For most people looking for a country getaway, a derelict 1830s farmhouse that had been abandoned for the past 40 years might appear a little too distressed. But for New Yorkers Don Howell, an artisan furniture maker, and his partner, Ray Camano, the home’s “oxidation and decay” were part its charm. (The 40 acres of woods, meadows, and streams that came with it may also have been part of the draw.) “We wanted something that hadn’t been renovated or polished,” they say. So when the couple bought the eyebrow style colonial home, they set out to preserve as much of its rough-hewn character as possible.
Photography by Justine Hand for Remodelista.
![originally three separate rooms, the generously sized cooking/dining space feat 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-kithcen-full-2-733x980.jpg)
The Hudson Valley home, located in Accord, New York, had been chopped up into a myriad of tiny, unusable rooms. Major renovations included knocking down walls to create two larger rooms downstairs and three above. In addition, the couple added electricity and running water, the first public utilities ever installed in the house. Apart from these two interventions, Don and Ray preserved as much of the original detailing as possible, including all the original paint—chips and all—and the well-worn, wide-planked floors.
![the kitchen is equipped with antique appliances—a chambers stove and uti 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-kitchen-4-733x494.jpg)
The farmhouse interiors are furnished with an eclectic mix of antique, industrial, and midcentury modern, and handmade pieces that complement the home’s rustic character. Don, a fashion designer turned furniture designer, made much of the furniture himself.
![separating the kitchen from the dining area, a central fireplace looks original 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-fireplace-733x1017.jpg)
To install insulation, the original plaster walls had to be ripped out. To re-create the walls’ textured appearance, the couple applied plaster skim coat over Sheetrock, treated with distemper—a traditional technique using a mixture of slaked lime, rabbit hide glue, and pigment—which Don mixed and applied himself.
![a detail of the dining area shows the results of don and ray’s efforts p 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-table-733x1102.jpg)
![a detail of the dining table shows don’s elegant work. 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-table-legs-733x1083.jpg)
![as seen in the downstairs bath, rather than viewing the chips and cracks as an 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-bath-detail-733x1100.jpg)
![the dining table, as seen from the living room though the entrance hall, is mad 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-dining-1-733x1100.jpg)
![full of original texture, the front hall needs no more adornment than a simple 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-lantern-e1558558452397.jpg)
![two of don’s pieces, his newly designed rush chair and sternum lounge, n 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-living-room-1-733x508.jpg)
![nestled between two generous windows that catch the afternoon sun, a sofa with 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-sofa-1-733x489.jpg)
![with the addition of floor to ceiling shelves, don and ray converted what was o 28](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-library-733x1014.jpg)
![the original stairs ascend from the central front hall, that neatly divides the 29](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-blue-stairs-e1558558426754.jpg)
![the upstairs originally had six tiny bedrooms. don and ray knocked down several 31](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-master-bedroom-1-733x514.jpg)
![two of don’s pieces: his newly designed rush arm chair in white oak and 32](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-chair-733x1100.jpg)
![don and ray devoted one corner of their bedroom as the master bath. here, an an 33](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-bath-full-733x1007.jpg)
![in a cozy guest room tucked under the eaves, don hung a gallery of antique & 34](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-guest-bedroom-small-3-733x1105.jpg)
![a vintage print complements an original farmhouse light fixture. 35](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-light-detail-733x1074.jpg)
![on an antique cast iron bed, the bedding includes patchwork pillowcases from ra 36](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-guest-bedroom-pillows-733x489.jpg)
![in the larger guest room, a vintage cast iron bed is covered with a patchwork q 37](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-guest-bed-1-733x489.jpg)
![outside don and ray continued their vision of maintaining the home’s wea 38](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rustic-farmhouse-hudson-valley-howell-exterior-733x536.jpg)
Looking for a Hudson Valley getaway? Don and Ray’s authentic farmhouse is available for rent via Airbnb.
For more rural homes we love, see:
- A 1700s Stone Farmhouse in the Hudson Valley, Discovered via Google
- Portrait of an Artist: A Photographer’s Soulful Cottage in Rural Germany
- For a Long Winter’s Nap: A Manor House and a Schoolhouse in the German Countryside, Available for Stays
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