~*Beauty In A Barn*~

When you think of a barn, you envision numerous barn yard animals, dirt floors strewn with hay and rusty metal tools hanging overhead. Well, this barn will put that picture out of your mind forever! There may be an abundant of animals throughout, but none that go "moo".

This grand 1700's barn house that sits on 18+ wooded acres and lush gardens in New England, is home to once pet shop owner, Debra from "Capers of the Vintage Vixen's" and her husband Don. Today, she and her daughter Nicole, co-own Maison St. Germain, an online boutique full of items similar to those that graces her own home.

A front view of Debra and Don's 1700's barn and lush gardens.

 The 3300 sq. foot barn boosts 3 floors, including a living room, library, eat in kitchen, laundry room, a special room for her husband, a nursery, 2 guest rooms, a kids room, 3 bathrooms, a pantry, and an amazing solarium with a waterfall and Koi stone pond. Her home also boasts 2 decks , one of which is a tree house deck that wraps around a huge tree which was built by her husband and son-in-law.

Debra's sofa in the solarium dressed in winter whites.

 One of a set of chairs Debra purchased in Maine acts as a stage for a beautiful vintage inspired vignette complete with fluffy angel wings and ballet slippers. 

  Debra's love of her barn is apparent through her decorating style, which she describes as "eclectic", and her thoughtfully dressed vignettes. Every inch of her majestic home showcases years of vintage finds and beloved treasures.

"We are in love with the barn," Debra says, "it all flows into each other." 

 Faded and worn dress forms decked out in luscious vintage lace and pearls. A favorite vintage door complete with pink chippy paint.

Another dress form adorned with a vintage dress and millinery flower.


Debra's home is a veritable feast for the eyes, vivid saturated colors that all blend together to create picture perfect confections.

 Debra's bed dressed in finery.

Debra and Don's beautiful bedroom is high in the barns loft with a window that looks out over the solarium.

 Another fabulous vignette and a view of Debra's living room, library and red wall full of family photos.

 "Don and I and some friends stayed overnight at an old Inn here is Conneticut one weekend and I fell in love with their red walls. The day we came home I was at the paint store buying red paint for the library. Paint is not expensive and really makes a statement."~Debra

 Vintage suitcases stacked high that cleverly holds Debra's Christmas ornaments.

Whimsical view from bottom to top.

Sunlight streams in through one of the many skylights acting as a spotlight for the vintage lace wedding gown and creamy white wooden lockers saved from an old schoolhouse.

 A treasured collection of vintage clocks and architectural salvage pieces.

 A vintage cement crown rests upon creamy lace.

"If I find a treasure at a flea market, estate sale, or thrift shop there is a pretty good chance that things will be rearranged in the barn. Most times all it takes is one thing that will have me moving the whole down stairs around.I love a new look with vintage things. Our home is always evolving and will never be done. My husband is used to it by now:) He just smiles."~Debra

Even in Debra's kitchen, her glorious antiques take center stage.

A beautiful angel is adorned with a crown and vintage Rosaries.

A beauty dressed in a vintage milliners hat.

"It's always nice to have a cozy warm fire to sit by," Debra says, "The candle holder at the bottom is from a Church, a reminder of Catholic school. Everything  here is from my treasure hunting at markets and tag sales."  "Love it."

 Debra's bull dog Fergie standing at the door to the barn house.

I want to thank the wonderfully warm and sweet Debra for letting us feature her spectacular home. It was truly a pleasure for me to get to know you!

I hope you all enjoyed the first feature here at "The Vintage Inspired Home", please join me again soon for more "Inspiration...Vintage.

With Warm Regards,

~The Vintage Inspired Home

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Resources:

** All photos courtesy of Debra, "Capers of the Vintage Vixen's"

Some photos edited by "The Vintage Inspired Home"

For more info on Debra and Nicole's online shop, please visit them at:

Maison St. Germain

http://maisonstgermain.com

To view more of Debra's beautiful barn home, you can visit her on her blog at:

"Caper's of the Vintage Vixen's"

Most items from Debra's home were from various flea markets, estate sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops.

Little known facts about Debra, by Debra~

"My favorite places by far are flea markets; Brimfield,MA, The Elephants Trunk in New Milford, CT, Woodbury Flea Market here in town. I also enjoy shopping at barn and estate sales as well as thrift and consignment shops, Ebay and Etsy. I don't buy many 'new' things but will shop at The Christmas Tree Shops and Home Goods from time to time. I seem to appreciate the old rather than something new. I like the fact that something has history and was used by someone else."

"I love co-owning a business with my daughter Nicole. We started Maisonstgermain.com, an on-line boutique, a few years ago. We have been flea marketing together for years and finally decided to share our treasures with others. We have access to lots of different things and will travel to bring back new items. We have been able to find particular things for people when they request it. We have extended our boutique to Etsy, Ebay and on Tuesdays my blog Capers of the Vintage Vixens offers free advertising to anyone who has an on-line shop, or Etsy. Everyone is welcome:) We are both good at different things so being partners is a lot of fun. We are always bouncing  ideas off of each other. Love it!"

 "I seem to have my own style.I would call it eclectic. I am motivated and inspired by lots of things. Nature, books,magazines,and of course blogs. So many inspirational bloggers! It could be the smallest thing. If I am touched by it I am motivated to do something with that idea. (We once put a new roof on our home by matching the color to a beautiful horse I had seen)."