Written by Colleen Coleman of CMC Design Studio LLC | Photos by Randall Perry Photography | Interior Styling by Colleen Pausley | Exterior Styling By Blaine Darcy of MRB DARCY DIRTWORK | Food Styling by Ralph Vincent

[From the 2025 Fall Magazine]

In 2020, retired Optometrist Stew Galeucia purchased a picturesque Circa 1850 home just north of the Berkshires with a one room schoolhouse attached - complete with a barn and 18 acres…all sight unseen!

After visiting the area to see two of his three daughters that had relocated to pursue relationships and careers in the area, he so loved the picturesque countryside and “slower” way of life (Stew is from the suburbs of Boston, but had been travelling between his condo in Essex, Connecticut and his Bungalow in Stephentown for a couple years at that point) - that he knew this was the perfect “Gentleman’s Farm” to make into his more permanent New York residence. 

Love for Stew and his treasured farm property. “It’s a charming rural one-stoplight town…did I mention the old church on the corner and Braveheart Books and Bazaar across the street??!!” recalls Chris as we discussed her early days at the farm. As their relationship grew, and they decided to move in together, Chris’ connections in the construction industry became invaluable - she knew exactly who to call to have the interior updated - while still maintaining that farm house style they both cherished. Their list of contributing industry businesses is noted on page 151, but her first phone call was for help…well I’ll let Chris explain…

“When I asked Colleen to help us combine two households into one and to MAXIMIZE our space, I never expected this! She started by changing the orientation of our dining room table and everything just flowed from there, and we couldn’t be happier!”

Through that bright and beautiful Butternut Squash door is the kitchen, the heart of the home. Chris reminisced… “The kitchen had no storage, and I knew Colleen could wave her magic wand over this space and make it perfect – yet still look historically accurate.” It was a bit of a challenge as we were maintaining the current base cabinets and replacing some of the doors with drawers. Fitting new into old is harder than you think! But we were determined to make it work for them. Originally, we discussed only updating the cabinet doors and drawer fronts, but once I had a chance to review their needs, it seemed more practical to make a few more upgrades so the kitchen had increased function over simply making aesthetic changes. From the home’s entry perspective, the peninsula base was rearranged to house a drawer-microwave as countertop space needed to be maximized. This allowed smaller drawers to be installed which now created more organization without everything being jumbled together in one big drawer. The tall base cabinet was reconfigured to a full extension pullout drawer and now organized and stored cutting boards and serving platters as the peninsula is a great prep area for cooking!

Center stage, at Stew’s request, we updated the range hood and finished the trim in copper to coordinate with the new copper lights installed throughout the kitchen! 

To the right of the range, this is where some “magic” really happened! Originally, wall cabinets hung from the soffit, basically shutting the kitchen off from the dining room at eye level. I recommended that we take it all down and open the space up, allowing the natural light and view of the fields beyond to be invited into the home! “I still remember the day we walked in after the overhead cabinets were removed and the house felt HUGE – you could see all the way through to the beautiful French Doors …and that view!” exclaimed Chris. Beyond that, we still had work to do with the base cabinets. Do you see that one tall base cabinet to the right of the range…that never opened correctly due to the close proximity of the range oven door. So, we made the stile a bit wider and gave them much needed organization with a new pullout drawer to house sheet pans, baking tins and more! The corner Lazy Susan was the next thing to go and was replaced by three individual drawers with full extension to retain every inch of storage and keep the kitchen more organized to boot!

At the sink, the overhead soffit was removed and tall wall cabinets installed. Below, we simply replaced the door and drawer fronts to coordinate with the remainder of the kitchen. But for Chris, this area of the kitchen was so much more than cabinets… “Check out my Kitchen Sink View… I’ve always loved washing dishes; it brings me back to time with my mom in the kitchen…oh how I wish she could see this house!”

Now, I can’t take all the credit for this amazing first floor transformation. Stew really wooed Chris with his ingenuity, “He made the shelf in the kitchen for our stemware, and a curated collection of my favorite pieces handed down over the years from my mother, grandmother and aunts.”  In the sitting room just opposite the dining area, Stew made the plate rail above the window from reclaimed wood from the barn, and I hunted for hours for the perfect curtains… hunting, fishing and dogs – in our color palette – how perfect!” Remember I mentioned Stew purchased this home with a one room schoolhouse attached. Well, this IS that room with the large French doors and dining table! “A major part of the charm (and spaciousness!) of this old farmhouse is the addition of a one-room schoolhouse; Schoolhouse #10 to be exact. Local builder John Demic stopped by to tell us the history of the house one day, how it was rolled down on logs and added to the house sometime after it closed its doors in the 1940s. He personally did the work in the 80s to create the seamless floorplan we see today. We then thanked him profusely for the beautiful work he did. This creates a full circle for me, as when my parents moved up from the Island, they bought a one room schoolhouse.”

I wanted white shelving for a cohesive look tying the “Linen Closet” into the shoulder height wainscotting that lines the far wall and holds a rotating display of family photos, Stew wanted the shelving to be in the darker wall color. (as he says… ‘Guess who won?!’)”

The last room downstairs is the primary bedroom. Stew loved Chris’ wainscotting treatment, so this room was updated as well.

On to the second floor… Any historical buff would ooh and ahh at the built-in bookshelves which greet you as you ascend the staircase! Chris confesses, “The upstairs has been re-invented (!!) – seriously that is the only word to describe it! We refer to the loft as the Rangely Room, (a nod to where in Maine Stew spent his summers) and all that room needed was some storage added under the eaves, and a fresh coat of paint. The guest bedroom is spacious and charming and big enough for my home office, a queen-size bed…and a sewing table! We wanted a full bath upstairs to create a guest suite, but we needed a closet and storage, as my wardrobe up there contains a beautiful quilt collection acquired over the years from my aunt.” Chris called in Sara Hines from Kitchen & Bath World to create a new dreamy full bath from a second-floor spare bedroom which used to be Chris’ office.

“Sara was able to deliver everything we wanted and again – so historically accurate – everybody that goes upstairs is wowed! Her crew did an amazing job, and we couldn’t be happier! Sara and her team were diligent at working within the home’s architecture to ensure a second-floor bath was plausible. When I called Sara for her input, she added… “I wanted to honor the historical charm of this 1850’s home while bringing modern functionality to the second floor. By incorporating a classic clawfoot tub and telephone-style faucets, I was able to maintain the home’s timeless elegance while offering comfort and practicality. The original wide plank pine floors were preserved, grounding the space in the home’s rich history while introducing a serene, elevated bathroom retreat.” Chris and Stew couldn’t be happier with the space and mentioned they can’t thank Chris Lill and Uncle Sam’s Handymen enough for doing all the finish work on both floors. Chris adds one more comment regarding the installation of the “mini split” upstairs (for heat and AC). “We should’ve done the whole house while Suburban Services was here – we love that unit!”

Let’s head outside where this beautiful view evokes a timelessness not found among city streets and busy byways. The actual front of the home is parallel with the main street heading into town but is sight unseen due to privacy fencing and the most beautiful Rhododendrons and apple trees. “I love the fact that you can’t see the house from the road – so private!” admits Chris.

The front porch calls to Chris and Stew on rainy days to play cribbage or dine out on summer evenings! So romantic, such a fairytale story! To the rear of the home, a large wrap-around deck offers dining outside, beneath an old birch tree and wraps to the large French doors to catch the views as far as the eye can see and create multiple outdoor dining areas. And at night, they stroll in the pasture just to look back at this spectacular home they have created for their new life together!