Page 16 - The Hunt - Spring 2021
P. 16
HOME & GARDEN
“This place has felt like home since
the moment I saw it—so much so that I never want to leave.”
14
THE HUNT MAGAZINE
spring 2021
peeling back the layers of an onion. In the kitchen, she found a weary wood floor beneath curling red linoleum—and yet another floor beneath that one. When a tree fell on the exterior, she decided to upgrade the siding from vinyl to HardiePlank.
TRUE TO THE PAST
Over the years, Dickinson has made multiple updates to the home and its expansive grounds. Through it all, she’s maintained the historic essence of a unique property. Before railway lines became automated, the stationmaster’s house was integral to
making sure transportation ran without a hitch, serving as both living quarters and workplace. Many of these compact, sturdy structures have been repurposed throughout the years. In Mechanicsburg, Pa., a two-and-a-half story red brick residence built in 1875 next to the Cumberland Valley Railroad Station is now the headquarters of the Mechanicsburg Museum Association. In Saltburn by the Sea, a Victorian-era resort in Great Britain, the circa-1910 stationmaster’s house and walled courtyard have been converted to an inn.
In retaining her stationmaster’s house as a residence, Dickinson has embraced and enhanced its charm, from salvaged floors of red and white oak to the bronze globe chandelier that hangs above the circular dining room table. The latter space is both pragmatic and joyful, with custom built-in cabinetry juxtaposed against Kravet Audubon Gold wallpaper in an ebullient print depicting birds and bees in flight.
Once a single doorway, the entry between the living and dining rooms has been widened to accommodate a pair of French doors, which allows light to pass between the spaces. The windows are dressed simply, so as not to compete with the view—tailored fabric swags in the dining room, natural reed blinds in the living room. A classic, clean-lined sofa and a pair of comfy chairs upholstered in a muted floral print define a conversation area.
