Tour Hudson Valley Colonial Decorated as a ‘Long Conversation Between Friends’

2004 was a watershed year for Deborah Needleman and the Dutch colonial house she and husband Jacob Weisberg had owned in the Hudson Valley since 1995. Not only was it the year she became founding editor-in-chief of Domino Magazine, but, at the suggestion of her boss, she met Rita Konig, a British style writer and decorator moving to New York.

“My motivation in pitching a practical magazine about the decoration of houses was in part selfish–to gather people whose style I admired and learn from them,” Needleman says. She hit the jackpot with Konig, who, as the daughter of English designer Nina Campbell, grew up at the master’s feet.

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So began the slow decoration of this rambling, quirky house that started its life in the late 1700s as a one-room inn. “Rita has since become one of my closest friends, and also one of the people who have most transformed the quality of my life, Needleman says. “That is what a great decorator can do…The making of the house has been a long conversation between us, one that I hope will carry on into the future.”

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The mix of textiles in the front hall lends to the warm, welcoming atmosphere in this home. Needleman herself claims an inability to mix textiles and pattern and gives all credit on that score to Konig.

Renovation gets rolling

Konig consulted with architect Jim Joseph on an already planned renovation that led to the addition of several rooms.

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The kitchen was moved to what was once a garage…

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… where it now opens out onto a terrace.

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A large, sunny sitting room was also added–since dubbed the “summer sitting room.” Again, the wonderful mix of textiles–particularly the vintage silk suzani draped over the large ottoman–is what catches my eye. I’m also digging the beautifully styled and functional bookshelves.

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The summer sitting room opens into an airy screened-in porch with a painted floor that resembles Moorish tile.

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The second storey of the addition houses a new primary bedroom space. I’m starting to sound like a broken record here, but it’s worth mentioning again anyway, how well the patterns in the textiles mix. The vintage quilt hanging behind the headboard looks as if it was made to go with the flowered bedding and table skirt.

Reconfiguring existing spaces

Konig finessed the renovation plan to have two guest bedrooms share an enlarged adjoining bathroom, with toilet and tub in separate rooms. A tiny shared hallway was maintained as well to add a sense of privacy for visitors.

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I love the clipped ceilings in this guest room, as well as the splashy mix of patterned textiles, including the area rug.

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The downside of the renovation was that it left the house’s original, small sitting room unused. Konig’s solution was to turn it into the “winter sitting room.” And, because the stairs in the background lead to the old bedrooms, it also functions as a private sitting area for guests. I love the Indiana Phulkari covering the coffee table, as well as the mix of pillow patterns.

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And in an awkward leftover space between kitchen and sitting room, Konig devised a flower-arranging room for Needleman. After all, “My husband and I bought this house…so that I could make a garden,” she explains.

And make a garden she did…

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The pool is surrounded by and reflects some of her gardening handiwork.

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Stone steps lead up from the pool into a sheltered area for private dining.

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A larger outdoor dining area sports a 19th century coverlet as table covering and is set with vintage ironstone and creamware plates and hotel silver.

Needleman confesses she’s fascinated by the idea of a home redecorated in one massive professionally designed swoop. But “interiors that evolve, reflecting the lives inside them, with their accumulating layers and patina, are often the ones I am most drawn to, because of the intimacy and idiosyncrasy they possess.”

Me too.

If you want more…

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  • This article, “Labor of Love,” written by Deborah Needleman, appeared in the March 2022 issue of Architectural Digest. Follow the link to read the online version, “Tour This Media Insider’s Every-Evolving Hudson Valley Home” and take the online tour.
  • After Domino, Needleman developed an “Off Duty” Saturday feature for the Wall Street Journal covering fashion, tech, design and food, and eventually became editor-in-chief of WSJ Magazine. Later she served as editor-in-chief T: The New York Times Style Magazine . Click on the link to follow her on Instagram.
  • Rita Konig is once again based in London but works on projects globally. Follow the links to check out her portfolio and her online workshop.
  • Learn more about Konig’s mother, luxury designer Nina Campbell.
  • AD ran a feature on Needleman’s kitchen renovation in Febuary 2014, if you’re lucky enough to come across a back issue.
  • Follow the (affiliate) links below to peruse and/or purchase related books:
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