A Charming Challenge

An old house is a fun challenge for these New England homeowners, who have transformed their space with color and elegant style.

- Staci Dumoski

Old houses can provide a lot of decorating challenges for homeowners, but Gayle Maachi knew she was ready when the 1849-built house down the street went up for sale.

“I always wanted an old home,” she says. She admits that the corner lot and large, beautiful garden might have influenced her a little too. “I didn’t care what the inside looked like. The challenge of having an older home, the charm of the gardens called me and made me want to just do it. My intuition told me it was going to be a really charming house.”

Fortunately the interior was just as appealing as the exterior. The changes Gayle and her husband, Robert, have made to their home since moving in are mostly cosmetic. In the dining room (an addition by a previous homeowner) they added a wall to eliminate an old exterior window that had been left in place. They modernized the kitchen and replaced the tile floor with hardwood.

“We’ve tried to keep the original charm of the home,” she says, noting features like the fireplace mantel and the built-in china cabinet in the dining room. The house still has its original floors too—hardwood in the living areas and wide-plank pine floors in the bedrooms.

Elegant Perfection

“I like gilded, gold mirrors,” Gayle says, when asked about her decorating style. “I have an obsession with chandeliers, sconces, crystals and bling.” These elegant touches can be seen throughout her home, where they contrast seamlessly with elements of farmhouse chic, like the weathered table in the dining room or a chippy flower crate in the kitchen.