connection to the outdoors. Casey says she was inspired by the bucolic gardens and views of the Hudson River.
And although the design is natural in many ways, there are glimmers of glamour. “I love to incorporate brass and richly finished metals. I find that they give an allure to any space,” says Casey. “They create depth and antiquity and alleviate sterility in a newly finished room.”
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