The founders of the expertly curated Hawkins New York turn their talents to reviving an 18th-century farm house—complete with a subtle pink palette.
“We’re drawn to colors that shift drastically with the light,” says Nick Blaine, cofounder of Hawkins New York along with his partner, Paul Denoly.
Photography By Adrian Gaut
Text By Sarah Coffey
Produced By Kate Berry
SIMPLE CANDLESTICKS by Hawkins New York from $38 domino.com/winter16
HAND-DIPPED TAPER CANDLES by Danica
DESIGN CANDLES from $17 danicacandles.com
SIMPLE LINEN PILLOWS by Hawkins New York from $78 domino.com/winter16
Paul Denoly and Nick Blaine have mastered the art of compromise.
Their home-goods store, Hawkins New York, is known for its unique balance of modernity and warmth—a marriage of the couple’s styles. “Everything in our store has been thought and fought through,” Denoly jokes of their process. “Before we lived together, my apartment looked like a Design Within Reach catalog, and Paul’s place looked like a very cool grandma lived there,” says Blaine.
Buying an upstate New York farmhouse in 2011 gave them the opportunity to truly combine and refine their aesthetic. Built in the 1750s by Dutch settlers and rumored to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad, the centuries-old property was crumbling. Denoly and Blaine worked with local craftspeople, including Claverack Builders and mason Mike Budai, to bring the house back to life, restoring the original stone structure as well as a 1901 clapboard addition. (During the renovation, they found the initials JVD on an interior wallboard— carved by the original builders, the Van Dusen family—which they preserved and have plans to frame.)
“We love easy, textural updates,” says Blaine. “In winter, we add woolly pillows and layer chairs with Icelandic furs.”
Once the bones of the place were in good order, the couple turned to the interiors. Inspired by traditional paneling in Dutch Colonials, Blaine designed a simplified modern version for the living room walls. They tested no less than six shades of pink before agreeing on the perfect hue. For the floors, they sourced tinted concrete tiles from Mexico in Hawkins’s signature palette of pinks, blue-grays, and creams. Friends came over to help lay the tiles in a random pattern, and they intentionally skipped grouting so that the edges would wear over time. “In the process of restoring the original doors, we fell in love with the years of layered paint,” says Blaine, “so we left them that way.” Other details, such as copper electrical tape around the perimeter of the kitchen walls, pair a DIY approach with a love of lived-in patinas.
BIEDERMEIER CANDLESTICK by Ted Muehling from $360 thefutureperfect.com
WHITE FAUX ANTLER CHANDELIER by Shabby Antler $400 etsy.com
HOFFMANN SIDE CHAIR by Josef Hoffmann $305 dwr.com
SHEEPSKIN RUG (covering chair) by Ecarpet Gallery $70 hawkinsnewyork.com
HAND-DIPPED TAPER CANDLES by Danica Candles from $17 danicacandles.com
Wood piles add to the living room’s rustic charm, where the couple replastered the walls and restored the original stone and brick fireplace.
An ever-evolving project, the home is a living lab for Hawkins’s collections. “We play with prototypes and test them in the house,” Blaine says. “When we launch a new color in the linen program, we move it from room to room to make sure it fits with our palette.” For their Versa Vase collection, they tried different silhouettes on the mantel, breakfast table, and coffee table, editing out any that didn’t feel like a good match. “We know something’s good when we love living with it,” says Denoly.
Billie Sofa $799 westelm.com
Line Floor Lamp by Douglas and Bec $1,325 shop.douglasandbec.com
Sidnie Lamp by Schoolhouse Electric $299 schoolhouseelectric.com
Stronger elements, like this vintage brass Milo Baughman console and bold blue Pols Potten vase, balance out the softer hues.
A quiet reading nook meets Dutch Colonial design.
Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller $959 store.hermanmiller.com
Shapes Rug By Hawkins New York x Alyson Fox $75 domino.com/winter16
Simple Linen Pillows by Hawkins New York from $78 domino.com/winter16
20th C. Factory Filament Milk Glass Single Pendant from $129 restorationhardware.com
Blaine and Denoly made the kitchen shelves themselves from salvaged floorboards.
“Some of the ceilings are low,” says Blaine, “so we made a chair rail from brass electrical tape, painting the floors and lower wall the same dark gray to make the walls seem taller.”
Half Bushel & Peck Baskets by Peterboro Basket Company from $35 food52.com
The daybed, a family heirloom, serves as a banquette in the breakfast room, while a brass chandelier adds a touch of drama.
Brass Chandelier by Workstead $2,750 workstead.com
Turned Round Dining Table by Gregor Jenkins $7,995 abchome.com
Cinched Hanging Planter by Kati Von Lehman $52 fern-shop.com
Simple Mohair Throw by Hawkins New York $195 domino.com/winter16
Velvet Pillow by Kevin O’Brien $310 abchome.com
“We designed our own linen bedding. The flat sheet is 20 percent larger than standard, because Nick and I tend to fight over the sheets,” says Denoly with a laugh.
Simple Linen Bedding by Hawkins New York from $198 domino.com/winter16
Mantis Sconce by Bernard Schottlander $435 dwr.com
Wall Lamp by Workstead $775 workstead.com
Saarinen Side Table by Eero Saarinen for Knoll $724 dwr.com
Facade Snow Bed from $999 cb2.com
Hawkins New York created the leather chair and ottoman with Slowood Studios. “It’s light and airy but substantial, and the untanned leather ages beautifully,” Denoly explains.
“Nick had the genius idea to vault the ceilings upstairs.”
Floor Lamp by Workstead $750 store.dwell.com
Anderson Chair + Ottoman by Slowood Studios $1,450 domino.com/winter16
Subtle pinks, from Pale Oak to Odessa Pink by Benjamin Moore, feature throughout the home.
Think Pink
“A lot of my personal attraction to pink comes from growing up in Mexico,” says Denoly. “It’s considered a neutral there; pink makes everyone look good.”
Go monochromatic.
Blaine prefers to keep walls matte, adding sheen to trim that’s also painted one shade darker. “It looks monochromatic,” he says, “but the color subtly shifts in certain lights.”
Play with tonal texture.
The Odessa Pink walls in the guest room match Hawkins’s linen bedding. “We built the palette around the concept of a textural, tonal room,” explains Denoly.
Make it all seasons
. “In spring and summer, we pair pink with flax to play up the pastel tones,” says Blaine. “In fall, mixing pink with rust, mustard, and peacock makes it feel totally different.”
Get the Look
Brass Chandelier by Workstead $2,750 workstead.com
Louise Bowls by Hawkins from $50 domino.com/winter16
Landscape Rug by Alyson Fox for Hawkins New York $2,200 domino.com/winter16
Blue Grid Vase by Workaday Handmade $160 domino.com/winter16
Era Round Armchair by Design Within Reach $329 dwr.com
Esme Sofa by West Elm $999 westelm.com