A Labor of Love: The Restoration of the Kingdom Carriage House
Nestled on 35 acres in Sutton, Vermont’s enchanting Northeast Kingdom, the Kingdom Carriage House mixes rustic charm and thoughtful restoration. In this interview, Highlyann Krasnow opens the doors to their process, revealing the heart behind every renovation choice and the story of a home reclaimed.
From the Pages of Front Porch Life Magazine:
We first shared this story in our Fall 2024 issue, and it remains one of our favorites. The Kingdom Carriage House is a beautiful reminder that patience, purpose, and passion can breathe new life into old walls. Here are a few favorite moments from our conversation with Highlyann Krasnow.
How did you find the property, and what inspired you to take on restoring the Kingdom Carriage House?
We are from the area and have been searching for a property to restore. I am an interior designer, and my husband is a handyman and a novice carpenter. We had been looking on and off and really wanted to find the right property that had both views, a scenic rural location, and good bones that we could bring our design touches and vision to. We were extremely lucky that the former owners of Kingdom Carriage House were an old dairy farm family like ours, and we had many mutual connections in the area. They were able to supply a wealth of information on the property, for which we are thankful. They told us that the property was a former carriage stop on the former Bolton Pass Road from Boston to Montreal. They also told us that there used to be a blacksmith shop behind the house that tended to the carriage horses as well as making all of the door handles that still adorn the interior doors of the home.
What role did your family play in the restoration process? Were there any special moments you shared during the renovation?
My husband and I did most of the work on the home ourselves. I designed the layout while working within the constraints of the existing frame; we tried to stack bathrooms to minimize the effect of plumbing in a 200-year-old home that is about 4000 sqft that previously had only one bathroom. My mother, Sharon Krasnow, who is also an interior designer, helped me immensely throughout the six years with not only design ideas but also scouring antique shops and yard sales throughout the region for interior furnishings and art. She is also the last one to stage accessories, which she does with a skill I am in awe of. My husband did all of the interior finish work himself while I painted and hung wallpaper. It was a very long labor of love. I think the most special moment for us was finishing, when all the furniture was placed and the beds made. It had taken us six years, with two of them being during Covid, and finally finishing was a very special moment and a large exhale.
What kind of experiences or atmosphere do you hope to offer guests who stay at the Kingdom Carriage House?
I have the fondest memories of growing up with all of my family and extended family on the hill that housed our family farm. We would all gather at our grandparents’ old farmhouse together, which was perched high on a hill with rolling hillside pastures and views of the green mountains, just like Kingdom Carriage House. I want our guests to feel that same warmth of an authentic farmhouse and experience the calm serenity of being in a bucolic country setting in a 200-year-old home that takes you back to another time. Kingdom Carriage House is an homage to my childhood and my grandparents, Bill & Ina Nye.
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