(Pictures by John Gruen.)
“We simply bought a pet named Mango,” pronounces writer Maggie Pouncey, who lives along with her husband, Matt, and their sons, Dominic and Felix, in Rhinebeck, New York. “Our pets are all named after stone fruits — our different canine is Apricot, and our cats are Peach and Plum.” Right here, Maggie offers us a tour across the comfortable chaos…
LIVING ROOM
Paint: Odessa Pink by Benjamin Moore. Couch: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Hunter. Pillows: Block Store. Throw: Artistic Girls. Espresso desk and rug: classic.
On pink paint: We rented residences for a few years, and this home is the primary place we’ve ever owned. We are able to lastly make the house simply how we would like it, so I went for it with the pink! I hoped our lounge could be an oasis but additionally welcoming for the child crew. Odessa Pink by Benjamin Moore felt proper.
Armchairs: classic from Holler and Squall. Pillows: Block Store. Rug: classic from Breuckelen Berber. Bookcases: Constructed-in by earlier homeowners. Flooring lamp: Schoolhouse. Desk: CB2. Portray: by Wolf Kahn.
On comfortable reunions: The portray above the desk is by Wolf Kahn, and the portray above the hearth is by Emily Mason, his spouse. They had been associates with my mother and father after I was rising up. When my mother and father bought divorced, my mother bought the Emily Mason portray and my dad bought the Wolf Khan portray. Now, the 2 work are again collectively in my home.
Print: Amanda Jane Jones. Chair: hand-me-down.
On household heirlooms: We have now hand-me-down furnishings from my mother and father, grandparents and even nice grandparents. It’s humorous as a result of it will get exhausting to guage them aesthetically. Generally I’m like ‘Do I even like that chair?’ However I’ve such a heat attachment to every little thing. We have now a large chest handed down from my nice grandmother, and it nonetheless has a slight scent of her fragrance, which is so wild. Infrequently you get a waft.
OFFICE
Paint: Chippendale Rosetone by Benjamin Moore. Rocking chair: classic. Pillow: Sir Madam. Rug: classic from Breuckelen Berber.
On a brand new chapter: I ran a kids’s bookstore, Tales, in Brooklyn for 5 years. In 2021, the pandemic had taken its toll, and we needed to shut. Once you create one thing you like, letting go is so exhausting. It’s a must to let your self grieve. Particularly when it’s a bodily house that isn’t there anymore, it feels so gone. However determining a brand new journey was very therapeutic and useful.
Desk: “My dad’s writing desk.” Lamp: hand-me-down. Bookshelves: built-in by earlier homeowners.
On the magic of kids’s books: My first novel got here out when my older son Felix was born, and I skilled a really complicated identification shift. Earlier than motherhood, I believed I used to be going to write down fiction for adults my whole life. However on the finish of my maternity depart, I had this four-month-old child, and I noticed, ‘No manner can I write one other novel.’ I felt misplaced. However in that point, I actually fell in love with present kids’s books. There may be a lot range. A child within the adventures of a ladies’ basketball workforce or climate-related dystopian fantasies can discover nice books that talk to them — books which are mirrors to assist them really feel seen and home windows into different worlds. That’s what led me to open Tales, and from there, write A Fort on the Moon.
Cupboard: classic. Lamp: hand-me-down. Flowers portray: “Was my grandmother’s, painted by her buddy Abram Lerner.”
On adorning an enormous house: We’re nonetheless determining one of the best spots for issues. As a author, I actually like tinkering with sentences, simply enjoying and transferring phrases round. And rearranging the items in our residence feels comparable. Even simply the act of doing that makes the home really feel cherished and lived in.
DINING ROOM
Paint: White Dove by Benjamin Moore. Pendant mild: Workstead. Eating desk: ABC Residence. Chairs: classic. Rug: Armadillo.
On a particular desk: When Matt and I bought married, my mother and stepfather gave us this eating desk. My mother had gotten an oval eating desk as a marriage current, and it was such a supply of pleasure for her. She used it for numerous household dinners and events, in order that was her imaginative and prescient for us. Our twentieth anniversary is that this Could, and this desk now holds many candy reminiscences and household moments.
KITCHEN
Cupboard and counters: “Nineties formica, child!”
On a main colours: The earlier homeowners designed their kitchen within the ‘90s and it has an actual classic vibe. When individuals stroll into the kitchen for the primary time, they’re like, ‘Whoa.’ My artist associates say, ‘By no means change this!’ whereas different individuals are like, ‘How do you reside on this craziness?’ However it brings me pleasure. I admire that the earlier homeowners actually went for it.
Pendant lights and eating desk: left by earlier homeowners. Chairs: Serena & Lily, “Initially purchased for the Storytelling Lab at Tales.”
On internet hosting: For big events, I like setting out a buffet within the kitchen, the place everybody can assist themselves. Then I can keep away from feeling on the finish of the night time like I didn’t get to have an actual dialog with anybody!
HALLWAY
Framed tapestry: household heirloom. Bookcase: thrifted. Runner: Block Store.
On household hangs: We play a whole lot of board and card video games. We additionally simply listened to all of the Harry Potter audiobooks. It was the sweetest night custom and so cozy within the winter. We additionally like listening to The Westing Sport, a enjoyable homicide thriller with a Knives Out vibe.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Paint: Peacock Feathers by Benjamin Moore. Bedding: Dazed however Amazed. Pillow covers: Les Indiennes. Desk lamp: Design Inside Attain. Evening stand: household heirloom. Portray of flowers: by Leanne Shapton.
On bedtime reads: Lately I completely cherished You Might Make This Place Lovely by Maggie Smith. It’s fantastically structured — she writes about small moments that add as much as life story.
Picture: by John Pack, from The Olympic Metropolis venture. Dresser and wardrobe: household heirlooms. Lamp: CB2, comparable.
On bed room blues: Our bed room appears to be like inexperienced within the daylight and blue at night time; I discover it very peaceable. The boys additionally ended up selecting blues in comparable however totally different shades — which is consistent with them as brothers.
DOMINIC’S ROOM
Paint: Ocean Metropolis Blue by Benjamin Moore. Beatles print: Advantageous Artwork Journal. Glow-in-the-dark-stickers: GloPlay. Lamp: Schoolhouse. Bookcase: classic. Ukulele: Les Paul.
On a nine-year-old’s contact: Dominic put up glow-in-the-dark stars, and he requested a Beatles poster. He performs the ukulele and discovered to play all these Beatles songs and Carter household folks songs. There’s one thing very, very candy about slightly child enjoying folks music.
FELIX’S ROOM
Paint: Within the Twilight by Benjamin Moore. Dresser and lamp: classic. Pillowcases: Brooklinen, comparable.
On elevating preteens: My youngsters are 10 and 14, which is an intense time of life. As a father or mother, I’ve been engaged on actually listening and never providing my opinion — which is difficult, as a result of I’ve a whole lot of opinions. However I believe as soon as youngsters get to the preteen years, they understand how you consider issues and so they don’t want fixed suggestions. Felix and I as soon as had this second the place I mentioned, ‘Felix, I’m just a bit involved…’ And he interrupted me by saying, ‘Mother, you’re actually all the time just a bit involved.’ So, it’s a piece in progress.
UPSTAIRS HALLWAY
Print: An Schooling, by Shawn Fields.
On nostalgic mementos: This print used to hold in Tales’s storytelling lab, so households who went to story time will acknowledge it. Now it’s in our upstairs hallway and I simply adore it. It captures the kid’s full absorption within the ebook, although you possibly can’t actually see their face. It brings again that childhood feeling of being in my cozy mattress with a great ebook.
Calendar: The Dolphin Studio, “I framed the beginning months for each of my boys, that is February 2010, when Felix was born.” Chair: hand-me-down. Rug: classic from Breuckelen Berber.
On elevating readers: There’s a nook on the prime of our staircase, the place we put a sofa and beanbags. With studying, I attempt to observe every baby’s lead. There’s usually some topic that they’re obsessive about, and they’re going to simply learn and browse and browse — whether or not it’s dinosaurs or graphic novels. I do know there’s a whole lot of nervousness round getting our youngsters to learn, however I believe studying is basically such a joyful factor. Like, we don’t fear about whether or not our youngsters will get into Netflix, we simply belief they’ll take pleasure in it. And books will be simply as pleasurable for teenagers as soon as they get swept up into them.
Thanks a lot, Maggie! xoxo
P.S. Extra home excursions, together with a spaceship residence and a farmhouse constructed for Black pleasure.
(Pictures by John Gruen.)
