The sprawling farmhouse sits on a lush plot of land in a little village along the Finger Lakes. Mackenzie-Childs and his family decided to rehabilitate the home themselves, using their artistic training to guide them through creating their dream home. Wanting to preserve as much of the original workmanship as possible, the family kept the original plastered walls, beams and windows that date back to the 1790s. The historic pieces were cleaned and restored, revealing themselves as durable despite their long period of neglect.
The Alice-inspired look begins in the dining room with the familiar black and white parquet floor of the fantastical story. To make the room even more surreal, the checkered pattern continues on the table top and across the ceiling, creating a scene perfect for a mad tea party.
The family’s artisan hand continues in both bedrooms, which display the same kind of whimsy. The master bedroom takes over the attic, and is lined with rattan mats that the Mackenzie-Childs used as beds when in Indonesia. Their giant mirrored armoire evokes another story – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – as it opens to reveal a hallway the master bath and closets.
This impressive home is clearly a labor of love for the family of artists who were able to transform an almost forgotten farmhouse into the storybook home of their dreams!
