Designer Deborah Ehrlich favors deconstruction over renovation and reduction over decoration. Her 1722 Hudson Valley farmhouse is proof: Ehrlich opened up the floor plan, exposed beams and plaster walls, sanded the floor, relocated the kitchen to a room originally used to store wood, and then, she says, “just left it.” The relocated kitchen is now part of a clapboard addition to the stone house, and is kitted out with handbuilt plywood countertops, a vintage utility sink, and a modified Viking oven. To re-create the look of Ehrlich’s kitchen, read on.
Above: Ehrlich’s commissioned utilitarian table in the kitchen. Photograph by Justine Hand from House Call: At Home in the Hudson Valley with Designer Deborah Ehrlich . Above: A Viking wall oven with custom wood oven pull is set into a plywood counter with a gas cooktop above. Photograph by Justine Hand from House Call: At Home in the Hudson Valley with Designer Deborah Ehrlich . Above: Ehrlich’s flatware, inherited from family, is stored out in the open. Photograph by Justine Hand from House Call: At Home in the Hudson Valley with Designer Deborah Ehrlich . Above: A vintage utility sink adds to the workshop feel of the kitchen. Photograph by Justine Hand from House Call: At Home in the Hudson Valley with Designer Deborah Ehrlich . Appliances
Above: The Viking Professional 30-Inch Single Electric Wall Oven is a similar model to the Viking oven that Ehrlich modified with a wooden pull and inset into a handmade plywood counter. It’s $4,499 at AJ Madison. Above: The Viking Professional 30-Inch Gas Cooktop is a newer model than Ehrlich’s cooktop. It’s $1,559 at AJ Madison.
Faucets & Fixtures
Above: The Chicago Faucets Wall-Mounted Kitchen Sink Faucet is $182.99 at the Chicago Faucet Shoppe. Above: The Kohler Bannon 24-Inch Wall Mount Service Sink has the feel of a vintage utility sink like the one in Ehrlich’s kitchen (Deborah’s was a gift from a friend); $919.58 at eFaucets. For more, see 10 Easy Pieces: Utility Sinks .
Lighting
Above: The Lowell Pendant 2.25-Inch Light is available in a black (shown), brass, or satin nickel shade; $149 at Schoolhouse Electric. Above: The Norfolk 4-Inch Ceiling Light has a retro appeal; $179 at Schoolhouse Electric.
Furniture
Above: If you’re in the UK, you’re in luck, with easy-to-source antique chapel chairs like this Antique Dark Church Chair without Bible Back at UKAA. Above: Ehrlich has a Saarinen Tulip Armless Chair , available new for $1,769 at Design Within Reach.
Accessories
Above: You can source a similar simple schoolhouse chalkboard from restaurant supply stores. This one, the Aarco Oak 36-Inch Black Chalk Board , is $88.99 at Webstaurant Store. Above: The Provendi Soap Holder is €20.20 for the holder alone at Provendi. Above: The Home Basics 2-Tier Dish Drainer is $29.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Above: J. R. Watkins Dish Soap in Grapefruit is Ehrlich’s choice; $9.09 on Amazon. Above: The Elly Dish Towel in blue and white is $3.99 for a set of four at Ikea. Above: One of Ehrlich’s Maple Cutting Boards hangs on the wall behind the sink. It’s made locally from maple; $125 for the smallest of the three at March. Above: The Sabre Paris Basic 5-Piece Place Setting in Khaki is $89.95 at Yvonne Estelle’s. For more, see 10 Easy Pieces: Bistro-Style Stainless Flatware . Above: The Mason Cash Mixing Bowls in white start at $10.40 on Amazon. Above: The Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte in Basil starts at $215 at Williams Sonoma. Above: A Bredemeijer Cosy Manto Teapot is $94.95 on Amazon. New, its copper base is shiny, but in time it will develop a rustic patina. Above: On the dining table are Ehrlich’s own Simple Crystal White Wine Glasses , designed in her Hudson studio and handblown in Sweden; $70 each at March. You can also get them directly through Ehrlich on Spring ; $130 for a set of two. Above: The Ted Meuhling E. R. Butler Biedermeier Candlesticks in Satin Silver are available through Kneen & Co. For more farmhouse interiors, see our posts:
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on August 22, 2017.
