Tidal Tastemaker: Kristy & New England

CC: Can you share a bit of background on your brand, Kristy & New England, and your home? When did you move in? 

KC: Before moving to New England, I worked designing client interiors, and my Midwest home and projects were featured in Better Homes & Gardens Magazine, HGTV magazine, and across the web on several media outlets. During this time, my husband had a client in Connecticut, and we brought our family out for the summer. Our boys were young at that time, and we loved our 3 months of  New England summer with trips to Nantucket, The Cape, Maine, and Boston. We fell in love with the New England lifestyle, and decided to make the stay permanent. We found a diamond in the rough in an established neighborhood in Connecticut, and decided (once again!) to take on the project of another top to bottom home renovation. We are taking our time with it, and enjoying the process of making our old colonial our family’s forever home. 

CC: Did you know you wanted to renovate from the beginning? Was it part of your plan when you moved in?

KC: We definitely wanted to take something old and make it shine again. Our first home in the Midwest was a renovation, so we are no strangers to the process. I love walking into a home and seeing its potential, and I’m such a lover of older homes. I guess we are gluttons for punishment, ha-ha! When we found our Connecticut home,  I loved the original details. I love to preserve the past, but make it work for modern living. Our home has such beautiful original details with dental crown mouldings, original hardwood floors, well crafted fireplace surrounds, original built-ins, original French doors, and the list goes on.

(Credit: Kristy & New England)

 CC: What did you do between move-in and when you were ready to renovate to make the space functional for your needs? 

KC: We had to move out quite quickly for my husband’s work, so there wasn’t much time to do anything. Lucky for us, the bones were in great shape and the kitchen, though not our taste, had recently been updated. It was clean, functional, just not our style. So really, it was just bringing in my interior design, and I knew I would have the time to dream and play with ideas.

(Credit: Kristy & New England)

CC: Renovations seem incredibly overwhelming to many. How did you start this process and what did that look like? 

KC: We are still renovating, ha-ha! I didn’t want it to feel too overwhelming for my family, especially since we are living here as it's being worked on. Our boys are really active and both are in sports year round, so I wanted to take things slow room by room, addition by addition. We have a 5 year renovation plan, which means we probably have a 7 year renovation plan, because there are always delays or pivots, right?! We started with the things you cannot see. The first year, we installed all new electrical, new plumbing, new heating and air-conditioning, and a new drainage system.  Year Two, we moved to things we needed to address ASAP installing new windows and exterior paint and repairs. As for the interiors, that started last year. We’ve renovated our bedrooms, living room, dining room, & sunroom. This year, we are finishing up the existing first floor. This 2025, we are renovating our kitchen and working on finishing up the powder room and first floor punch list items. Then 2026, we’ll finish up the second floor bathrooms and punch list items. After that, the really fun stuff will begin. We have plans for two additions and exterior overhauls to add more old-time charm and curb appeal. I love to garden and landscape, so I’m really looking forward to this part of the plans.

(Credit: Kristy & New England)

 CC: What are some of your favorite updates you’ve made?

KC: I just adore our living room. I brought in grasscloth, patterned wallpaper, shiplap, lots of blue and whites, coastal textures, and designer fabrics. It feels like we are on vacation everyday in that space. That is how I want our home to feel- beautiful, relaxing, and full of comfort. A place to make memories.  A close second would be our primary bedroom. I pulled lots of inspiration from Sconset with the rose-covered cottages and bluff views.

(Credit: Kristy & New England)

CC: Do you have a favorite space in your home? What makes it special?

KC: Again, that would have to be our main communal spaces. Our living room and dining room hold so many memories with friends and family. Holidays together in front of the fire, special celebration dinners in our dining room. Creating a home that embraces this spirit of being together is key for me. 

(Credit: Kristy & New England)

CC: We know the renovations have been a huge focus, but we’d love to talk more about your style and the inspiration behind your interior design. How would you describe the style of your home?

KC: I’ve always had traditional foundations in my design. I love timeless, classic details. I think that’s why I was drawn to our home with its traditional colonial architecture. Living in New England has definitely honed my personal design tastes even more. We vacation every summer on Nantucket, and that has been the muse of our home renovation. I’d describe my interior design style as Coastal Trad, traditional foundations with coastal colors, textures, and art. Living in New England, the colors of the coastline definitely play into my design choices. 

(Credit: Kristy & New England)

CC: Where did you look for inspiration when it comes to home design and styling?

KC: I studied design, furniture, and art so those things  have always inspired me. Here in New England, we have a treasure trove of architecture styles. Traveling to different parts of this region, I pull so much inspiration from coastal towns and historic homes. A lot of my photography from our Nantucket trips inspires our home design. As far as styling, I’ve always had an eye for photography and styling. I love the art of creating an image.  It comes pretty natural to me. Also, having our last home and projects featured in print, I gained a deeper understanding and knowledge of this skill set. Getting to work with magazine photographers and stylists so intimately was a crash course in styling a space for photography.

(Credit: Kristy & New England)

CC: From all of the changes you’ve made to your home, what do you think made the biggest impact?

KC: Wallpaper…I love a good wallpaper. I’m such a fan of pattern play. Wallpaper when you get it right, enhances your home.

(Credit: Kristy & New England)

CC: Can you share some of the key Cailini Coastal pieces you used in your renovation and what drew you to them?

KC: Cailini Coastal has been such a great resource for our renovations. As we continue our design journey, it’s been one of the first places I source from for quality furnishings and decor. We’ve sourced a lot of pieces from CC for our reno so far. The Nantucket Wallpaper we used in our foyer is really a work of art. It looks like a watercolor, and as you look closer at the shapes and lines you see seashells. It’s not obvious seeing it on the wall and it makes a playful pattern. The Signal Flag Art is perfect for a coastal touch. We paired two of these in our living room for another coastal touch.  I adore the Treble Sconces we installed on each side of our fireplace too. The bamboo wrapped arms are elegant, yet have a nod to coastal design.

CC: What are you most excited about for Kristy & New England in 2025? Any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re looking forward to sharing with your audience?

KC: We are celebrating 5 years of Kristy & New England this summer, and will have some fun things for our audience on the blog and Instagram. Also, I'm enjoying delving into product design. Not sure on collection drop dates just yet, but looking forward to rolling that out.  Other than that, we will continue sharing our home renovation, and have some wonderful partnerships and travels we can't wait to share this year.

 SHOP KRISTY'S PICKS

White Orchid Faux Drop-In

Nautical Signal Flag Framed Art - Jig

Nantucket Blue Wallpaper

Blue Delphinium Faux Stem