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This past spring, we shared novelist Olivia Muenter’s week of outfits. Dozens of readers immediately left comments asking for a house tour of her 1863 farmhouse in the Hudson Valley, which she shares with her husband, Jake. Of course, we were happy to make it happen! Let’s take a look inside…
ENTRY
Paint color: Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams. Pendant: West Elm. Blue bench: The Antique Warehouse. Rug: vintage.
On feeling the wind: Whenever we can, we use the screen doors. In the summer, the most incredible breeze comes off the river and up the hill.
LIBRARY
Paint: “Yeabridge Green” by Farrow & Ball. Bookshelves and ladder: custom. Jute rug: Rush House. Chair: vintage.
On literary additions: Adding bookshelves was one of the first things I imagined when we first toured the house. I later learned that there used to be bookshelves in the very same place, but another owner had removed them. They bring me so much joy.
Table and chair: vintage. Standing lamp: Wayfair. Landscape painting: Carol Meese. Floral candlestick holders: Angelina Bella on Etsy.
On that green paint: This room is a great example of trusting your gut. I picked the green paint before we even moved in, but sometimes doubted that my vision would come together. On sunny days, it is the brightest, most intense green. People have strong reactions to it, but I love it. The other day, some contractors were working here, and I overheard one say to the other, ‘You know, I think I’m actually starting to like the green.’ [laughs]
Painting: Igor Televnoi on Etsy.
On personal touches: When we moved in, almost all the downstairs rooms had wallpaper, plus layers of paint beneath the wallpaper. After weeks and weeks of scraping to get down to the plaster, my husband Jake and I often found writing. We kept this part exposed because it includes names and dates going back to 1920. One of best things about doing work ourselves is seeing the other people who have been here, and then adding our own names.
Chaise and chair: vintage.
On a third roomie: That’s our mutt, Winnie. We adopted her back in 2017. She’s a mix of everything, and she sheds absolutely everywhere — but she’s perfect.
LIVING ROOM
Pendant: Hay. Jute rug: Rush House.
On evening rituals: I love sitting on the striped sofas with Jake, lighting candles and watching TV. Our favorites shows are Severance, Pluribus, and Shrinking. We’re also really into watching My Lottery Dream Home. It’s strangely relaxing!
Coffee table and sofas: vintage. Striped pillows: Anthropologie.
On British inspiration: I’m really inspired by the layered, almost-cluttered look of English country homes with stripes, florals, and jute rugs all in the same room. Also, legend has it that this gold standing mirror arrived up here from New York City in 1900, on the back of a flatbed truck. The previous owners left it behind.
Paint color: “Jitney” by Farrow & Ball. Hutch: “hand-me-down.” Floral painting: artist unknown. Red candle: Loewe, “a gift from a friend.”
On thoughtful touches: When loved ones come over, I like them to see how much they mean to us. It’s like, Here’s how important you are to us! We put you in a frame!
On a sweet meet-cute: Jake and I met at a journalism club in college. I remember thinking, Wow, that is the cutest guy in the world, and I still think that. When we started dating, I realized we’re really different. I’m a creative dreamer type, and Jake is more analytical and focused. To see us now years later redoing this old house, which requires both of those traits, is really cool.
KITCHEN
Wicker lamp: Target. Table and chairs: vintage.
On weeknight meals: We’re currently renovating the kitchen. Normally, I do the cooking, and Jake does the dishes. I make pretty simple meals — taco bowls, pasta — but every single night, when we sit down for dinner, Jake takes one bite and goes, ‘This is amazing.’ [Laughs.]
On perfect imperfections: One special thing about living in such an old house is the charm that you can’t manufacture. I love the wavy glass and knowing that 150 years ago, people were looking through the same exact windows. Nothing is level or plumb, but I love the wood floors and the weird little hallways.
On four-legged neighbors: Living upstate, we definitely hear rumors of black bears often passing through nearby neighborhoods and towns. But I don’t think about them 99% of the time. I’ve only seen one once, from afar!
STAIRS
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Paint color: “Moody Blue” by Sherwin-Williams. Dog painting: thrifted. Woven basket with lid: “NYC street fair 10 years ago,” similar. Dresser, vanity and stool: thrifted. Headboard: Lulu & Georgia. Duvet set: Boll & Branch. Quilt at foot of bed: “made by my mother-in-law, TreasuresByTwila on Etsy!”
On previous owners: Larry, the owner of the house before us, lived here for 20 years and passed away before we bought the house. Sometimes I’ll talk to him. People told us he loved big parties, so I’ll say, ‘Larry, the parties are going to be great, we’ve just gotta finish renovating the kitchen first!’
Frame: Framebridge.
On heartfelt notes I spent years talking unkindly to myself and wasting a lot of time. Now I write notes to myself when I’m anxious. These notes redirect me toward what is important, and away from what isn’t. I actually forgot to finish this one above and left it out somewhere. Then Jake found it and wrote the last line. I think it’s a really beautiful reflection of our life together.
Lamp: Target.
On favorite reads: Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, John of John by Douglas Stuart, and Good People by Patmeena Sabit are all 2026 releases that are easily five-star reads.
GUEST BEDROOM
Paint color: “French Gray” by Farrow & Ball. Bed, sheets, and curtains: “old Target.” Chairs as nightstands and upholstered stools: vintage. Rug: “hand-me-down from my parents.” Velvet pillow: Article, exact color unavailable. Portrait: “hand-me-down from my grandparents.”
On family heirlooms: This rug was my parents’ and I’ve always admired it. Eventually my mom gave it to us, and now whenever she visits she says, ‘I should not have let you take that!’
On hosting goals: I like to make our home feel like a hotel for overnight guests, and stock a basket with Advil and Pepto-Bismol, a lint roller, a hair dryer, a phone charger, and size-inclusive robes. I never want someone to think, I wish I had Pepto, but I don’t want to ask.
ATTIC
On big realizations: What I love about the house most of all is that it feels like an endless creative project. We haven’t touched the attic, but it could be a great movie room one day. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but it’s fun to imagine.
OLIVIA’S OFFICE COTTAGE
Olivia: When we toured the house, this detached structure was a chicken coop and garden shed. But I already had this dream of having an old shed to write in. It took us a year and a half to renovate.
Artwork: vintage. Desk: “built by Jake.”
On movies with great interiors : I’ve always loved the classic coziness of the home in The Family Stone, Meg Ryan’s apartment in You’ve Got Mail, and Mandy Moore’s colorful loft in Because I Said So. I also love the slightly cluttered but lived-in feeling of the sets in Gilmore Girls.
On inside jokes: When Jake was renovating this space, he found a ton of bricks under and around the foundation. One of them had tiny kitten paw prints pressed into it. I joked that ‘Kittenbrick’ sounded like the name of a quaint village, and it kind of stuck. The office is now Kittenbrick Cottage.
Novel: Olivia’s.
On sweet gifts: My parents had this ceramic sign made for my birthday. It’s painted with the exact type of flowers that grow right outside.
On small-town living: In this town, I run into someone I know pretty much everywhere I go. It can be stressful on days when I don’t want to be social, but I’ve grown to appreciate that there’s something really lovely about seeing people all the time, in the middle of their daily lives, rather than only at the high points (parties, dinners, etc). Also, living in a house this old, you realize you’re the latest in a long line of people who’ve called this place home. It’s an honor to carry the house forward and make it shine.
Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful home with us, Olivia!
P.S. More house tours, including a Connecticut family home brimming with plants and our most colorful house tour yet.
(Photos by Lyndsay Hannah Photography, kitten brick photo courtesy of Olivia.)
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