Houzz Tour: Nostalgic Family Home in Upstate New York
This charming Cape Cod-style home is nestled away in a quiet, kid-friendly suburban community in LaGrange, NY. Owners Peggy and Dennis Maloney happen to be working on making it their own since moving here from the 1980s if their sixth child was born.
Peggy decorated the home with family heirlooms and items that she found at estate sales, antique shops and flea markets. Each one has a unique story behind it, while it’s a rare find from a real estate sale or a souvenir from one of the numerous trips to Europe. She’s “absolutely in love with all the colors white and blue,” she says. “It was an easy choice when selecting paint colors for the house.”
Houzz in a Glance
Who lives here: Peggy and Dennis Maloney
Location: LaGrange, New York
Size: 3,000 square feet; 5 bedrooms
Rikki Snyder
Their primary sitting parlor, (my favorite room in the house), is full of blues, whites, greens and lots of rare collectibles.
Rikki Snyder
The secretary furniture piece in this area was found in an estate sale, along with the green vintage sofa made from the 1940s. “It had been love at first sight,” Peggy says. She had it reupholstered, and it’s currently a primary element in her parlor.
Rikki Snyder
One of Peggy’s most valued collectibles is a blue and gold Limoges porcelain vase from France atop her side table. The fitting green chairs in her parlor add an ideal contrast to each of the whites and blues, adding warm color into a bright, airy and inviting area.
Rikki Snyder
Peggy’s bedroom was kept very easy with blue walls and gentle light blue-and-white accents. A craft room from her bedroom is Peggy’s favorite place to be. She enjoys making a wide variety of crafts like wreaths, Christmas decorations, pillows, blankets and aprons there.
Rikki Snyder
If Peggy’s not spending some time in her craft area she’s frequently off at the kitchen baking. Like their bedroom, the kitchen is very easy with blue cupboards and white accents, though they intend to remodel their kitchen, make new cabinets and adjust the color to cream within the next few months.
Rikki Snyder
When the Maloneys proceeded in, they added a new front entry, making the entryway broader and much more inviting. They also added a screened-in porch off the back, remodeled a bathroom, replaced the carpeting and repainted.
Rikki Snyder
This dining area is their location of family gathering. This space means much to her since she never had a dining room in her house when she was growing up.
Rikki Snyder
Peggy had always wanted a cuckoo clock, and she eventually bought this find while in Bavaria, Germany. “Whenever the grandkids are over and the cuckoo clock goes away they run on to it and observe it in amazement,” she says.
Rikki Snyder
A hutch displays Peggy’s blue-and-white dishes and glassware, reflected here in the dining room mirror.
Rikki Snyder
A hanging Christmas cactus, a philodendron, asparagus ferns and bonsai trees line the front.
Rikki Snyder
At the corner of the dining area are more of Peggy’s blue-and-white dishes from England and furniture that has been in her family for quite a while. Included is a pewter tea collection, which is Peggy’s favorite piece to drink from. You could always expect a nice cup of tea upon entering this charming home.
More Houzz tours:
New York City Design Sensibility at Lowcountry
Playful and Elegant at New York
Next: Tour hundreds of inspirational houses