Before & After: A Family of Four Gives a Derelict Catskills Farmhouse a Whimsical Revamp
The MacDougalls use reclaimed materials, found objects, and a sunset-inspired palette to bring the historic property back from the brink.
The MacDougalls use reclaimed materials, found objects, and a sunset-inspired palette to bring the historic property back from the brink.
When Geoffrey MacDougall decided to buy a quaint, circa-1815 farmhouse in the Catskills, he was standing in six inches of water in the basement, surrounded by its crumbling stone foundation and rusted-out mechanical systems.
"You could walk in from the outside through the holes in the walls," Geoffrey says with a laugh—but the Canadian-born (now Harlem-based) fundraiser and activist was miraculously undeterred. He and his wife, art dealer and appraiser Powell MacDougall, approached the project with "trepidation" and "massive due diligence," they say.
Before: Front Exterior
Before: The home was in extreme disrepair, but its form appealed to the family. "One of the things I love about it is it’s like how a kid would draw a house. It’s exactly 30' by 30' by 20' with a pitched roof that’s exactly 45% sloped," Geoffrey says. "It’s perfectly symmetrical."
Geoffrey MacDougall
The pair initially planned to purchase land and construct a prefab retreat, but a deal fell through. "Then our real estate agent called us to look at a teardown," he says. Upon first visit, they learned that the foundation was in dire straits—and remarkably, 200 years old. The pair thought, "we can’t tear it down," Geoffrey says. "We fell in love, and it became a restoration effort."
During: The family installed fresh siding and and painted it Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. A new wraparound porch adds 900 square feet of living space.
Geoffrey MacDougall
After: Front Exterior
After: A new metal porch roof completes the updated exterior facade. The home’s doors and the garage door are painted a punchy pink: Benjamin Moore’s Rosewood.
Kyle Knodell
See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: A Family of Four Gives a Derelict Catskills Farmhouse a Whimsical Revamp
Related stories:
