Houzz Tour: Fall Fun on the Farm in Upstate New York
Manhattan residents leave the city for small-town life and a home that’s a full-time project
Farmhouse Exterior and Outbuildings
Colors: The exterior paint received the first big update. “When we bought it, it was a cream house with mucky green trim and shutters,” Lang says. They even heard some kids skateboarding down the road remark that someone had bought the “scary house.”
Today, the home is far from scary-looking. The exterior has been perked up with a fresh coat of white paint and vibrant green accents. In the fall, the couple dress up the porch with yellow mums from the farm down the road.
Colors: The exterior paint received the first big update. “When we bought it, it was a cream house with mucky green trim and shutters,” Lang says. They even heard some kids skateboarding down the road remark that someone had bought the “scary house.”
Today, the home is far from scary-looking. The exterior has been perked up with a fresh coat of white paint and vibrant green accents. In the fall, the couple dress up the porch with yellow mums from the farm down the road.
Backyard: The home, which sits on 2 acres, has a barn that’s painted the same colors as the house. The extra building is great for storage, and all the land offers plenty of room to entertain.
Since moving in, the couple have installed a stone patio and built a table from scrap wood, which comes in handy for large gatherings. This fall, they hosted a background barbecue for more than 50 people in the neighborhood. They decorated for the event with lots of string lights, creating a DIY setup by cementing long birch branches into galvanized buckets and running the strings from the house to the tops of the branches. “We are all about reusing and repurposing,” Lang says.
Since moving in, the couple have installed a stone patio and built a table from scrap wood, which comes in handy for large gatherings. This fall, they hosted a background barbecue for more than 50 people in the neighborhood. They decorated for the event with lots of string lights, creating a DIY setup by cementing long birch branches into galvanized buckets and running the strings from the house to the tops of the branches. “We are all about reusing and repurposing,” Lang says.
Shed: This small building on the property is technically a folly house, something the couple had never heard of and learned was mainly created for decoration. Today it’s used as a food and cocktail hub for backyard events. It’s near the stone patio and has electricity, making it a great entertaining station.
Garden: The couple started a garden at their new home and have been delighted to showcase their produce, such as these pumpkins and gourds.
Garden: The couple started a garden at their new home and have been delighted to showcase their produce, such as these pumpkins and gourds.
Photo by Lawrence Braun
Great Room
Furnishings: When Lang and Prepelica viewed the home, the owners had been using the large great room as a storage area and exercise space. The couple knew it could be reconfigured to work for a multitude of functions. “With all our experience living in lofts,” Lang says, “we knew we wanted to create zones to give the space purpose.”
They began furnishing the space with this DIY table in the entry. They got the base, which is from an old sewing machine, from a local woman who clears out houses, and topped it with an antique tabletop.
Rocco, the dog: The couple have had Rocco for 14 years. The erstwhile city slicker now roams around on the farm. Read more about Rocco in his Pet’s Place feature.
Great Room
Furnishings: When Lang and Prepelica viewed the home, the owners had been using the large great room as a storage area and exercise space. The couple knew it could be reconfigured to work for a multitude of functions. “With all our experience living in lofts,” Lang says, “we knew we wanted to create zones to give the space purpose.”
They began furnishing the space with this DIY table in the entry. They got the base, which is from an old sewing machine, from a local woman who clears out houses, and topped it with an antique tabletop.
Rocco, the dog: The couple have had Rocco for 14 years. The erstwhile city slicker now roams around on the farm. Read more about Rocco in his Pet’s Place feature.
Photo by Lawrence Braun
Great room seating: The entertaining capabilities continue in the great room with the addition of a few select pieces of furniture. The couple had the love seat reupholstered in Ralph Lauren fabric. As with many of the furnishings in the home, they opted to find a vintage piece and give it new life by reupholstering it. “If you are only paying $50 for the original piece, it’s worth it to reupholster,” Lang says.
Great room seating: The entertaining capabilities continue in the great room with the addition of a few select pieces of furniture. The couple had the love seat reupholstered in Ralph Lauren fabric. As with many of the furnishings in the home, they opted to find a vintage piece and give it new life by reupholstering it. “If you are only paying $50 for the original piece, it’s worth it to reupholster,” Lang says.
Guest Room
The home has five bedrooms, but only two have been updated so far: this guest room and the master bedroom, which we’ll see later.
Wallpaper: The guest room had ’80s-style wallpaper, which the couple took down and replaced with a black-and-white toile paper.
Bed: The couple purchased the solid oak frame at a local auction for $100. They modified the tall poster bed to better fit the room and painted the frame a darker color to add more drama to the space and match the new wallpaper.
Browse Victorian wallpaper
The home has five bedrooms, but only two have been updated so far: this guest room and the master bedroom, which we’ll see later.
Wallpaper: The guest room had ’80s-style wallpaper, which the couple took down and replaced with a black-and-white toile paper.
Bed: The couple purchased the solid oak frame at a local auction for $100. They modified the tall poster bed to better fit the room and painted the frame a darker color to add more drama to the space and match the new wallpaper.
Browse Victorian wallpaper
Lang likes to mix colors and sizes to create an organic feel. You can watch this wall come together here.
Fresh look: Before photo shoots and for guests, Lang and Prepelica buy fresh flower arrangements from Jill Wiener, a local florist who runs Earthgirl.
Photo by Lawrence Braun
Kitchen
Although the kitchen layout stayed the same, almost everything has been replaced. “We say it had huge potential,” Lang says. The couple did all the work themselves except for the cabinet installation.
Counter space: The kitchen lacked counter space, so the couple opted to run lower cabinets along the length of the wall. They then added shelves alongside the fridge, which hold cake stands and cookbooks.
Flooring: This room didn’t have the original hardwood flooring seen in the rest of the home. The couple found a similar-looking engineered wood option that they snapped into place themselves.
Kitchen
Although the kitchen layout stayed the same, almost everything has been replaced. “We say it had huge potential,” Lang says. The couple did all the work themselves except for the cabinet installation.
Counter space: The kitchen lacked counter space, so the couple opted to run lower cabinets along the length of the wall. They then added shelves alongside the fridge, which hold cake stands and cookbooks.
Flooring: This room didn’t have the original hardwood flooring seen in the rest of the home. The couple found a similar-looking engineered wood option that they snapped into place themselves.
Photo by Lawrence Braun
Stairwell gallery wall: As you head up to the second floor, you encounter the couple’s growing collection of framed silhouettes. “I saw some used in an old country home, and I thought they would look great in our home,” Lang says.
He notes that they can be hard to find and expensive, but he’s been able to collect a bunch of small ones from local shops and artists, estate sales and eBay. “Together, all these small ones make a statement.”
Stairwell gallery wall: As you head up to the second floor, you encounter the couple’s growing collection of framed silhouettes. “I saw some used in an old country home, and I thought they would look great in our home,” Lang says.
He notes that they can be hard to find and expensive, but he’s been able to collect a bunch of small ones from local shops and artists, estate sales and eBay. “Together, all these small ones make a statement.”
Farmhouse Future
Lang and Prepelica have already started planning the design of another bedroom and the second-floor bathroom, and they continue to add furnishings to other rooms.
“When you buy a house, you don’t want to do everything right away,” Lang says. “You really need to live in the house and understand the layout, and what you want it to be. It’s always evolving.”
You can read more about the home and follow the couple’s progress at The Farmhouse Project.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Lang and Prepelica have already started planning the design of another bedroom and the second-floor bathroom, and they continue to add furnishings to other rooms.
“When you buy a house, you don’t want to do everything right away,” Lang says. “You really need to live in the house and understand the layout, and what you want it to be. It’s always evolving.”
You can read more about the home and follow the couple’s progress at The Farmhouse Project.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Shawn Lang and Kristofer Prepelica and their Chihuahua, Rocco
Location: Hortonville, New York
Size: 2,500 square feet (232 square meters)
Backstory: Shawn Lang, a product designer, and Kristofer Prepelica, an oncologist, had rented in Manhattan for years and dreamed of owning a place and making it their own. That dream sat out of reach because of New York’s high housing prices. They looked for homes just outside the city, but every option was too expensive and impractical for them. Then some friends talked up the opportunities in upstate New York, and they went to see what all the fuss was about.
A two-hour trek outside the city brought them to small towns with quaint farmers markets, lunch spots and local breweries. They questioned the locals about the best small towns and where to look for a home.
Soon after that visit, they reached out to a real estate agent to set up home viewings. They spent the day touring homes, but the agent had saved the best house for last, Lang says. “We just fell in love with this house — the location, its history, everything.”
Scope of work: The couple have owned the home for four years, and work continues on it daily. Luckily, Lang says, the work it needed was mostly cosmetic since it had the necessities: running water, plumbing and heat. Room by room, the couple have been transforming the home into the 1800 farmhouse it once was, and documenting the full-time project online at The Farmhouse Project.
“At first, we were basically camping out in the house,” Lang says. They had air mattresses and no furnishings. “We really wanted to create a very traditional house — and restore it, not just renovate it. It takes a while, but it’s worth it.”