Millerton - Quiet, Quaint, but Not Boring

The Other Tri-State Area: Millerton & Amenia

Betsy Mccall (front left) and the farmers of the Millerton Winter Farmers’ market.

For a photo slideshow of Milleron & Amenia, click here.

On a typical Saturday afternoon on Millerton’s Main Street, license plates tell the story of this village’s snug panhandle location. There are equal parts Connecticut and Massachusetts, with a more ample percentage of New York. This Tri-State trifecta serves Millerton’s businesses well.

Take, for example, the crowded Harney & Sons tasting room where rows of smartly packaged tea tins line the walls. The scope of varieties is exhaustive, while the price range reflects purity and scarcity. A four-ounce box of Earl Grey is an affordable indulgence at $6.50, while the same serving size of top Ti Quan Yin would fetch $85.
“Just like no one was an expert in wine 30 years ago, the same thing has happened with tea,” explains John Harney, master tea blender, founder of Harney & Sons, and patriarch of the family that moved to the area from Pittsburgh in 1957. “There’s still a lot of growth ahead in the specialty tea and coffee industries.”

For the entire article go to: http://hudson-valley.chronogram.com/issue/2011/4/Community+Pages/The-Other-Tri-State-Area-Millerton-and-Amenia?page=1

Home Improvements

When we first looked at our potential home about a year and a half ago, it had some fantastic features and some not so fantastic features.

One of the home's best attributes is it's location, the Village of Millerton, and the fact that the property is only a block off Main Street, on a large lot, and on a quiet culdesac. What they say about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION is entirely true.

I also fell in love with the oak woodwork - especially the red-oak floors which were in terrific shape. But from the start I knew I needed to make some changes to bring this home from stuck in the 70's to a more contemporary feel - but without losing it's Victorian charm.

As I've mentioned before, practically every room had wallpaper. And, as I've said, the idea of updating an entire home - practically by myself - was daunting. So, I had to pick projects. My first project was the foyer. I began by stripping off all the old wallpaper which left unfinished walls. I then "thin coated" the walls which is not necessarily a difficult task - but an arduous one indeed. Coat, sand, coat, sand, fix dings, coat, sand.... you get the picture.

FINALLY, this past weekend I was able to prime the walls and PAINT!

This is what the view from the staircase

- looking into the foyer and living room through French doors -

looked like when I purchased the home.

And this is what the foyer looks like now!

(Note, however, it's not done yet. Obviously the tape protecting the molding must come down, the radiator needs to be dealt with, the paper protecting the floor needs to be removed - but you get the idea. More photos will be posted when the project is completed so stay tuned.)

This fantastic shade of red is Benjamin Moore's Caliente (muy HOT - that's for sure). It changed the entire feel of the foyer. It's fun, warm, inviting and exciting. I learned a few things along the way that will definitely help with future painting projects.

• If you're going to paint RED, then prime with grey first. (These walls took 4 coats of paint - and I could probably have done more.)
• Leave yourself lots of time - it always takes longer than you think.
• Prep! Yes, put down that protective layer of paper or drop cloths and secure them tightly. It will really help when it comes to clean up and your whole painting project will go smoother.

I can't wait to get back at it! Only a few more steps before the foyer is complete and then I'll be able to move on to the next project. YAYE.