Inside a Circa-1790s New York Farmhouse

With its Revolutionary War pedigree, Donna and Paul Frank's New York farmhouse is straight from a history book. So they set out to write their own chapter.

Back to the Future

When Donna and Paul Frank bought their 1790s home eight years ago, they hoped not just to preserve history, but to make it. Constructed by Revolutionary War Lieutenant Jonathan Chapman, on land granted by George Washington, the center-hall Colonial in Old Chatham, New York, came with 17 acres and a 20,000-square-foot 1940s barn (pictured). Yet Donna saw the future. "I could immediately picture my boy out exploring," she recalls of then-infant son Elias, now 10 years old. First, though, they had to tackle a big renovation.

Kitchen

For the kitchen, Donna envisioned an antidote to the all-white, stainless steel norm, choosing a black La Cornue stove, dark-soapstone counters, and a floor of salvaged bricks. "I love the texture," she says. "It's a little 'downstairs at Downton Abbey.' " She limited the black cabinetry to lower units, in order to install a bank of windows at eye level. Explains Donna, "Seeing the hedgerow was more important than storage"—no matter that the results rendered the dining room extraneous. "We always wind up eating in here!" she says.

In this photo: A local carpenter constructed the cabinets, painted black to match the range and topped with soapstone counters. The floor—made of bricks from the old chimney—is heated radiantly. The cabinets are painted Black Blue by Farrow & Ball.

Bright idea: A secondhand brass desk lamp, set to the right of the window, gives the kitchen cozy style.

Hutch

The Franks tackled much of the work themselves. "I went to the lumberyard and got an account as a contractor," says Paul, a mutual-fund manager by day. "I did tiling, trim, and some plumbing." Donna pitched in with sanding and painting, as well as directing the project.

In this photo: Paul built the kitchen hutch for Donna's 40th birthday. On display: new and flea-market dishware. The beadboard is painted Parma Gray by Farrow & Ball.

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