For Sharon Beesley and her husband, Rob, finding their Connecticut home was an instantaneous realization. "A friend texted me the real-estate listing and said, ‘You need to get this house,’" recalls Beesley, who documents her life and landscape online. "My husband, Rob, and I went to the open house and immediately knew it was our forever home. We’ve been here for six years, and I never want to leave."
Built in the 1800s, the historic property serves as both a personal sanctuary and a living canvas. After six years of inhabiting the space—and navigating the transition into an empty nest—Beesley opens the doors to her meticulously curated rooms, sharing the philosophy behind her eclectic design choices, budget-friendly decorating hacks, and the realities of a long-term marriage.
Entryway
Stepping into the 19th-century home immediately reveals a reverence for historical details. In the foyer, walls are wrapped in William Morris wallpaper—a fitting choice, given that the iconic textile designer created his legendary prints during the same 1800s era in which the house was constructed. Paired with a vintage mirror and table, the space sets a traditional yet welcoming tone.
Beneath it lies a surprisingly practical element: a starry floor mat sourced affordably from Wayfair. "Honestly, I bought this floor mat because it was affordable, and I can mop it, and it’s super low so the front door doesn’t get caught," Beesley explains. "I thought it might be cheesy, but everyone compliments it, so I guess it’s cool!"
True to her decorating ethos, Beesley relies heavily on thrifted and secondhand finds, proudly noting that nearly every item in the house bears a Goodwill price tag on the back. "Sometimes I like to imagine that someday, when I’m long gone, there will be an estate sale and people will be so impressed with my Goodwill art," she reflects. "They’ll be like, ‘She was amazing! Look at what she paid for that! Can you believe it?!’"
Remodeling and decorating historic homes can test even the strongest partnerships. To keep the peace, Beesley maintains a lighthearted yet intentional rule: before tackling any home project with Rob, she reads a chapter from a marriage therapy book, such as Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship by Terrence Real.
Dining Room
The dining room embraces rich, saturated color, featuring walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s India Yellow. It serves as the backdrop for major family gatherings, including Thanksgiving. Last year, Beesley leaned into culinary experimentation by following Samin Nosrat’s guide to reimagining traditional holiday menus, incorporating vibrant dips and toppings that elevated the meal.
Furnishings in the space continue the home’s thrifted narrative. The table and chairs were discovered at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore—a retail destination Beesley describes as her favorite store in the world, often visiting local chapters while traveling. A cozy rug in the room was passed down by their late neighbor, Lou, whom the couple fondly remembers.
Balancing a vibrant, maximalist aesthetic requires restraint. "My aesthetic can very quickly go ‘circus,’" Beesley admits. "I’m constantly pulling myself back, like, No, no, no, no… But I love this poster because it lets me have my circus moment." To combat the overwhelm common in antique shops, she follows a strict hyperfixation strategy, focusing on collecting only one specific item over a long period—candlesticks two years ago, and vases this year.
A vintage locker, originally used in their former New York City apartment by their three children for school backpacks, now serves as a heavy-duty storage hub for household tools like hammers, tape measures, and sandpaper.
The transition of the locker highlights a profound life change: the arrival of an empty nest. Having married at 21 and started a family at 23, Beesley is experiencing adult life without children at home for the first time at age 44. While the energy her children bring when visiting is cherished, the quiet adjustment marks a new chapter.
Living Room
Painted in Farrow & Ball’s moody Inchrya Blue, the living room is the central hub where Beesley and Rob unwind. Evening entertainment involves a strict YouTube routine: each partner receives 10 minutes of screen time before handing over the remote. Rob gravitates toward vintage car auctions, stand-up comedy, and concert clips, while Beesley opts for Say Yes to the Dress, gymnastics videos, and Gardening With Monty Don.
The comfortable layout occasionally prompts humorous reactions from their children. "One night, when we weren’t hanging on the couch, one of my kids came to me and asked, ‘Are you and Dad okay? What’s going on?’ because he was so used to seeing us together in the same spot," she says.
Beesley’s approach to paint is entirely fluid rather than permanent. "I don’t overthink paint colors. I change them a lot," she notes. "Like the blue in the living room? It might be something else soon. Our bedroom has been green, blue, white, and now brown."
Kitchen
In the kitchen, walls are coated in Benjamin Moore’s Breath of Fresh Air, complemented by a chandelier from The Trove, a West Elm mirror, and black chairs sourced from a Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Now that her children are young adults, Beesley’s parenting dynamic has naturally shifted. "Being a mother to three small children was all-consuming. But now that my children are adults, my role as a parent happens in drips," she reflects. Weekly phone calls offer substantial conversations, though she remains mindful of holding space for their needs while offering encouragement to younger mothers navigating the intensity of early parenthood.
A cozy breakfast nook, featuring custom bench seating, a Wayfair table, and William Sonoma chairs, was long dominated by her son Owen, who used the space constantly for work and relaxation. Nearby, a framed photograph of Beesley and her late mother ensures daily remembrance following an accidental oversight of her death anniversary.
Home Office
The home office doubles as a creative workspace featuring peel-and-stick wallpaper from Home Depot, applied smoothly with the help of a specialized helper spray that allows the paper to be easily adjusted during installation. Furnishings include Wayfair bookshelves, Wayfair curtains, and a coffee table acquired at Goodwill for just five dollars.
Reflecting on her professional life as a therapist over the past six years, Beesley expresses continuous admiration for her clients. "I still never know how my clients are going to answer my questions!" she says. "I’m always impressed by the willingness people have to talk about really, really scary parts of their lives. Their vulnerability is so honorable, I can’t feel anything but gratitude."
Primary Bedroom
The primary bedroom features walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Tamarind, a Wayfair bed, Quince bedding, and West Elm side tables. Celebrating over two decades of marriage, Beesley emphasizes the ongoing work required to maintain a strong partnership, including refining communication habits and occasionally attending marriage therapy refreshers.
To keep daily connection alive, the couple embarks on a morning coffee walk to a local gas station for budget-friendly coffee, a simple ritual that grounds their day. "I’m grateful that I’m still excited to see him, after all these years together," she says. "My excited feeling doesn’t always last long, but I still feel a rush every time he walks into the house."
Garden Room
Following her children’s departure for college, Beesley converted a spare bedroom into a dedicated garden room, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke. Outfitted with an estate-sale work table, a vintage hutch, and Lowe’s pendant lighting, the space serves as an indoor greenhouse and creative refuge.
Her generosity extends beyond her walls; during peak blooming seasons, she leaves bundles of freshly cut flowers on the sidewalk with a "free flowers" sign for passing neighbors and middle schoolers.
Outdoor Gardens and Exterior
Outside, the historic home’s exterior is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Queen Anne Pink with Capitol White trim. The surrounding landscape thrives on resilience, anchored by hardy black-eyed Susans that flourish in challenging soil.
Challenging conventional aesthetic norms, Beesley plans to leave her deadheaded flowers standing through the winter rather than clearing them away immediately. "Our society has such rigid standards of beauty and I believe they trickle into gardening—people don’t want to see flowers die," she notes. "We’d rather cut them off. So, keeping my garden up all winter and letting passersby see old dying flowers is my personal way of challenging beauty standards."
Despite occasional decorating regrets—such as brief experiments with minimalist white walls—Beesley views the entire home as an ongoing artistic expression. As Rob frequently reminds her, the house stands as her greatest art project, a place where history, thrifted utility, and personal evolution continuously intersect.