IT'S HUMAN NATURE

SHEILA BRIDGES DRAWS FROM VERMONT'S HISTORY AND WILDERNESS TO BRING LIFE AND CHARACTER TO A SPRAWLING NEW HOME.

- CAMILLE OKHIO

A vintage pine hutch stands next to a dining table by Atelier Démiurge. For details, see Resources.

Vermont has attracted the strong, silent type for centuries. The New England ski capital is known for maples, mountains, and minding your own business, and its historic houses follow suit-sturdy barns and Greek Revivals dot the hilly landscape, interwoven with trails, lakes, and valleys that add to the state's charm. With all the natural splendor and architectural heritage Vermont has to offer, building a new house there is an intimidating proposition. One New York City couple was undaunted by the challenge after hiring Sheila Bridges to decorate the interior.

In the great room of a Vermont house with architecture by TruexCullins and interiors by Sheila Bridges, vintage chairs in a Schumacher ikat surround a games table from John Rosselli & Associates. Wallpaper by Morris & Co.; Roman shade of a Castel Maison fabric.

It was the New York City-based ELLE DECOR Titan designer's skill with layering and texture that made her the best choice to bring warmth and character to an 8,000-square-foot house built by the Burlington, Vermont-based architecture firm TruexCullins in 2023. "I fell in love with Sheila's work after seeing it in ELLE DECOR," the wife says. "Her use of pattern and color is very appealing."

The kitchen cabinets and island are painted in Farrow & Ball's Calke Green. Oak barstools by Sawkille Co.; fittings by Waterworks; pendants by the Urban Electric Company; range and hood by Blue Star.