What if a restored home could actually improve how you feel each morning? I asked that question the first time I walked Barnswood, a historic farm compound in Germantown, New York. The property sits on eight acres in the Hudson Valley and feels more like a calm retreat than a showpiece.
I’ve followed corbin bernsen and Amanda Pays for years, and this project shows their careful hand—light, flow, and salvaged materials that invite touch. The transformation, documented on HBO’s In with the Old, trades fuss for function and honors the estate’s past near Clermont Manor.
Why this matters: Barnswood is a case study in wellness-forward restoration—balanced light, clean sightlines, and tactile finishes like lime wash make rooms feel breathable. If you want practical lessons on entry sequence, flexible space, and stewardship, start here and see the full story at the sample page.
Key Takeaways
- Barnswood blends historic roots with modern wellness-driven design.
- Natural materials and a soft palette calm the nervous system.
- Smart circulation and outdoor connections create true breathing room.
- The renovation honors heritage while adding practical, flexible spaces.
- Documented interventions show how thoughtful choices beat trends.
Inside the Hudson Valley Project Making Headlines
Walking Barnswood, I felt how careful restoration can reshape daily life.
The scope was bold: a full rebuild that stripped the main house to its bones and reestablished historic rhythm. The team removed awkward add-ons and took down walls to restore clear circulation and better living flow.
From Germantown to the market: Barnswood’s full rebuild and restoration
The circa-1800s main house was rebuilt with attention to period detail while adding everyday function. The result reads as authentic and calm.
Eight acres, a main house, guest cottage, and a vast livable barn
The 8-acre site includes a one-bedroom guest cottage reached by a winding stone path, and a barn scaled for studio, gatherings, or display—where some of Corbin Bernsen’s snow globes live.
Listing snapshot and media
| Item | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase (2023) | $725,000 | Acquired, then fully rebuilt |
| Listing | $3.8 million | Held by The Lillie K. Team at Four Seasons Sotheby’s |
| Media | In with the Old, S7E4 | Available on HBO |
| Context | Hudson Valley, former Livingston estate | Stewardship over style |
Who’s behind the work
The project pairs actor Corbin Bernsen with designer Amanda Pays. Together they focused on editing the site—protecting heritage and letting the bones speak while improving how the rooms function for daily life.
Corbin Bernsen House
Reclaimed elements give this project a layered, lived-in calm from the moment you step over the threshold. I watched materials do the heavy emotional work here—each choice feels intentional and quietly generous.
Reclaiming history: Pine beams from a 19th-century Maine barn and lime-washed walls
I handpicked pine beams from Rousseau Reclaimed Lumber & Flooring in Portland, Maine—three serve as structure; the rest are decorative. Their grain and scars slow the eye and invite touch.
Lime-washed walls appear throughout, including a green-with-muddy-gray mix in the library/TV room. The finish softens glare and makes light feel warmer and more forgiving.
Period authenticity: Tall interior doors sourced from Egypt and restored in Alabama
Tall doors came from Egypt and were restored by an architectural salvage team in Alabama. They change proportions and lend a calm dignity to every space without expanding the footprint.
Flooring with a story: Boards from a Canadian clothespin factory
Floors reclaimed from a Canadian clothespin factory carry past work underfoot. The patina reads warm and honest.
- The mudroom uses flagstone and salvaged-wood closet doors for durable, poetic entry storage.
- A mantel built from scrap wood adds a personal, sustainable touch.
Design Meets Wellness: Light, Flow, and Thoughtful Spaces
Soft daylight and cleaner sightlines rewrote how this property works for everyday life. I always start wellness work with light and flow. Here, a restrained Colonial language lets rooms feel purposeful and calm.
Simple, classic, Colonial-style reimagined for modern living
The team kept classic proportions but removed awkward add-ons. That preserved rhythm while making daily tasks easier.
Flow first: Taking down walls to improve living areas and everyday work spaces
Opening adjacencies wasn’t about trend. It was about connection—kitchen to conversation, entry to storage, and pockets for focused work.
Mudroom and materials: Flagstone floors, salvaged wood, and soft palettes
The mudroom reads durable and welcoming. Flagstone floors stand up to traffic. Salvaged-wood closet doors add warmth and tactility.
The barn as a wellness hub: Flex space for creativity, hobby work, or gatherings
The barn functions as a versatile retreat. Large volume, daylight, and sound-friendly finishes let it host dinners, art-making, or a focused office without bleeding into the main home.
- Matte lime wash keeps brightness human-scaled and forgiving.
- Soft whites, grays, and mud tones support circadian-friendly lighting schemes.
- Durable floors and targeted power make reconfiguration simple.
| Feature | Benefit | Design Note |
|---|---|---|
| Open adjacencies | Better daily flow | Improves circulation without erasing rooms |
| Mudroom materials | Durable, tactile entry | Flagstone + salvaged wood, low-gloss finish |
| Lime-washed walls | Balanced brightness | Matte, mineral surface soothes glare |
| Livable barn | Flexible wellness hub | Daylight, acoustics, clear wall space |
Small edits like these reduce friction in daily life. They help a house support living—so you can spend energy on what matters. For research on light and wellbeing, see this concise study on lighting and health: lighting and wellbeing evidence.
Conclusion
When craft and restraint come together, a property becomes more than pretty—it becomes supportive.
I saw that play out at Barnswood: careful materials, daylight, and clear circulation that make daily life gentler. The project moved from a 2023 purchase to a thoughtful rebuild and a market-ready listing with The Lillie K. Team.
Corbin Bernsen and Amanda Pays show that restoration blends restraint and imagination. They keep what matters, edit what doesn’t, and let rooms earn their keep.
If you’re designing a house or home, start small: open bottlenecks, choose matte natural finishes, and create one flexible zone for work or play. Borrow the soft palette and layer in personal pieces.
For a quirky sidebar on property trades and the odd routes homes take, see this trading-up story: trading-up story.
