The country kitchen at Stonehurst, as it was for many years. Traditional pine cupboards and appliances were perfect when Stonehurst served as a farmhouse, boarding house, four seasons resort, ski area and private residence. We're trucking right along in our quest to transform Stonehurst from a private residence to a fine furniture and art gallery that showcases Vermont made sustainable home decor products. There are a whole host of finishing touches still in progress but I thought I'd share some before and after pictures of spaces where the renovation is pretty well complete. First up: the kitchen, my personal favorite part of the transformation. The "before" kitchen was functional but the layout didn't provide much opportunity for windows to overlook the spectacular view out back.
Now Stonehurst is a fine furniture and art gallery, showcasing Vermont made sustainable home decor products, so no kitchen is needed. We replaced the cabinets and appliances with windows and an open atrium to take advantage of the view.Since the kitchen is the entry into the building, we wanted to treat our customers to a cheerful space where they could relax and unwind after a long trip up from the city (customers usually travel from Boston, New York, Washington DC and beyond). The wall of windows we installed puts Vermont's green mountains and meadows front and center when customers step inside. It's pretty clear: you're in Vermont now. Time to slow down and enjoy nature at it's finest.
Where Does Wood furniture Come From?
With sustainable forestry being at the heart of our mission at Vermont Woods Studios, one of the main things we're trying to do with Stonehurst is raise awareness about where your furniture comes from. So the view of Vermont's Green Mountain Forest often opens up a conversation about legally, sustainably harvested wood. Loryn is working on an educational display which will be installed on the sunroom wall to tell the story of how our furniture gets from sustainably-managed forests to your home.
Kudos to Our Design and Construction Team
I can't start showing before and after photos without recognizing and thanking our architect, Jeremy Coleman of Brattleboro, VT and builder, Bob Furlone of American Construction. They have done a tremendous job, especially in facing all the realities involved in transforming and modernizing a 200+ year old farmhouse. They've also been really knowledgeable in helping us select all Vermont made materials whenever possible. The wall of windows shown above was custom made by Green Mountain Window in Rutland VT and the slate floor was mined locally by Vermont Slate Company.
Let me know what you think of the transformation in the comments section below or on Facebook. Over the next couple weeks, I'll post before and after photos of the:
- barn--now a dining room showroom
- boarding house-- now a bedroom showroom
- kids bedroom-- now a kitchenette for our staff
- several bedrooms-- now administrative offices"
- exterior paint color-- from red to white, and
- the parlor-- which is still a parlor
