Produced by Steed Hale / Written by Jonna Gallo Weppler
As a longtime home design pro, Stefania Skrabak knows plenty about the reality of house shopping: what people profess to want from the get-go is often not what they get in the end. A few years ago, her own Rhinebeck homebuying journey was no different. She and her husband, Ben Nunn, wanted a home for their family that was secluded, unique, comfortable, and approachable.
“As a designer, I wanted something bespoke, that transcended boundaries,” she recalls. Yet at the height of Covid, they decided to buy a house that lacked almost everything they sought. “It was one of only four available in the area,” says Skrabak. “Certainly not a place I could see myself in, let alone our family.”
But she is the founder and principal designer of Art Home Garden Interiors, a New York-based full-service design firm. Her husband runs Dum Designs, a construction and project management firm, also in the New York City/Hudson Valley area. Between them, they had the means for a total transformation at their fingertips. So she set about completely reimagining and redoing the ‘90s Colonial they now owned.
Start to finish, the reno took about a year, with a ton of progress during the first six months and then lots of refining, finessing, and tweaking. Skrabak’s overarching goal was “to have the house feel like it made sense in the Hudson Valley, where we have so much nature and earthy vibe,” she says. “It was way too opulent ‘90s, completely disconnected from the setting.” She aimed to create a light-filled, airy, livable space where it felt like you could walk in, drop down on a sofa, and relax.
A light-flooded living space that lets in the surrounding landscape manages to feel both expansive and cozy.
The kitchen overhaul involved multiple slabs of marble, chosen after a thorough search of area stone yards, one after another. “The guys who did the installation were friends of mine,” Skrabak says. “They said ‘yes’ after everyone else I asked said ‘no way’ to a 10-foot slab for the island. Installation was a nail-biter, but the seamless look is so worth it.” When new white cabinets went in, she immediately started thinking about painting them. Her choice: a forest-inspired brown which blends perfectly with the multitude of trees visible through the sliders and windows and that sets off the copper range hood.
“I’m really big on being at home,” says interior designer Stefania Skrabak. “What that means is I’m constantly re-examining what works well.”
Above the rustic wood dining table: a 450-pound selenite crystal chandelier from Restoration Hardware. Hundreds of unique crystalline wands hang from an iron frame, and the edges and surfaces catch every bit of light that filters through the space. “That chandelier glows even when it isn’t turned on,” raves Skrabak. “It was absolutely purchased just for me and it’s one of my favorite things ever.” A dated oak-on-oak spiral staircase was reconceived with raw plaster and curved banisters.
As for the primary bedroom, Skrabak says she “leaned into the ‘90s vibe here” by keeping the arch-topped windows and going with bed linens, drapery panels, and a rug in period patterns reminiscent of the post-Cold War decade. The sunlit primary bath got a huge soaker tub.
In the end, it didn’t matter at all that they had to choose from a very limited inventory of homes. “This is absolutely the right place for us,” says Skrabak. “Without a doubt.”
Marble, copper, wood, and mixed metals all manage to get along beautifully in this home. The secret? Everything is tonal.
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