As a one-time prop stylist on photoshoots for major magazines like Harper’s Bazaar, Bon Appétit, and even Architectural Digest, Beatrice Smith knows exactly how much hard work goes into making something look effortlessly beautiful. And the early 1900s guest cottage that sits behind her 1799 home in Bedford, New York, is a perfect example.
At first glance, the 400-square-foot building looks like a classic farmhouse, complete with white clapboard siding and original single-pane windows. But the structure—originally a dressmaker’s shop relocated decades ago to the rambling 18-acre property the designer and Smith & Weir Interiors cofounder jokingly calls her “colonial village”—tells a more complicated story.
When Smith and her husband, Dillon, acquired the site—envisioned as a multigenerational family retreat as they welcomed their now three-year-old daughter, Lottie—Smith had her heart set on preserving as much of the house’s original character as possible. But after enlisting her brother-in-law, architect Alessandro Ronfini of DEMO Architects, to oversee the renovation, she quickly learned that keeping the existing structure would require far more intervention than expected.
An expert in energy-efficient passive house design, Ronfini determined that the sagging roof needed reinforcement with a new ridge beam and additional insulation; the crumbling perimeter wall required patching; and humidity was seeping in from the ground, creating a breeding ground for mold and necessitating a new rock slab and vapor membrane. The ceilings were too low to allow for central air conditioning, and new plumbing and electrical systems were unavoidable.
True to Smith’s preservationist instincts, the house had to look untouched by modernity despite the extensive renovations. “The trick was hiding all the changes and making it look like it was always there,” says Ronfini. “It was also such a small, confined space. Each thing needed a place, and we had to be creative with how we used every nook and cranny.” Sewer systems and ductless mini-split systems became popular topics of conversation at family dinners.
“Luckily, Alessandro continues to show up for holidays and family vacations, so I don’t think we burned too many bridges,” Smith laughs. “It’s nice having someone you trust to talk through these things with, especially when it comes to dealing with contractors.”
Given the amount of technical work required to make the cottage livable, Smith was keen to preserve what she could. At her request, the team salvaged existing wood beams and light fixtures and refreshed the original mantel and chimney, along with the kitchen cabinetry and an old bathtub. New storm windows were added over the single-pane glass—a compromise that preserves the façade’s character while satisfying Ronfini’s standards for energy efficiency.
Smith then turned her creative eye to the interiors, grounding the palette and furnishings in the cottage’s unpretentious history, with the Shelburne Museum in Vermont serving as a quiet reference point. “I wanted to incorporate some Americana without making it look like a museum,” Smith says. “I tend toward maximalism, but this is pretty restrained. I was trying to capture the modesty of some of these early American interiors.”
Rather than lean on rich patterns or statement-making wallpapers, she opted for muted linens, raw wood finishes (even if the oak flooring is engineered to mitigate humidity), and antiques sourced from local estate sales. In the kitchen, manganese-hued Delft tiles offer a subtle contemporary note that still feels in step with the home’s vintage aesthetic. “I didn’t want to feel overwhelmed by texture,” Smith adds.
The result is a home that blends the best of adaptive architecture with rustic simplicity, creating an ideal backdrop for a young family setting down roots. “There’s a really beautiful and serene stillness to the cottage,” says Smith, who notes that Lottie loves to jump on the bed and play hide-and-seek there, calling it her special place. “Even though it’s a guest cottage, we use it every day.”
