Written By Megin Potter  |  Photos provided

[From the 2025 Fall Magazine]

One-hundred-hour work weeks are nothing new to Vanessa Parisi, an OB-GYN living in Cooperstown, which is why she relishes the chance to indulge her creative side with design.

“There are no rules in design. It works as long as it makes you happy,” she said.

Vanessa Parisi grew up in Saratoga and lived here from 1989 until 2009. Her mother, Rose Parisi, owned the Caspia and Lace Boutique on Broadway, and finding a good estate sale with her father, Peter Parisi, became one of her favorite pastimes.

After graduating from Siena College and living on Long Island and in New Jersey, in 2022, Vanessa moved into an 1875 three-bedroom, three-bath Federal-style home in Cooperstown.

“Cooperstown is like a miniature version of Saratoga. It is a tourist town that has the same local charm and reminds me a lot of where I grew up,” she said.

Home is Where the Heart Is

To preserve the history of her 2300sq ft. home, Vanessa consulted the local preservation society and, along with her parents, who now live in Guilderland, renovated the structure into a cozy, comfortable place to start a family.

Three years of renovations included upgrading the utilities, replacing the roof, removing 11 trees, gutting the second floor down to the studs, raising the ceilings, adding an ensuite master bath, new hardwood flooring and finishes, insulation, and more. New cabinetry was designed by Curtis Lumber, and custom projects throughout the house were completed by James Ebert, Master Carpenter at MadHatter Construction. Much of the renovation work and woodworking finishes were completed by Vanessa’s father, most notably in the pantry and dining room.

“The whole house was a labor of love, but the most important thing about it is that it was family-built,” said Vanessa. “Each room tells a story.”

Introducing Character

There was a lot of pivoting during the renovations, which included family work days called “Spackle Saturdays,” but with old homes come imperfections, and you just have to accept it, said Vanessa.

The kitchen and adjoining pantry are now a place lost in time, where repurposed rough-cut lumber, beautiful shelves of staples, and mixed metals mingle with the hand-picked antiques that Vanessa has found meaningful through the years and kept in storage until the day she would move into the home she dreamed of having.

“I like the history behind these pieces and shopping for them is way more fun than going to a department or hardware store to pick from the same things everyone else has,” she said.

Where Memories are Made

To pay homage to a bygone era with an eye on everyday functionality, antique character from elements, such as a butter churn planter, Cooperstown Distillery barrel, and Victrola cabinet, live alongside modern amenities, including what Vanessa calls “the world’s smallest dishwasher.”

Among her favorite spots in the house are the butcher block breakfast nook and baking table, where she and her mother whip up her masterful Italian recipes, wonderful pastries, limoncello, and canned jellies. “It really makes it feel like a home for me,” she said.

“There are creative ways to live comfortably in small spaces, and you can do it on a budget, when you have a home with good bones and a solid foundation.”

Thank you to Frances Falotico, Vanessa’s friend and fellow Saratogian, who knew I would LOVE this house story!!