Step inside a sun-drenched, history-steeped 19th-century sanctuary in Connecticut, where therapist and avid gardener Sharon Beesley has spent the last six years crafting what her husband, Rob, fondly calls her “greatest art project.” Situated against a backdrop of resilient perennial gardens and framed by vibrant Benjamin Moore Queen Anne Pink exterior siding, this charming American home serves as an intimate case study in blending historical preservation, budget-friendly thrift shopping, and intentional interior design.
In this comprehensive house tour, Beesley opens the doors to her meticulously curated spaces—from a William Morris-papered entryway to a dedicated winter gardening room—while sharing deeply personal insights on empty-nest parenting, long-term marriage dynamics, and the psychological freedom found in creative self-expression.
Detailed Chronology & Room-by-Room Breakdown
The Entryway and Dining Room: Historical Whispers and Thrifted Triumphs
The journey begins at the front door, a threshold discovered via a real-estate listing sent by a friend that immediately signaled to Beesley and her husband that they had found their forever home.
- Foyer & Historical Details: The entryway sets a reverent, historical tone featuring William Morris wallpaper—a fitting tribute given that the iconic textile designer conceived his legendary prints during the 1800s, matching the era in which the house was built. Underfoot lies an affordable, easily scrubbed Wayfair star-patterned floor mat that comfortably clears the heavy historic door while accumulating endless visitor compliments.
- The Goodwill Philosophy: Almost every piece of art and decor in the home bears an old Goodwill or thrift-store price tag. Beesley jokes about her ultimate legacy: an imagined future estate sale where attendees marvel at her thrift-store masterpieces, asking in disbelief, "Look at what she paid for that! Can you believe it?!"
- Marriage and DIY Projects: Collaborative home updates come with a quirky psychological rule: before initiating any renovation with Rob, Sharon must read a single chapter from a relationship book, such as Terrence Real’s Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship.
- The Dining Room: Painted in rich Farrow & Ball India Yellow, the dining space showcases chairs sourced from a Habitat for Humanity ReStore—Beesley’s self-proclaimed favorite store worldwide—and a treasured rug passed down by their late, beloved neighbor, Lou. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by antique stores, Beesley practices design hyperfixations, focusing exclusively on sourcing one specific item (like candlesticks or vases) over multi-year periods.
The Living Room & Kitchen: Navigating the Empty Nest
As Beesley’s three children have grown into adulthood and flown the coop, the heavy-traffic areas of the house have taken on new emotional and functional roles.
- The Vintage Locker & Empty Nest Realities: A vintage locker once used in their former New York City apartment to stash children’s backpacks now stores household tools like hammers, tape measures, and sandpaper. Reflecting on motherhood, Beesley—who married at 21 and had children by 23—shares the bittersweet transition into her mid-40s as an adult living without children at home full-time.
- Living Room Hub: Painted in moody Farrow & Ball Inchrya Blue and anchored by a comfortable Article sofa alongside antique armchairs from Key to the Past, this central room is where Sharon and Rob unwind. Their nightly routine involves a strict 10-minute YouTube queue trade-off—pitting Rob’s vintage car auctions against Sharon’s preferences for Say Yes to the Dress and Gardening With Monty Don.
- Kitchen & Breakfast Nook: Featuring Benjamin Moore Breath of Fresh Air walls and a custom breakfast bench where her son Owen once spent hours working on his computer, the kitchen doubles as a memorial gallery. A thoughtfully placed photograph of Sharon and her late mother ensures daily remembrance, bridging the gap after she accidentally overlooked her mother’s death anniversary this past July.
Home Office & Primary Bedroom: Safe Havens for Work and Romance
- The Office: Utilizing peel-and-stick wallpaper from Home Depot paired with a helpful spray adhesive trick for seamless alignment, Sharon’s home office is a sanctuary built for her thriving career as a therapist. Reflecting on her six years in practice, she notes her ongoing astonishment at the profound vulnerability and courage her clients exhibit when sharing their deepest life struggles.
- Primary Bedroom: Drenched in Benjamin Moore Tamarind and styled with Quince bedding and thrifted rooster lamps by artist Janis Melone, the primary suite is ground zero for intentional marital maintenance. Celebrating over two decades of marriage, Sharon and Rob combat complacency through daily dollar-coffee morning walks, periodic marriage therapy tune-ups, and an ongoing commitment to eliminating harsh language from their communication habits.
The Garden Room & Outdoor Grounds
- Winter Sanctuary: When her children left for college, Sharon transformed a spare bedroom into a dedicated gardening room featuring Farrow & Ball Green Smoke walls, an Anthropologie tapestry, and a sprawling work table salvaged from an estate sale. It serves as a creative cocoon designed to withstand the winter months.
- Exterior & Sustainability Philosophy: The home’s striking exterior is painted in Benjamin Moore Queen Anne Pink with Capitol White trim. In her sprawling gardens, Sharon champions resilient, low-fuss perennials like black-eyed Susans that thrive in difficult soil. Furthermore, she is running a deliberate aesthetic experiment: leaving her fading flowers un-deadheaded through the winter to challenge society’s rigid, overly manicured beauty standards regarding death and decay in nature.
Supporting Context & Metrics
The transformation of the Beesley residence highlights several broader cultural and lifestyle movements:
- The Rise of Upcycling: The house stands as a masterclass in circular economy living, heavily leveraging thrift stores, Habitat for Humanity ReStores, and Facebook Marketplace over fast-furniture retailers.
- The Post-Children Renaissance: Representing a growing demographic of parents embracing the empty nest in their 40s, Sharon’s journey underscores the psychological shift toward reclaiming personal domains (such as converting bedrooms into specialized hobby spaces).
- Intentional Marriage Mechanics: By openly discussing regular, preventative couples’ therapy sessions and communication boundaries, the profile normalizes proactive relationship maintenance long past the two-decade mark.
Official Statements & Personal Reflections
Throughout the tour, Beesley offered profound philosophy regarding life, art, and homeownership:
- On Decorating Regrets: "I have so many decorating regrets, like hopping on the minimalism trend and painting all the walls white… But Rob always describes this house as my greatest art project. And it’s true, living here really inspires me."
- On Mentoring New Mothers: "Now when I see a young mother, my heart goes out to them. Being a new parent is so hard. New moms, know that it’s okay to focus on just getting by. You’re already doing a great job."
- On Gardening Standards: "Our society has such rigid standards of beauty and I believe they trickle into gardening—people don’t want to see flowers die. We’d rather cut them off. So, keeping my garden up all winter… is my personal way of challenging beauty standards."
Future Outlook
As Sharon Beesley looks ahead, her Connecticut haven remains a living, breathing canvas subject to constant evolution. Unafraid of wielding a paintbrush, she notes that current wall colors—including the living room’s Inchrya Blue or the primary bedroom’s Tamarind—are never truly permanent. With her winter garden room fully established, her outdoor perennial experiments underway, and her thriving practice as a therapist continuing to ground her, Beesley proves that a "forever home" is not a static museum piece, but a dynamic reflection of personal growth, resilience, and unbridled creative joy.