Layers of renovations often result in a confusion of eras and styles, but one 18th-century Berkshires farmhouse managed to escape that fate.

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When an Expert consultation client hired Lauren and Suzanne McGrath of Studio McGrath to refresh the 1764 home, they discovered a rarity: previous renovations had enhanced rather than compromised its historical integrity. “All the quirky things that people had done added to the charm, instead of detracting from it,” Lauren says. “They had done a great job of maintaining the bones. We stuck to the same plan.”

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The mother-daughter design duo embraced the quirky layout and preserved historic features like weathered beams and a wood-sided exterior with a wraparound porch. A floating staircase and a lodge-style extension, built by former owners, also made the cut. The alterations were mostly subtle yet transformative, like the addition of muted plaster walls that blend into their surroundings. But the McGraths started anew in select spots like in the kitchen and on the fireplace mantel, where they sought to bring back the simplicity that might have once been there.

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Investing in the Walls

In the home’s original footprint, the walls are covered in a pale peach, polished plaster that gives them an aged appearance. “It's a very rustic finish with a subtle shine, so it doesn't feel like we tried to get too fancy in an old farmhouse,” explains Lauren. “It feels like you're in a building in England that’s been unchanged for 200 years.” Their reflective sheen also bounces light around, doing wonders to brighten up the low-ceilinged space.

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The warm, orangey-pink hue blends well with the locally-sourced white oak floors, which Lauren and Suzanne had installed after a pipe burst and ruined the historic pine planks they’d planned to restore. “In the end, the client loved the result because though the original floors were beautiful, they were really worn,” Suzanne says.

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Simplifying the Millwork

In the kitchen, the Experts designed pared-back, traditional Shaker cabinets that honor the building’s era. “There's not a lot of ornate trim—they’re very restrained,” Lauren describes. “We tried to stay respectful of the architecture by coming up with solutions that look like what would've been there originally.” The classic cabinet profile is paired with a coat of Farrow & Ball’s India Yellow and a blue-gray soapstone counter on the center island.

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The dining room fireplace received a revamp, too, with a straightforward, unembellished wood mantle that departed from the former owners’ design decisions. “What was there before wasn’t original to the house nor was it a great architectural feature, so we designed something simple that elevates the space,” says Lauren.

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Sourcing Broadly but Consistently

For the furnishings, the McGraths sourced from a variety of periods and countries, but a throughline connects all the pieces: “They are all very streamlined and have a rustic element, regardless of where they are from,” Lauren details. “It makes it feel not precious or overthought.”

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The living room, for example, combines a 1940s Göran Malmvall pine armchair with a vintage basketweave coffee table, a mustard camelback sofa, and a 1950s French iron and rattan side table. The patterned rug ties the space together. “It's a reproduction of a vintage Swedish rug rooted in folk art,” Lauren says. “It's nice to bring that part of history into these old American houses. Having something graphic on the floor is grounding.”

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Adjusting the Palette

While the home’s original section is dominated by creams, yellows, and greens, the wood-clad extension relies on grays, blues, and reds for an important reason. “The wood tones are reddish in that part of the house, so we needed to lean into these colors to tone them down a little bit and make it feel fresh,” Lauren says. She and Suzanne recovered the clients’ sofas in a slate Jim Thompson Fabrics stripe and a set of Italian Constructivist armchairs in a faded brick Rose Uniacke textured linen.

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Staying Edited

The McGrath duo kept the entire house edited, taking a “less is more” approach to furniture, textiles, and decor in each room. With lighting, they avoided bold fixtures in favor of understated lamps and pendants, like the graceful fixture over the dining table. “You don't throw a modern showstopping piece in the middle of a barn,” Suzanne opines. “It's better to select something that's going to do its job and disappear—there are so many other pretty things to look at.”

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