Auction Finds and Vintage Hardware: The Art of Curating a Timeless Connecticut Home Interior

ByKristen Flanagan,After Photography byKate Jordan,Styling byVeronica Olson

PublishedJul 22, 2026 4:01 AM EDT

Domino Reno: Before + Afters, DIYs, and Advice From the Pros

Domino Reno: Before + Afters, DIYs, and Advice From the Pros

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A career milestone prompted designer Sydney Jackson to reassess her creative direction—two decades spent bringing stories to life as an editor and creative director had gradually shifted her focus from words and images to paint chips, fabric swatches, and vintage finds.

“I’ve worked 20 years,” she says. “This next 20 or 25 can be something completely different.” The question that crystallized her transition: “What can you spend hours doing and not get tired of?” For Jackson, the answer was clear—curating the perfect mirror, the ideal finish, the distinctive piece that transforms a room.

Rather than launching a design studio outright, Jackson began with the project closest to home: her own 1940s Connecticut residence. The property possessed excellent bones, yet its weathered condition continually consumed her renovation budget—insulation, water damage, a new roof. “Every six months there would be this huge expense,” she recalls. “All I wanted to do was buy something pretty.”

When the first floor finally received attention, Jackson applied an editor’s discipline: retain what functioned, remove what didn’t, and ensure every detail earned its place in the composition.

The Cabinetry Refinishing Solution

The kitchen’s primary challenge was not the layout but the deep red cabinetry. Morning light rendered the cabinets “blood red,” while evening turned the space into a “dark cave.” The millwork itself, however, was in excellent condition. After consulting with a Farrow & Ball color specialist, Jackson repainted the perimeter cabinetry in Drop Cloth and selected Mahogany—a rich brown with eggplant undertones—for the island. The new palette delivers lightness without sacrificing warmth, finally unifying the open kitchen, dining room, and living room. “They all have to live in the same world,” she explains. Once the backdrop was right, every element fell into place.

Precision in Every Design Detail

With no full gut renovation underway, each investment demanded justification. In the kitchen, this meant replacing the sparkly gray granite island with Arabescato Corchia marble, swapping the above-range microwave for a custom hood, and investing in a Perrin & Rowe faucet and DeVOL pendants. Even the cabinet hardware became a studied pursuit—rather than waiting years for unlacquered brass to develop natural patina or settling for an imperfect DIY alternative, Jackson sourced pre-aged knobs from RLH Brass. The result: visitors instinctively feel the room has always looked this way.

Seek Distinctive, One-of-a-Kind Furnishings

Jackson’s design philosophy prizes discovery over recognition. “I want it to feel like something I discovered,” she says of her preferred furnishings and fixtures. This approach led to an extensive search for unique vintage dining room pendants, ultimately yielding a fixture by Finnish designer Lisa Johansson-Pape.

Acquired at auction after a duplicate fixture drew the competitive bidding, this pendant exemplifies Jackson’s patient sourcing strategy. The same discipline produced Facebook Marketplace dining chairs, estate-sale stools, and a Swedish pine coffee table she refinished. For Jackson, the search is as rewarding as the acquisition.

Embrace Bold Color Choices with Confidence

Jackson had established a palette of greens, browns, and warm neutrals when a pivotal question reshaped the entire plan: Where does the yellow come in? The impulse led to a pair of floral lounge chairs in the living room. The true leap, however, was not introducing another color at the last minute—it was trusting her own instincts. Throughout the process, she recalls wondering, “Has somebody else done this? Is it okay to do this?” Working on her own home taught her that the answer mattered far less than she thought. The sunny chairs were more than a design decision—they were proof she could rely on her own eye.

The Reward of the Design Sourcing Ritual

Some of Jackson’s earliest design memories involve accompanying her mother—also an interior designer—through San Francisco’s design center as a child. The reward for patient fabric appointments was lunch at The Cheesecake Factory or a stop at FAO Schwarz. Decades later, she recreates the ritual with her oldest daughter, Freya, who now accompanies her to estate sales and antique fairs before the two stop somewhere enjoyable on the way home. “I’ve turned into my mother,” Jackson says with a laugh.

Get the Look

Drop Cloth

Mahogany

Georgian Era Bridge Kitchen Faucet

The Creamware Pendant Light

Kristen Flanagan

Writer and Editor

Kate Jordan

Veronica Olson

Stylist

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