If homes embraced punctuation, designer Erick Espinoza’s would be peppered with exclamation points—and, perhaps, the occasional question mark. Take, for example, the over-the-top ottoman he designed that graces the living room. Outfitted in a circus-like pattern, it is hardly the expected choice. “I wanted people to question it, to say, ‘What the heck is that?’ ” he says. “It recalls folk art, which can be a little wacky and fun and weird.”
Such is the case for many pieces in Erick’s house, where nothing is too serious yet is nevertheless rooted in classic architecture and homages to Americana pieced together as skillfully as the colorfully patterned quilts that he also happens to collect.
As creative director for the design firm Anthony Baratta, Erick had been living in New York City when, at the start of the pandemic, he and his partner, Justin Byous, decided to fulfill their dream of moving out to the country. They lucked into finding an 1895 Victorian in Danbury, Connecticut, that was uncharacteristically devoid of the fussy details indicative of most houses from that era. Inside, however, the house was “in really bad shape,” Erick says. Dark painted walls and dingy carpet made the rooms seem weighted down and sad.
Still, Erick’s creative approach to design—lively pattern, bold color, playfully reinvented antiques—was the perfect antidote to sad. “I wanted it to be elegant and relaxed but also to make a statement,” says Erick, who successfully gave the sleepy and neglected home a wildly personal wake-up call full of “bright, vibrant twists to this celebration of American style.” The end result is a one-of-a-kind home that exudes joy and enthusiasm—and there’s no question about that.
Statement Furniture
Homeowner Erick Espinoza’s guests are greeted by a playful pairing of a folk art windmill whirligig with a wood-turned spinning wheel armchair accented with sewing bobbins. “It’s a great silhouette right when you walk in the door,” he says of the chair. “I found it at an auction, and it was one of the first pieces I bought for the house.”
Erick also channeled his love of maritime finds. Take, for example, the collection of red-and-white wood sounding gauges in the corner, which were used by sailors in the early 20th century to measure levels of liquids or oils in storage tanks in a ship’s hull. The green color of the stair treads was inspired by the entry’s antique rug, while the black rail “creates an outline so your eye kind of dances around,” says Erick.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color (throughout): White Dove by Benjamin Moore
Stair Tread Paint Color: Raleigh Green by Benjamin Moore
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Patchwork of Pattern
Stately wood furniture, like the Irish pine armoire here in the living room, anchors rooms while a patchwork of pattern pairings and vivid colors on just about everything else create levity. Here, a shapely Victorian sofa suits the 1895 home’s architecture, but it gets an eye-catching update with a fabric that recalls quilt patterns. “It’s based on a fabric by Diamond Baratta from the late ’80s,” Erick says.
What Is It? What Is It Worth?
An authentic ship’s wheel (aka a helm) typically has at least eight spokes with a brass plate (sometimes engraved with the ship’s name) at the hub where they meet. “Sometimes they even have an engraving on the brass hub with the ship’s name and the name of the chandler who supplied the wheel,” says Erick. He bought his (hanging in the bay window) for about $300 at an auction, but they can retail for up to $5,000.
Vibrant Color Pairings
Unique vintage finds and pieces of folk art—a butter churn-turned-lamp, a clipper ship weathervane, a hand-painted Victorian sea chart chest—add personality throughout the den. The stately mahogany secretary is paired with a 1930s Kem Weber barber chair covered in a Royal Stewart tartan. “Plaids and tartans have a magical quality of pulling all the colors in a room together,” says Erick. Erick couldn’t resist snapping up the old furniture sign he found in a junk shop near Hudson, New York. “The arrow points toward the kitchen and breakfast nook, and everyone who sees it has a giggle about how true it is,” he says.
What Is It? What Is It Worth?
Ohio-based pottery Robinson Ransbottom began crafting their salt glaze crocks and spongeware around 1900 and at one time was the largest producer of stoneware jars in the U.S. Look for their cobalt blue crown logo to identify, and expect to pay between $30 and $350 depending on age and size. “When one catches my eye for its unique style or motif, I make sure I nab it up quickly,” says Erick.
Get the Look:
Den Wall Paint Color: Damask Gold by Benjamin Moore
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Folk Art Floorcloth
The breakfast room’s vibrant vinyl floor mat ties together the room’s assorted Americana pieces, including the iron-and-gilt candelabra chandelier, Shaker-style dining chairs, and horse weathervane hanging on the wall. “I love how it silhouettes against the wall color,” he says.
Erick positioned his glass-fronted cabinet, filled with copper lusterware, kitty-corner in the small square room to resemble a built-in corner hutch. “It was a dead corner, and now this helps with the flow,” he says.
What Is It? What Is It Worth?
Made of hand-forged iron, multipronged ice fishing spears date to the 19th- and early-20th centuries and can be found for less than $200. Pieces branded with a blacksmith’s mark bring higher prices.
Get the Look:
Floor Mat: from Spicher and Co.
Door and Trim Paint Color: Grenadier Pond by Benjamin Moore
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Pieces With Personality
The kitchen’s 1920s or ’30s cast-iron sink came with the house, setting a distinctly country tone for tramp art, folk art, and a rare brown-and-white stitched quilt. A model pond yacht, which Erick bought for about $300 from Authentic Models and whose hull he later painted, is a nod to nearby waters.
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Whimsical Walls
Erick’s unabashed adoration of pattern mixing is especially evident in the primary (above) and guest (below) bedrooms. Both spaces boast a blend of classic country patterns (ticking stripes, plaids, quilt motifs) alongside graphic wallcoverings of an archival Diamond Baratta Collection fabric and a stencil-inspired printed wallpaper. “You hear bedrooms should be soft and subdued, but I was like, ‘Yeah, no, I don’t want that,’ ” says Erick. “I wanted every space to be special and unique and enveloping.”
In the primary bedroom, Erick also said no to boring lamps. A black tole and gold lamp at the bedside is made from a vintage English tea canister. Next to the plaid armchair, a tall harlequin Marbro lamp strikes a pose on top of a stack of books that stands in for a side table.
What Is It? What Is It Worth?
Dating from the early 20th century, cast-iron dog doorstops (such as the one shown on the bedside table) depict favored breeds such as Boston terriers, pointers, and Scotties. Quality examples usually fetch between $100 and $1,000, but those from well-known maker Hubley can go for three times that.
“I die for stenciled walls,” says Erick of the guest room’s graphic pattern. “This is printed wallpaper but in the style of old stencils. The pineapple motif makes it more modern in a way.” The Victorian bed belonged to Anthony Baratta, who bought it in London during the early 1990s. “It has so many elements combined, which is rare for these beds—brass, decorative floral paintings, mother-of-pearl, and painted porcelain,” says Erick. “It’s a stunner.” Justin’s stepmother, Lysa Byous, made the “Lady Liberty of Danbury” quilt as a housewarming gift.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: from Waterhouse Wallhangings
This story originally appeared in the September 2022 issue of Country Living. Photographs By Mark Roskams; Styling By Raina Kattelson.
Kelly Ryan Kegans is a Minneapolis-based writer, editor, and photo stylist with more than 25 years of experience producing home design content for brands including Country Living, Better Homes & Gardens, and HGTV Magazine. Her own home is populated with more books than shelves, a few too many scrubbed pine tables, and moody photos of gray day landscapes, which are her happy place.
