CERTAINTY IS A WONDERFUL QUALITY in an interior designer, that bulletproof assurance that soothes clients through the hundreds of nerve-racking decisions. But humility is also an unsung virtue. Shawn Henderson, the New York decorator whose style hews to a sophisticated yet unpretentious neutral-hued modernism, admits to having made a few initial decisions, during the original renovation of the weekend house he bought a decade ago, that were long overdue for reconsideration.
"I didn't really know entirely how I wanted to live or who I would become," he says. "I know how to help my clients make those kinds of decisions, because I have distance, but it was harder for myself."
After a bit of soul-searching and a second redo, Henderson has sculpted his country retreat in Hillsdale, New York, into an ideal reflection of his personality: pared down and casually elegant yet faultlessly warm; a place for entertaining and just kicking back with friends. "Now it's completely me, and that's what you want your place to be-an extension of your inner self."
The house, a 2,200-square-foot, 19th-century eyebrow Colonial on about eight acres, avoids all the clichés of cozy cottage living while embracing the good bits: It is airy but intimate, well edited yet studded with touches of 1800s charm. The original structure fronted on the road, as most homes of the era did, but in the 1980s, a previous owner moved it back on the property, near a picture-perfect pond. "It has all the advantages of a historic home," Henderson says, "but it's perfectly situated."
Perhaps the most dramatic aspect of the new renovation is the combined kitchen and dining area. When Henderson first bought the place, he was less interested in cooking. "I put in mediocre appliances, which I later regretted," he says. "I didn't know how much my life would revolve around the kitchen." Now the room is a chef's dream, with rough-hewn wood cabinetry and Arne Jacobsen chairs around a vast table by master craftsman Chris Lehrecke. Most weekends, he brings up a carload of pals from Manhattan and wows them with such classics as beef bourguignonne. "I'm just a different person now," he says.
SHAWN HENDERSON HAS SCULPTED HIS COUNTRY RETREAT INTO AN IDEAL reflection of his personality: PARED DOWN AND CASUALLY ELEGANT, YET FAULTLESSLY WARM.
Another major change he made was to the floors, an element with an outsize impact on any home. In the first renovation, he painted some black, which turned out to be a disaster. "For a neat freak, it was hell," he says, laughing. "I spent my weekends picking up specks." Now those wood surfaces are sanded matte or painted a tranquil gray.
In the process, Henderson says, he has become more minimal, no longer filling his barn with finds he has no room for. He used to tell himself those pieces would eventually find their way to clients, and some did, but most he couldn't part with. "I had to face that it was time to stop buying, or at least slow down. And it feels incredible, so freeing."
Something that hasn't changed is his love of Scandinavian style. Like the midcentury Nordic designers he admires, he has mastered the art of creating winter-ready spaces that are warm yet uncluttered. In the family room, the white-painted wood paneling surrounding the fireplace contrasts with Hans Wegner Papa Bear chairs upholstered in golden fabric-perfect for sinking into on a December night with a snifter of Armagnac. "I want people to be comfortable," he says. "That's one thing that is constant."
The loftlike kitchen melds farmhouse simplicity with midcentury-modern élan. Table, Chris Lehrecke; Arne Jacobsen chairs, Fritz Hansen; range, Viking; refrigerator, Sub-Zero; sink fittings, Blanco; walls in Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore. Opposite, clockwise from top left: Countertops and tabletop, Chelsea Arts Tile & Stone. Cushion in a Classic Cloth stripe; baskets, Restoration Hardware; ceiling fixture, Rejuvenation. Hors d'oeuvres for cocktail hour.
This story originally appeared in the November-December issue of VERANDA. Take a tour of the house here.
