When Carolyn Murphy bought her vacation home in Long Island, New York, she wanted to honor the house’s history.
The model told our sister publication Martha Stewart Living in their September issue that when she first saw the 250-year-old home on a half-acre lot in 2016, she was in love. “My mind went creatively wild,” she said. “I was already painting and rearranging it.”
Originally outfitted with ’80s decor like dark kitchen cabinetry and painted red stairs with black and red diamond accents, the home was completely transformed when Murphy finally purchased it in 2017.
“It was done in chintz and toile and painted in ‘Americana’ colors—dark red, blue, mustard, and olive,” she said.
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Right away, Murphy began working on her fixer upper, stripping it of its flashy accents and turning it into a home that fit her lifestyle, and she began with the brightly colored walls.
“There is nothing white paint can’t cure,” Murphy said.
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She updated the kitchen with maple countertops, a brand new farmhouse sink, and a Viking stove. She also replaced the dark kitchen cabinets with open wood shelving and painted the bottom cabinets a dark blue-gray color for contrast.
Throughout the renovation, Murphy was insistent on being as sustainable as possible and keeping elements from the old house when she could. While she kept the home’s original timber frame, she replaced the living room floor (which she said was disintegrating) and repurposed it into the work table that sits in her entryway. Murphy also wanted to keep the home’s original brass door knobs and classic light fixtures.
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When decorating her new weekend abode, Murphy opted for for wooden benches and stools for a rustic farmhouse feel, slip-covered sofas, hand-woven baskets, white ceramic accents, and landscape paintings.
“I’m a purist. I don’t like clutter,” she said. “Pretty much everything is from local stores and flea markets. I like purchasing things that were already made—it’s another way of recycling.”
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