How Jess Reimagined her Historic Family Home
fall 2024 style story
A NOTE FROM JESS
This newsletter is all about a topic near and dear to my heart: my own home. I have had a love affair with this historic house since the day I moved into its original carriage house twenty years ago .
This newsletter details the journey I have been on to restore this home not once but twice. We are inviting you along for the ride with us as we work to complete this next phase.
Owning an older home is a true honor and also not for the faint of heart.
XO Jess
FROM OUR PORTFOLIO
Renovating a historic home is an act of love and patience. Along the way, you discover a trove of imperfections, decay, and outdated systems, along with the kind of thoughtful, detailed craftsmanship rarely found in homes today. It’s a balancing act: how to maintain the soul of the house while updating it for the 21st century? How to honor its innate elegance without it feeling overly formal? How to marry grandeur and coziness, formality and everyday function?
Over the past two years, Jess has poured her heart into answering these questions while renovating her historic family home in Great Barrington, MA.
"There’s something very romantic about a Victorian house. It has this soulful beauty that lingers long after you leave. Even when it’s dilapidated and falling apart, the care of the woodwork and detail shines through. You want to wander and explore and bring it all back to life the way it once was."
Electricity pioneer William Stanley built the house for his mother and sister in 1890. Upon its completion, it boasted state-of-the-art electrical systems and a sweeping view of East Mountain.
In 2003 Jess, her husband and their first child, moved next door to the dilapidated Stanley Victorian. They befriended Norma Thompson, the eccentric homeowner. Jess’s daughter would often visit Norma for tea parties while Jess roamed the rambling rooms, falling in love with the grand fireplaces, the leaded glass windows of the butler’s pantry, the bedrooms tucked away in the eves of the attic. Norma had lived there for many years with her husband and the house still had all of its original finishes. Norma would say to Jess, “someday when I pass I want you to be the one to take care of my home”.
Norma was eventually moved to a nursing home and the house sat vacant. Nature overtook the exterior. The roof leaked into the attic bedrooms and vines covered the crumbling stone foundations. For three years, Jess watched from next door as rain poured into the unheated house. She felt increasingly protective of the house and of Norma’s memory but wasn’t able to purchase the home due to the vast amount of repairs needed and the asking price.
THE ORIGINAL DINING ROOM
The kitchen, prior to its first refresh
The state of the formal entry when jess bought the home
In 2010, the nursing home threatened to foreclose on the house for lack of payment. It was then that Jess and Joe—now with two more children—were able to negotiate and purchase the house. It was in extreme disrepair and at the time there was only money to address all the structural repairs, electrical work, and new heating and cooling the house needed.
“We really didn't have the budget to do all of it properly. We invested in doing the systems really, really well and then we kind of patched together the cosmetics. I bought the cabinets from the ReStore and did everything as cheaply as possible. I always tell clients, ‘don't ever skimp on cabinetry.’ And we definitely did.”
Jess felt the presence of Norma throughout that first renovation. “I knew that somehow we would make it work. We scraped every penny to stay there and I just trusted that we were doing the right thing and that Norma would guide us through it.”
Despite the patched up renovation, the house became the anchor for the large Cooney family, hosting countless thanksgivings where nieces and nephews ran in herds up and down the three stories and many cooks wreaked havoc on the small kitchen.
"Initially my only thought was to save the house, then the reality hit that we were actually going to live there with our family. It became this really beautiful process in which we took care of the house and in turn it took care of us."
As the project progressed, more unique historical gems surfaced—like the wood paneled music room overlooking the front lawn, where the Stanleys used to host chamber music concerts for the town. Knob and tube wires that had hung bare from the walls begged to be finally outfitted with a sconce. The dated grasscloth called out to be refreshed in the way JCI does best: by layering in fresh punches of color and texture that enhance a space’s inherent beauty.
During the months of the pandemic, as her kids approached the heart of their teenage years, Jess began to consider finally giving the house the true renovation it deserved. The kitchen that had been installed 15 years ago was falling apart and bathrooms were in need of updates. The heating system needed to be replaced once again.
The design for the renovation centered around two objectives: relocating the kitchen from its shadowy north-facing spot to where the larger, light-filled dining room had been situated, and creating a full primary suite. Jess began to visualize the new kitchen - expanding the patio beyond the French doors, incorporating the existing fireplace, and turning the bay windows into a breakfast banquette. The measurements of the space working perfectly for her plan. Once again, the house began to reveal itself in all its original elegance. Jess was ushering the house into its next phase of life.
ThE ORIGINAL KITCHEN & LIVING ROOM PLAN
ThE UPDATED KITCHEN & DEN PLAN
a rich material
palette for the kitchen
jess at her new kitchen island (almost)
A SKETCH OF THE NEW KITCHEN
Jess and grace in the newly gutted future kitchen
The happy chaos of picking paint colors
Aside from relocating the kitchen (and creating a cozy plant-filled den where the kitchen used to be) she prioritized creating a primary suite where there used to be only a bedroom and half bath. The suite will now include a sitting room, a library, a freestanding tub, and a walk-in closet. On the third floor, an added bathroom and refreshed game room will make the attic the perfect hang out for Jess’s teenagers, as well as a cozy spot for visiting nieces and nephews.
If you walk by the house now, you’ll see trucks lined up and down the street. Inside, painters and carpenters work in every room. Antique brass doorknobs that rattled loosely for years are being tightened. Crown moldings are getting a fresh coat of paint. Original chandeliers are being dusted and polished. Jess’s vision for her family home is coming to life—and we can’t wait to show you the finished product.
"The next phase of this home is about creating more mature spaces that balance family life with entertaining and deep comfort."
JCI is teaming up again with the dedicated team of practitioners at the South County Recovery Center. Using peer-lead, person-centered guidance, their work supports people affected by substance use, their families, and those in recovery.
Our team helped to design their new offices in 2022. Thanks to the success of their programming they are now doubling their footprint in their current building in GB. And we’re thrilled to be collaborating again on the design of their new community space - complete with work stations, a full kitchen, additional office, and a large flex room for gatherings, meetings, etc.
Stay tuned for updates as construction begins later this year.
JCI in the community
Carah Menard has a background in philanthropy and hospitality. She's worked for various local businesses in the Berkshires. At JCI, she provides design and administrative support to the Principal and Project Managers.
Emma Sims-Biggs is a Berkshire native with a background in fine art. After many years working in the retail and buying sector of home furnishings, she joined JCI as a designer in the furnishings department in January.
Shi-Anne Phillips is currently a student at the New York School of Interior Design and will graduate in 2025 with an associate's degree in Interior Design. She assists with marketing and provides design and administrative support to project managers and the furnishings team.
New to the team
OUR STAFF STYLE PICKS
In honor of Jess's home renovation, our staff shares their favorite historic architectural details.
Lauren
creative director
We’ve been watching kitchen design trend toward a more minimalist approach, where form belies high function. And much of our work has followed suit, allowing kitchens to have as much refinement and polish as we’d hold to elsewhere. It’s a fun challenge, but there is an intrinsic magic to kitchens of old that were unapologetically working spaces. A quiet beauty to the utility.
Rachel
senior FURNISHINGS designer
A beautiful staircase detail would have been one's first impression when entering a home. I enjoy imagining all the members of the house who used it through years and years of travel. It reminds us we are merely stewards of these houses, preserving for the next generations.
Benjamin
SENIOR project manager
Dutch doors are something that I’ve always found to be fascinating but are often overlooked in modern design. They offer benefits which include easy ventilation, addition of natural light and convenience of use.
Emma
FURNISHINGS project manager
I have always appreciated the thoughtful beauty of a built-in china cabinet. The cabinets are just as much works of art as the pieces they were built to house.
Leila
senior project manager
A brick window arch serves to emphasize window height and add grandeur to a home's facade. This kind of architectural detail, so rare in building today, imbues a structure with a sense of craftsmanship and beauty.
Grace
project manager
I love seeing traditional hinges and latches making a comeback, especially paired with rich, saturated hues. I think of cabinet hardware like jewelry. Weight, finish, and craftsmanship matter. And with that satisfying click of a catch pull? Opening a cabinet feels like a luxury.
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