At home with Kevin Huffman in Orson PA.

Shed: How did you choose a 140-year-old house in Orson PA. for your weekend home?

Kevin Huffman: In February 1987 we saw an ad in the NY Times classified section, "Farmette - beautiful views - needs work." On a whim we drove to check it out. We weren't seriously looking for a house, but three hours later when we came around the corner and saw it sitting on the hill we knew immediately we would buy it.
Shed: The three things you like most about being here?

KH: The rural setting, the quiet and our amazing circle of friends.
Shed: You entertain often. What is your secret to success?

KH: The secret, besides the food - usually a simple seasonal menu - would be lots of wine and good friends. We're big on music play lists, candlelight, wild flowers and everyone sitting at one table. I'm not a fan of buffet-style dinners and balancing plates on laps. Because most of our friends are great cooks, they usually show up early and help out in the kitchen. The atmosphere is very casual and easy. We usually take a break between courses to get up, clear the plates, load the dishwasher and then return for the next round.
Shed: Wow, nice garden.

KH: The vegetable garden is laid out next to what was originally the calf barn. It is all organic soil/ compost - no pesticides. We grow 18 types of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplant, broccoli, brussel sprouts, seven varieties of beets, carrots, asparagus, four types of potatoes, sunflowers, pumpkins and watermelon. In another area we grow corn.

Shed: You are a kitchen and bath designer (based in Maplewood), what were your must haves for this kitchen?

KH: Because we entertain almost every weekend, I wanted a space that was set up like a working restaurant-kitchen with open Metro-shelving for easy access, ceiling hanging pot racks, 2 professional stoves/ griddles, industrial size refrigerator/ freezer, double sink and long center island with lots of counter space. I wanted to have enough space to accommodate lots of people working at once. To soften the industrial look, we covered the walls (to the ceiling) in hand painted tiles from Barcelona and installed a wood bead board ceiling. The hanging light fixtures are vintage Holophane factory lights from the 1930's.
The perfect user-friendly bar.
A modern addition - the double sided fireplace, added in 1992, heats the dining room and living room.
Shed: You have some great antiques.

KH: We are not antiques hunters. That said, over the years we've come across pieces that just catch our eye and buy them on impulse. The creamery (above) is an 1876 refrigerated dairy case. Farmers would fill the bottom of the case with blocks of ice and display their dairy items on the slat shelving. We found the creamery at a local antique shop and use it as a china cabinet. It weighs a ton.
Shed: Your interior palette is blue, green, yellow and pink. How did you come up with those colors?

KH: When we bought the farmhouse we gutted the walls and ceilings saving all the original moldings and windows. We insulated, rewired, re-plumbed and closed everything back up with new drywall. We chose the bold, sunny colors to add character and depth back to the historic structure.
Shed: What is a typical Saturday like here?

KH: In summer, Saturday morning starts with coffee, a dip in the pool, a big breakfast and then chores like working in the garden with our two daughters. Allan cleans the pool, patio and wrap-around porch. We try to eat all our meals outside and hang out by the pool in the afternoon. Later in the day we start thinking about what we're going to cook for dinner, friends start to trickle in, or we head out to be dinner guests at someone else's home.

In fall and winter months Saturdays are much slower. We crank up the wood stove and big fireplace. I spend more time cooking, Allan reads more and the girls watch movies in their PJ's often past noon. We have a great sledding hill out back, Elk Mountain ski resort is a 10-minute drive away and we sometimes go cross-county skiing out our back door across the neighboring farm fields.
Great option for displaying an old rocker - hang it.
Shed: Anything on your wish list?

KH: The original kitchen, off the main kitchen, is going to be redesigned as a clean-up station and butler's pantry. We want all the plates. glassware and silverware in one space along with deep double sinks and two dishwashers for clean-up.
Check out Kevin Huffman's kitchens and baths HERE.

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At home with Mrs. T. in Short Hills

Shed: The three people who have most influenced your style?
Mrs. T: My mother, my grandfather and our kitchen and bathroom designer Larry Duggan.

Shed: Tell us about the table and chairs in this perfect nook.
MT: The table is a reproduction T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings by furniture maker Tony Sandkamp. The chairs are George Nakashima which my grandfather bought in the 70's.
Shed side note: George Nakashima is one of my all time favorites.

Shed: What did your kitchen designer, Larry Duggan do that most surprised you?
MT: What surprised me most was that it took one visit with Larry for him to get exactly what we were looking for. He designed the kitchen and bathrooms in less than a week. He also introduced elements that are unique and fresh like the large slabs of mirror etched glass for the kitchen back splash.
Shed: The kitchen table is gorgeous.
TM: I had visualized a Nakashima-esque table for Tony Sandkamp to make. He tried to source a slab of wood with a "live" edge, but the cost of the wood alone was more than I wanted to spend on the entire table. In my basement I found a group of Nakashima bookshelves that were from my grandmother's apartment. They were the perfect size. The contractor glued three together and Larry found the base.
Kitchen and bathroom photos courtesy of Larry Duggan.
Shed: What was the style of your home growing up?
MT: My mother was an interior designer who embraced the classic modern style of the 1970's. Her motto was "spare, bare and natural." That pretty much sums it up.
Jonathan Adler dog bed from Shed.
Shed: How much say do your teenage daughters have in decorating their bedrooms?
MT: A lot. My older daughter is an aspiring designer. She chose her headboard and duvet cover from Brocade Home and is now picking out wallpaper. My younger daughter loved the mod feel of Pottery Barn Teen.

Shed: The seating area in the master bedroom looks so inviting.
MT: The bookshelves are made from the same Nakashima shelves we used for the kitchen table. Shed: What is currently on your night table?
MT: My kindle, which my husband says is permanently attached to me. After plowing through the newspaper I can switch to the book I am reading. I am currently reading "Mountains beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder about Paul Framer and his work in Haiti. Beside the kindle is my water bottle.

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At home with Donna Sirianni in Maplewood

Shed: In the 20-years you have been an interior designer which job stands apart from the rest?
Donna Sirianni: I have many jobs I am proud of, but one project that stands out was a large renovation (kitchen, family room, three bedrooms, three baths....). The family was moving to London for two years and wanted the job done before they came back. They gave me architectural plans, but nothing else. For the most part the job was done via FedEx and email. I was a nervous wreck because much of the direction was "whatever you think." Fortunately they walked in and loved it. Whew!!

Shed: If you could pick one designer to collaborate on a project with who would it be?
DS: Jeffrey Bilhuber. His interiors are functional, timeless and elegant. In my opinion he is the premier designer of our time in his ability to combine classic form with modernist interpretation. I love his style and would happily be the girl to get his coffee if I could work on a project with him.

Shed: The little green sofa in your dining room is the perfect touch of unexpected color.
DS: The pop of green against the neutral backdrop as well as the juxtaposition of an 18th century French settee in a more modern setting completes the room. The beauty is in the mix of contemporary and traditional.

Shed: The things you like most about your beautiful kitchen.
DS: 1) No upper cabinets. I feel claustrophobic with cabinets overhead so decided to have one large hutch instead. 2) The extra large window that overlooks my backyard. 3) Green onyx subway tile, which goes from the counter top to the crown molding making a bold statement. 4) My walk in pantry. It stores everything from food and staples to small appliances and serving pieces.

Shed: What is on your wish list right now?
DS: The master bedroom. Not sure when this will be done, but when it is I know it will have a very clean look with a large soaking tub and heated floors (that would be heaven).
Shed: Two places you would like visit in your lifetime.
DS: 1) Greece to see the ancient ruins. I would love to see the birth place of classical architecture. 2) An antiquing tour through France. I absolutely love French furniture and the thought of finding treasures in out of the way locations makes my heart pound.

Shed: Finish this sentence... If I wasn't an interior designer...
DS: I would be a therapist. I often say I am a therapist...with a good sense of color and scale.
Contact Donna at dsirianni67@comcast.net or 973-763-8822.

Downtown Chic

I'm hooked on the Bravo series "9 by Design" about a couple with seven children who buy, renovate and sell properties in Manhattan. Their style is outrageous (love, love, love it). How they do it all without breaking a sweat is beyond me. Their book "Downtown Chic" is a must have for any design enthusiast. Stop by today for a copy $45.

At home with Krysia D. in Maplewood

Shed: Wow - great bathroom!
Krysia D.: Ross and I enjoyed high profiles in Australia. I decided to go through old boxes of press and decorate the walls with clippings from Ross' days in politics and mine in television as well as publicity from my art exhibitions here and in Australia. Our dinner guests usually spend a long time in our "brag room" bathroom and it makes for some fun dinner conversation. It is also proof for our boys that we actually did have a life before their arrival.
Union Jack pillow from Shed.
Shed: Is your decorating style typical of homes down under?
KD: Australians tend to be casual by nature and prefer more eclectic and minimal interiors with injections of humor and surprise in their decorating ie: industrial with delicate antiques. We tend toward a room that has a more "unfinished look." We have a lot more light and people are not afraid of color.
Shed: How do your color choices effect your mood?
KD: I am a bold, passionate extrovert so my decor does not tend to be delicate and subdued. I feel alive surrounded by the magic of color.

All in the family by Krysia D.
A makeshift gallery in the butler's pantry.
Shed: Blue kitchen! Fun!
KD: I have had a very dramatic life and I enjoy dramatic contrasts in color. I love the fresh crisp effect of stark white on dark blue.

Shed: Your most memorable commission?
KD: My most memorable and meaningful commission will always be what I am currently doing. I am working on a portrait now of a fabulous client which was commissioned to be a surprise gift for her husband. It will be a wonderful painting which will tell the story of her life to the viewer and can be passed on from one generation to the next. I am so excited to be working on something so meaningful.
Shed: A typical Sunday morning in your house?
KD: We are early risers even if we have had very little sleep. We are usually preparing for a fencing tournament, soccer game or tennis match before going to church.
Shed: Who is the girl in the portrait over your desk?
KD: A very beautiful (inside and out) daughter of a good client. I was commissioned to do a large portrait and ended up keeping this for myself and doing a large painting of just her face.
Shed: All time favorite color?
KD: Cobalt blue - it has so much depth and changes so dramatically with light, and, of course, it always reminds me of the ocean.
Contact Krysia through her website HERE.