When space became tight, one couple created a house-within-a-house concept for their beloved vacation getaway.
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1
Cabin Fever
When Leslie and Michael Bacon outgrew their cozy Vermont log cottage, the couple never thought of moving. Instead, they built a light-filled addition around the structure, preserving it as the heart of their new home.
Today the couple enjoys the best of both worlds, thanks to new rooms that surround the old cabin, turning its exterior walls into interior ones.
Pictured: Leslie paired a rare 1930s rectangular rag rug with an antique French-Canadian dining table and an array of chairs dating from the 1880s. The home's original exterior walls are visible in the background.
Bright idea: Pinecones and evergreen branches offer an unfussy alternative to a floral centerpiece.
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2
Displaying Antiques
For more than 25 years, the Bacons have collected tramp art, rag rugs, and quilts—all folk-art staples known for their crafty repurposing of materials.
Pictured: Hand-carved boxes from the early 1900s find a home atop an old department-store display cabinet.
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3
Warm Living Room
Chairs and an ottoman, all upholstered in Lee Jofa fabric, provide prime seating in the den, which boasts two 1930s hand-hooked rugs—one on the floor, another framed above the fireplace.
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4
Porch Chat
Leslie (right) and friend Monica Porter relax on the side porch with the Bacons' Portuguese water dog, Bandit. Leslie found the rocking chairs at an antiques show.
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5
A Log Cabin Christmas
A spruce decorated with folk-art-style ornaments.
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6
Playful Decor
Oversize shears that once advertised a tailor shop hang above a toy log cabin Leslie found at a New Hampshire flea market.
Bright idea: A dash of fake snow and a pair of plastic reindeer turn a year-round display into a winter wonderland.
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7
Island Divider
A 19th-century pine island and Adirondack-style stools separate the new great room's kitchen from its sitting area, furnished with 1930s outdoor chairs re-covered in plaid Donghia fabric.
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8
Cozy Corner
A rag rug, rocking chair, and dresser, all from the 1950s, share a corner of a guest room. The vintage quilt is one of many Leslie owns.
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9
Sweet Dreams
Leslie hired friend and artist Melissa Barbieri to paint the master bedroom walls in a striped pattern that echoes a hand-painted wallpaper the two found. Leslie displays a favorite penny rug above the master bedroom's custom-made cherry bed, dressed with an antique blanket, shams, and throw pillows, all in red and white.
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10
Home Sweet Home
Leslie and Michael Bacon play Scrabble at a midcentury pine game table in the triple-height great room addition.
"Our architect thought I was a little nuts to keep the old cabin, and that it would have been a lot easier to start from scratch," Leslie admits. "But I love when people use what they have around. That's why folk art appeals to me. Something someone else might have thrown away, I've always been happy to keep."
Mickey Rapkin is a journalist and screenwriter whose first book, Pitch Perfect, inspired the film series. Previously a senior editor at GQ, he has written for The New York Times, WSJ, and National Geographic. He lives in Los Angeles.