Every Day Is Special

GOOD TIMES AWAIT GUESTS IN A COUPLE’S LUSHLY DETAILED HUDSON VALLEY FARMHOUSE. AND WHY NOT? THE SOCIAL GRACES ARE THEIR BUSINESS.

Who better to showcase a creative duo’s masterpiece of a home than another creative duo? That notion animates designers Susanna Salk and Stacey Bewkes as they visit the 200-year-old, Federal-style farmhouse of Karen and Martin Cooper, tucked away in New York’s tranquil Hudson Valley, and let readers tag along. It’s a selection from the designers’ new book, At Home With Designers and Tastemakers (Rizzoli New York), for which Salk provides the prose and Bewkes the images.

As founders of The Punctilious Mr. P’s Place Card Co., an old-fashioned customized place- and notecard business, the Coopers know something about design. It’s only fitting that their home is styled to inspire and entertain for nearly every occasion, whether it’s a formal event or Sunday dinner with their 11-year-old son.

For the living room walls in their Hudson Valley farmhouse, Martin and Karen Cooper selected a terracotta color, pulling the rusty hue from the Greek vases lining the mantel. To bring cohesion and add touches of luxury, they splashed gold trim on the crown moldings here and throughout the house, including the carpeting.

This page: The Coopers lined the foyer walls and main staircase with Farrow & Ball Broad Stripe wallpaper in green, a soothing color to welcome visitors and provide a transition from the outdoors to interior space. Already showcasing the green shade, an antique settee and chair did not require reupholstering. Opposite page: This east-facing room is bright all day long, with morning sunlight popping through floor-to-ceiling windows, canary-colored walls and a soaring chandelier from Doyle Auctions in New York. Adding to the room’s cheer is the grand piano, acquired from Steinway in Boston.

This page: Bringing the outside in, the homeowners fill many of their tables with potted herbs, ivy or green fruits. “We love displaying a bit of earth inside,” says Martin. Opposite page: The dining room’s black lacquer walls and candlelight fixtures create a formal and intimate environment for dinner guests. But the space is not only a gathering place for meals; it’s also where the family recounts personal experiences and memories, Karen says.

This page and opposite: When guests congregate in the living room, the homeowners use their pantry as a serving station. It has plenty of counter space for appetizers or desserts, as well as a wet bar and a second dishwasher, the latter coming in handy when the party’s over. A nod to English architect Sir John Soane of the late 1700s, mirrored panels create an optical illusion of a larger space and give the millwork a lighter feel.