Seems to me, if you want a home with personality and character, you can do one of two things: Spend a decade or more sifting through thrift stores and flea markets for storied finds that will endure the test of time. Or you can hire Tara Mangini and Percy Bright of Jersey Ice Cream Co., the full-service design known for their unique approach in which they literally move into a space to get a better feel for it. The duo’s latest project: a Revolutionary War home in the Hudson Valley.
Tara and Percy’s clients, a young Brooklyn-based couple looking to relocate to the Hudson Valley, were actually renting this historic property in Old Chatham while they looked for a home of their own. Replete, as it was, with historic detail, the couple quickly realized they’d already found exactly what they were looking for. Luckily the owners were willing to sell. Unlike many of Jersey Ice Cream Co.’s projects, this Hudson Valley home came with a lot of charm, including wide-planked floors, exposed beams, and many original built-in cabinets. For Percy and Tara, the mission was to bring a more cohesive look to the space and to modernize it, without losing any of the historic character.
Photography by Beth Kirby of Local Milk.

Above: Minimal intervention on the existing kitchen island included nixing the legs that hung awkwardly off the overhanging countertop, plastering the walls, refreshing the trim paint, and a row of Bay Counter Bar Stools from RoomÂ...