When a friend texted Sharon Beesley a real estate listing with the emphatic message, “You need to get this house,” she and her husband, Rob, knew they had to act fast. Upon attending the open house, the couple immediately recognized the historic property in Connecticut as their forever home. Six years later, Beesley says she never wants to leave. Built in the 1800s, the house has been meticulously curated into a vibrant, soulful sanctuary that marries historical integrity with an eclectic, budget-conscious design philosophy centered on thrifted finds, bold colors, and personal milestones.
ENTRYWAY
Stepping into the home’s entryway establishes an immediate connection to the past. Beesley selected a striking William Morris wallpaper to honor the era in which the house was constructed, noting that the renowned textile designer created his iconic prints during the 1800s. Underfoot, a practical starry floor mat from Wayfair provides a low-profile, easily washable surface that prevents the front door from catching, while serving as an unexpected crowd-pleaser among visitors.
True to Beesley’s signature decorating style, nearly every item in the house features a secondhand price tag, often from Goodwill or local thrift stores. Her approach to antique shopping involves embracing hyperfixations—dedicating extended periods to searching exclusively for specific items, such as candlesticks one year and vases the next—to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Balancing a self-described aesthetic that can easily veer into a "circus" of color and pattern, she deliberately weaves in workhorse vintage pieces, such as a metal locker originally used by her three children in New York City for school backpacks, which now safely stores household tools like hammers and sandpaper.
DINING ROOM
The dining room continues the home’s bold color palette, featuring walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s India Yellow. The space serves as a central gathering area, particularly during major holidays like Thanksgiving, where Beesley draws culinary inspiration from chefs like Samin Nosrat to elevate traditional menus. Furnished with a thrifted table and chairs sourced from a Habitat for Humanity ReStore—which Beesley counts as her favorite store—the room also incorporates a cherished rug passed down by their late neighbor, Lou. A framed poster allows Beesley to indulge her love for eclectic patterns, carefully balanced against the room’s rich architectural backdrop.
LIVING ROOM
As the central hub of the house, the living room is wrapped in Farrow & Ball’s Inchrya Blue and functions as the primary space for evening relaxation. Beesley and her husband share the room to eat meals and watch YouTube videos, operating under a strict ten-minute rotation system for remote control access that accommodates their distinct viewing preferences, ranging from vintage car auctions to gardening programs hosted by Monty Don. Reflecting on her transition into an empty nest, Beesley notes the bittersweet reality of parenting adult children who have moved out of the house, contrasting the all-consuming nature of raising three small children with her current phase of life at age 44, experiencing adulthood without kids in the home for the first time.
KITCHEN
In the kitchen, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Breath of Fresh Air, historical charm meets cozy functionality. A custom breakfast bench and a nook previously "owned" by her son Owen create a warm atmosphere where family memories linger. Here, a prominently displayed photograph of Beesley and her late mother serves as a daily reminder of her family roots, following a moment where she realized the importance of keeping loved ones visually present in her everyday routine.
HOME OFFICE
The home office showcases Beesley’s practical approach to interior updates, featuring peel-and-stick wallpaper from Home Depot applied with the help of a specialized helper spray for easy adjustment. Surrounded by bookshelves from Wayfair, armchairs sourced via Facebook Marketplace, and a $5 Goodwill coffee table, Beesley splits her time between home projects and her work as a therapist. Reflecting on her professional life, she expresses deep gratitude for the vulnerability and courage her clients demonstrate when discussing the most challenging parts of their lives.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Painted in Benjamin Moore’s Tamarind, the primary bedroom offers a tranquil retreat for a couple married for over two decades. Beesley actively maintains her relationship through shared daily coffee walks to a local gas station for budget brews and periodic marriage therapy refreshers. Despite more than twenty years of partnership, she still finds joy in the sudden rush of excitement she feels every time her husband walks through the front door.
GARDEN ROOM
Following her children’s departure for college, Beesley transformed a spare bedroom into a dedicated garden room painted in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke. Equipped with an estate sale work table, vintage hutch, and hanging baskets from Etsy, the space serves as her creative workshop during the winter months. Her philosophy on gardening is refreshingly straightforward: aspiring gardeners should simply begin without overthinking their approach. This community-minded spirit also extends outdoors, where she has occasionally left buckets of surplus flowers on the sidewalk with "free flowers" signs for local pedestrians to enjoy.
OUTDOOR GARDENS
The exterior of the historic home is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Queen Anne Pink with Capitol White trim, creating a vibrant backdrop for the surrounding perennial gardens. Embracing resilient plants like black-eyed Susans that thrive in difficult soil, Beesley is currently experimenting with leaving her garden standing throughout the winter rather than deadheading the plants in the fall. By allowing passersby to witness the natural cycle of dying flowers, she hopes to subtly challenge rigid societal beauty standards that dictate how a garden should look year-round. Looking back on her various design choices over the years—including past phases of minimalist white walls—Beesley embraces the evolution of her home, viewing the entire property as her greatest and most inspiring ongoing art project.