At Home in Germantown, New York, with Amanda Pays, Corbin Bernsen & Reclaimed Beams from The Hudson Company.

Above: Corbin and Amanda and sons at their new residence (the photo was taken by their oldest son’s girlfriend and became this year’s holiday card).

Actor Corbin Bernsen and his wife Amanda Pays, an interior designer, are seasoned serial renovators. According to a recent article in Remodelista, they’ve lived in 25 houses over their three-decade marriage. (Bernsen even has a film production company called “Star Handyman.”) The couple recently bid farewell to Los Angeles, moved east, and put down roots in the Hudson Valley, where changing seasons and snowfall are giving the family—who were used to sunshine and palm trees—a novel experience that they seem to relish. They bought an 1880s farmhouse in Germantown, NY that needed a gut renovation, but they’ve preserved as many original details as they could, and added in some selective antique touches.

Above: “We went down to the studs and nothing else,” says Corbin of the 1,700 square foot interior. “This is the equivalent of a bionic house.” Explains Amanda: “We replaced or added HVAC, all plumbing, all electric, insulation, new drywall, bathrooms, and the kitchen.”

The couple both come from renovator families: Pays’ father bought and fixed up old properties in southeast England where she grew up, and Bernsen became a skilled carpenter by learning from his uncle and his mother. To give their 1,700 square foot farmhouse a more open floor plan, they removed some walls on the first floor, and installed antique beams to add some rustic beauty to the interior as well as structural support where needed. To find the beams, they turned to their new neighbors, The Hudson Company. The beams they chose are from our collection of Reclaimed Hand Hewn Beams which are salvaged from barns and farmhouses in the Hudson Valley and Canada. Each one is different, but many of them share lovely features: mortise holes, pockets and check marks, which give this farmhouse interior a tactile connection to its architectural heritage. And in Pays and Bernsen’s beautifully restored home, they look like they've always been there.

Above: Corbin’s guitar stands in a corner of the guest room. The reclaimed beams used throughout came from The Hudson Company.

Above: The tub, along with three sinks, came from Hoffman’s Barn in Redhook, NY.

Above: The living space opens to a roomy dining area and kitchen. The cabinets are Ikea—with Ikea’s vertical-grooved Hittarp fronts in an off-white lacquer that Amanda painted herself. “This isn’t something they recommend but it worked well: even the chipping looks authentic. I used a heavy Kilz primer—no sanding—followed by two coats of Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray in a satin finish.”

Above: The couple—he’s 65, she just turned 60—say they love their new surroundings and plan to stay upstate.

Above: The moody back room with new built-in bookshelves is the library/TV room and Corbin’s home office.

Above: The master bedroom has a conceptual headboard: Amanda dragged the driftwood home from a walk along the Hudson River.

Read the full piece on REMODELISTA.

Inside Our New Ridgefield, CT Showroom

All Photos By Michael Biondo.

***THIS LOCATION HAS BEEN CLOSED***

Come Visit Us In Ridgefield, CT

Opened on November 14, 2018, our Ridgefield, CT showroom was established to serve our Westchester, Connecticut, and New England clients. Designed by Brad Ford and furnished by FAIR, our newest and largest showroom will showcase over 100 flooring, paneling, and beam products.

Located on Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7), our Ridgefield Showroom is conveniently located for product viewings, consultations, and client meetings and is open by appointment Monday to Friday.

Book An Appointment or Learn More About Our Ridgefield Showroom

Installation in Focus: 'Stonewood Farm' private residence, New York

The Pleasures of Country Living

‘Only by letting nature in can we create a sense of coherence and kinship among house, landscape and environs. Only with that connection can a home be nurturing and invigorating.’ -Designer Ken Holzberg

When designer Ken Holzberg was ready to build his dream home at Stonewood Farm, near Millbrook, New York, the goal of his project was to create something new, while still retaining a sense of continuity with the past.

Describing his inspiration for the project, Ken writes, ‘Farmhouses and their outbuildings have always been thoughtfully tied to the land...they are made of honest, natural materials – typically what is locally available – further connecting them to their surroundings.’

When Ken approached The Hudson Company in search of the perfect materials for his project (reclaimed wood flooring, exposed beams, and vintage doors), we knew we were collaborating with an accomplished designer with an eye for detail. From hand picked cabinet hardware to custom-made light fixtures, Ken curated the perfect palette of materials and textures. ‘If I had to describe my style in one word, I would call it eclectic,’ writes Holzberg, ‘I love to take old, beautiful materials and objects from different eras and places – pieces that would never have otherwise known each other – and put them together to give them new life against the backdrop of an understatedly elegant room.’

perfectly imperfect: The Right Materials for home

Upon visiting The Hudson Company Mill, Ken was able to find flooring materials, exposed beams, and antique lumber that fit his precise vision. Choosing to incorporate 1,000 square feet of Reclaimed Hemlock floors, Reclaimed Softwood Beams [Original Face]. and an additional 3,000 square feet of Reclaimed Mixed Softwood [Threshing Floor] flooring - both sourced from historic farm buildings in the area - Ken was able to achieve the desired effect of a modern, informal home that is rich in historical character.

‘When all is said and done,’ writes Holzberg, ‘I think Stonewood’s interior spaces work so well for me because they are infinitely approachable...everything is perfectly imperfect...nothing is too precious to touch, eat at, or sit on. Everyone can feel welcome and comfortable in our home.’

This installation profile originally appeared in The Hudson Company Journal, Volume 1. To request a print copy of The Hudson Company Journal, please contact us at info@thehudsonco.com.

RECLAIMED MIXED SOFTWOODS [THRESHING FLOOR, BARLEY FINISH]

RECLAIMED HEMLOCK [MUSHROOM WOOD] FLOORING

RECLAIMED SOFTWOOD BEAMS [ORIGINAL FACE]

Featured Design Installation: Private Residence, Rhinecliff, NY

Here's a little sneak peak at a new design installation that is currently still under construction in Rhinecliff, New York.

Located in one of the oldest hamlets along The Hudson River, this private residence, designed by local architect Warren Temple Smith, features several products from The Hudson Company's full product line, including Reclaimed Softwood Joists, Reclaimed Barn Siding [Brown Board], and Reclaimed Hemlock [Surfaced Mushroom Wood].

Above right you will see our Reclaimed Factory Maple used in an engineered chevron pattern designed to work with a set of bi-fold doors. Above left, you can see new structural beams custom-wrapped with Reclaimed Barn Siding [Brown Board] to introduce an weathered patina to the home's interior aesthetic (note the chevron bi-fold doors in the background). In the same image, below the large exposed beams, you will notice Reclaimed Softwood Joists installed above the kitchen.

Stay tuned for more photos and updates on this design installation in the weeks to come.

Click here for more examples of Residential Design Installations featuring Hudson Company wood products and design solutions.