Longtime collectors and crafters Sandy and Jim Gorman have filled their New Hampshire house with thoughtfully obtained antiques and repurposed, handmade items that nod into the surrounding nature.
Despite the formerly dark, luxurious and wallpapered interior, Sandy immediately needed a vision and proceeded with it, whitewashing walls and adorning every room with antiques that are treasured. Her charming and unique style flows unbroken throughout the entire residence, so no one room is a popular.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Sandy and Jim Gorman, as well as their Bernese Mountain Dog, Ooghna
Location: Henniker, New Hampshire
Size: 1,800 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths
That’s interesting: Though the house was inspired by 19th-century structure, it was actually built in 1975.
Theresa Fine
Sandy sewed these chalk-white slipcovers herself. An in-progress knitting project sits on the footrest.
Sandy was in the business of buying and selling antiques for nearly 10 years, therefore frequenting New England flea markets and yard sales was an unavoidable part of decorating her home.
Theresa Fine
“The one thing I could never live without is our living room’s brick fireplace,” Sandy says. The couple frequently uses it when family and friends visit, and also to warm up during arctic Northeast winters.
Theresa Fine
When decorating, Sandy chooses large pieces with character and accents the rooms with organic substances. Just past the sitting area of the living area is a creative area comprising one-of-a-kind finds, including branches, pinecones, yarn and a bird’s nest under a cloche jar.
Theresa Fine
This doorway is the original front door, now used more as a portion of the hallway resulting in the office and upstairs.
Theresa Fine
The front door leads to the home’s authentic mudroom, now a relaxing and light-filled area that connects to the backyard and the kitchen.
Theresa Fine
A large antique wood built-in cabinet appears within the entrance room. A Victorian rattan suitcase sits under a baker’s table.
Theresa Fine
Dried herbs and garlic hang beneath a industrial light in the entry to the yard. Sandy increases these herbs in her garden, using them as decoration and also for cooking.
Theresa Fine
Shaker-style rocking chairs create a casual seating area in this entry area.
Theresa Fine
Industrial-style pendant lighting hang in the country-style kitchen. A large part of slate displays candy messages to and from friends.
A classic butcher’s cupboard was left as is, with its original and lovingly worn green paint.
Theresa Fine
Sandy and Jim kept the kitchen renovation budget reduced by painting the initial cupboards a straightforward black, focusing their money on stainless steel appliances and new light. Sandy would like to have an industrial-style kitchen with a granite fireplace.
Theresa Fine
A large antique pine table anchors the dining area. Vintage cheese boards and cutting boards line the rear wall. “Work with nature” is one of Sandy’s philosophies in design and life — the corner division and tiny bird’s nest attest to the particular headline.
Theresa Fine
Sandy decorated this easy, little office with vintage office supplies and articulated brass lamps. A functioning rotary-dial telephone accessorizes the weathered blue desk.
Theresa Fine
Another large vintage cupboard holds old drafting sketches and a strawberry jam crock with pheasant feathers.
Theresa Fine
The tranquil master bedroom includes bare Edison-style Ferrowatt lightbulbs without shades to flaunt their distinct style.
Theresa Fine
This bedroom bureau originally had no high once the couple discovered it. They came across a tin slab in a flea market that looked just right — instead of cutting it down to size, they flexed it to create a backsplash.
The driftwood lamp includes a cotton shade from a local mill that closed down. The unfinished edges add to the home’s casual ambience.
Theresa Fine
Each side of the bed has a lamp repurposed from a tripod.
Theresa Fine
Sandy grows several herbs in her raised-bed garden. A newly built potting shed appears over the garden — so thoughtfully put together, it seems like another home.
Theresa Fine
A lengthy worktop crosses a wall of the shed under reclaimed antique windows. From the left corner hangs an oil painting of Ooghna, the couple’s beloved Bernese Mountain Dog.
Theresa Fine
Sandy and Jim constructed the shed themselves as a place to house gardening tools and as a relaxing distance away from the house.
Theresa Fine
Energetic and inquisitive, Ooghna obediently sits in front of a large pile of firewood.
Theresa Fine
The shingle-style exterior additionally reveals a two-car garage.
Sandy and Jim appointed their residence Shy Rabbit Farm, from the William Butler Yeats poem”To an Isle in the Water”
Theresa Fine
Creative homeowner Sandy sits in the garden shed, wearing layers of cotton, linen and denim with her signature Heidi-style braids.
“Do what you enjoy and what seems comfortable to you,” she states. “Keep it simple, always editand continue to hunt for bargains.”
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