170-Year-Old House Becomes Home to a Young Family

Six years ago when Jill and Aaron Baker decided they were ready to invest in a home, they hunted all over Brooklyn. They were actually in the inspection stage of purchasing a Brooklyn co-op when they stumbled upon this 1840s home within the Palisades Historic District in Rockland County, NY. Realizing they could purchase an entire home (with a driveway and washing machine!), they made the decision to leave the city. As an interior photographer, Jill was able to move her work up north, and Aaron, a former ship captain, now works in the global transportation services business and handles shipping logistics of import/export. Since their move from the city, their family has grown to include a Corgi (as pets were forbidden in their NYC apartments, getting a dog was one of the first things they did after moving) and now a one-year-old little boy. When choosing a decor scheme and furnishings, the couple wanted to respect the home’s 170-year-old history, so they chose objects that matched the time period or were built to last – such as the wide-plank pine floors, clawfoot tubs, farmhouse sink and stunning built-in hutch cabinets. Similarly when purchasing new pieces, they are drawn to objects with clean lines and strong, mid-century influences. -Amy

Photography by Jill Baker Photography

Image above: “This room came together slowly,” Jill says. “We had been using a table we had while living in the city and we did not feel like it worked properly for the house, so we took some time and kept trying to find the perfect table. During a DWR Annex Sale shopping experience we saw the current table in the photo.  Before we bought it, there was another couple investigating it, but they were concerned about a few scratches on it and needed to walk away to think about it.  It was heavily discounted and we knew our son would likely add new ones so we bought it. We love it.”