1980s Bedroom Decor
99 gallons of paint on the wall
99 gallons of paint…
Ok, that's not really the way the song goes, but if there was one song that has been on repeat this year for the Friends of Knox Farm State Park, Inc., it would certainly be this.
The guest house received a new roof before work began on the interior of the house.
With the help of donors, members, nearly two dozen volunteers and countless gallons of paint, the Friends have been fixing up the guest house next to the main house at Knox. The roof has been replaced, heating and cooling units were installed, the boiler was replaced and electrical has been updated. One of the six bathrooms in the 4,100-square-foot guest house was renovated to be ADA compatible, as was an entrance. A fire system was hardwired into the building and the garage doors were replaced. Most materials were purchased, some were donated, and every decision was made to bring this building back to its former glory.
"It looks now like it should look," Executive Director Kathleen York said.
Maybe even better.
Time was causing the plaster ceiling in the living room to disintegrate.
Plaster walls needed to be patched and repaired in the dining room before the rest of the work could begin.
The exterior of the guest house before volunteers painted the exterior over the summer.
Of the elements of this project that stand out and make the renovated guest house shine, the most important is the attention to detail, which allowed the building to keep its integrity. Whenever possible, original elements were saved, especially in the living quarters. Each of the guest house's five bedrooms has an adjoining bathroom. The large master bedroom has a fireplace with its original mantle intact and boasts large paned windows. The bedrooms are outfitted with built-in dressers that are functional, as well as built-in closets with shelving. Some of the bedrooms have little built-in doors that allowed the Knox's to let their dogs out to the yard without leaving their room. The bathrooms still have original details like marble flooring, white subway tiles, pedestal sinks and bathtubs. They were all modernized with stand up showers, and subway tile was installed to the ceiling with the volunteer help.
The bedrooms also received fresh coats of paint from floor to ceiling. Former estate owner Jean Knox liked to paint walls in bright colors. One utility closet in the hallway is being kept in its original pink shade that she was known to be fond of. Each bedroom color was selected using a muted, updated shade like the one she last chose for the walls.
As you walk around the guest house, your eyes are drawn to the architectural details. Many of them are period specific, but unlike the bedrooms, they are not all original. The mouldings around the doors and windows are untouched, but the living room was enhanced with a coffered ceiling and recessed lighting set on dimmers. The dining room has a shiplap ceiling that mimics the outdoor porch ceiling. While new, both of these projects look as though they have always been part of the guest house. The dining room also boasts wainscoting, crown moulding and built in china cupboards, giving this country home a touch of traditional elegance that anyone would have expected from a nearly century old house.
Wainscotting, crown moulding and a shiplap ceiling were all added to the dining room at the guest house before volunteers painted the space.
And all of the architectural details were painted white. By volunteers.
In the kitchen, donated cabinetry was retrofitted to fit the space, new counters were installed and it will be the only room in the house that will receive a new floor.
All in, this project has cost the Friends of Knox Farm State Park $65,000 and they estimate they have logged 1,500 volunteer hours. Within the next few months, it will receive the finishing touches such as furniture, rugs, window treatments and artwork. The majority of these items are in the process of being donated.
The coffered ceiling was added to enhance the architecture of the living room at the guest house, and the built-in bookcase got a makeover.
They hope that by next year, this building will be available to rent like the main house. It can be used for corporate events, conferences, retreats, or as an add on for families using the mansion for a wedding.
Fresh paint makes a difference in making the guest house seem inviting.
The guest house was built in the mid 1930s by Seymour Knox. It had a kitchen and dining room, with four bedrooms that each had a full bathroom. Various jockeys and friends would stay there in the early years. In the 1950s, a garage large enough for three vehicles and a living room were added, and Seymour's son Northrup moved in and lived there for the next 50 years until around 2000 when the New York State acquired the land to turn it into a state park. The house has been vacant ever since.
"It was really a family home, although it was called a guest house. It was truly just used for jockeys and friends when it was first built," York said.
York adds that like their other projects, this one has been made possible by their events, private donations and by membership dues to the organization. Individual memberships are $25 and they indicate to grantors when they apply for money that the community cares about their efforts.
"They are a message of support, and the public's support is huge," she said.
***
When she's not reporting on small-town life in and around East Aurora, Shelly is usually knee-deep into planning a new project for the 1980s-almost-village-vanilla-box her family lives in. To catch a glimpse of the progress on her decorating adventures, follow her on Instagram at almostvillagevanillabox. If you or someone you know should be featured in this column, email her at shelly@eastaurorany.com . For more information about the Friends of Knox Farm State Park, visit friendsofknoxfarm.org.
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Source: https://www.eastaurorany.com/articles/column-driven-by-decor-a-fresh-coat/
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