A Generous Cranbury Treat
The renovated farmhouse is grand enough to make you feel awed. Instead, it makes you feel welcome.
Design by Jill Ryan Interiors
Photography by Jill Ryan and Victoria Mancino Kroeck
Text by Nayda Rondon
When you hear “circa 1902 farmhouse” you may be forgiven for picturing a modest, rustic abode with more quaint charm than modern luxuries. Nothing prepares you for the spectacular renovation that Jill Ryan of the Tinton Falls-based Jill Ryan Interiors created for the owners of a 21-room showplace that includes six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and game, theater and billiard rooms. Located on 13 scenic acres in Cranbury, the home also boasts a pool, a cabana, a tennis court and three barns. There’s also a basement apartment as well as a charming attached carriage house addition perfect for the in-laws or other frequent guests.
The great room’s French doors lead to either a stunning patio or an idyllic screened-in sunroom; when opened, the double doors extend the space to accommodate party overflows.
Taking place during the COVID pandemic, the year-long project totally transformed the outdated spaces into a home ideally suited for the homeowners’ love of entertaining.
“Since we own a beach house, we mostly spend winter and fall in this house, so I wanted a cozy, snowy feel,” says the homeowner, adding that she felt confident entrusting her vision to Ryan, who’s decorated/renovated the family’s first home and former beach home and is now working on their new-build Long Beach Island beach house.
With the wealth of space and design possibilities, it would have been all too easy to give in to excess with this project. Yet somehow Ryan—guided by her client’s refined style and generous “my-homeis-your-home” spirit—managed to achieve a sense of affluent abundance where “more” is not meant to show off and intimidate, but to welcome and include.
A bar and pub table with high stools offer additional entertainment options.
While opting for fun, bold colors and design elements in spaces like the game and theater rooms, for the main living areas Ryan cultivated a quiet luxe aesthetic—muted palettes, custom craftsmanship and simple lines. Sustainable materials, such as hardwood flooring and wood cabinetry, were used throughout. Interesting light pendants reflecting the home’s elegant farmhouse aesthetic were incorporated, as were oversized moldings, pocket doors and furnishings chosen with luxurious comfort in mind. Apart from the carriage house, which is decorated with traditional-style pieces from the homeowners’ previous residence, all of the rooms’ decorative elements were new additions, reflecting a light, contemporary polish.
The morning room serves as the dining room’s more intimate “sister space.”
Multi-purpose elegance was a key directive. For example, there are two dining rooms—a large one seating 14 and a smaller one seating eight. “When our families are with us for holidays, I use both,” the wife explains. But it’s not just during the holidays; the homeowners happily host on an almost constant basis. (At this writing, a family friend and her ailing husband were occupying the carriage house and visiting European relatives were eagerly anticipated.)
The primary bedroom features a high ceiling with reclaimed wood detail.
Inspired by the owners’ largesse, Ryan surpassed all expectations with the formal dining room. To enlarge and lighten the space, the design team removed the 16 existing bookcases, window seat, lighting fixtures and radiator covers, leaving the airy windows and French patio doors intact. They eliminated the center ceiling beam that visually split the space into two separate sections, creating an open, cohesive area fit for the oversized table and chairs the owner wanted.
“The birch trees and barn artwork give a subtle nod to the farmhouse’s history,” Ryan says. The wide-planked hardwood flooring, fireplace mantel and crown molding, integrated into the custom built-in cabinetry, further accentuate the farmhouse feel. Striking buffet and china cabinets—custom-built by Charlie Rini of Cranbury Design Center—showcase the client’s extensive china and crystal collection.
Anchored by an area rug in soothing hues, two comfy armchairs and a put-your-feet-up ottoman invite relaxation.
Across the foyer, in the morning room—the grand dining room’s “sister space”—a Lorts circular table and Precedent Furniture armless chairs comfortably accommodate intimate gatherings. A Bernhardt Furniture credenza, a Silberstein window treatment and an Exceptional Flooring circular rug add to the room’s welcoming ambiance.
Other made-to-entertain interiors include the great room, featuring two sitting areas as well as a bar section with pub table and high stools, and the sunroom, a companionable spot to watch TV or enjoy a cheery fire in front of the three-season room’s focal point, a fireplace embellished with reclaimed wood planks.
The family loves to watch TV together in the sunroom, which the wife delights in decorating seasonally.
Ryan’s creative spark glows equally bright in the home’s less visible areas. For instance, the primary bedroom suite radiates serene sophistication. Benjamin Moore Smoke Embers’s soft, neutral palette on the walls and ceiling offers a soothing backdrop to the Gabby headboard bed adorned in custom bedding. Nearby, two Sherrill Furniture armchairs and an Uttermost table and ottoman offer a cozy lounging/reading corner.
“I love my home, especially during the winter holidays, when it feels like a wonderland,” the wife declares. “I remember the day our dining furniture was delivered. It was mid-December and snow flurries had begun to fall. It captured the moment beautifully.
This Robin’s Nest outdoor porch swing is one of the home’s many beckoning attractions. “My daughter likes to read and do homework there during good weather,” says the homeowner.
“I come from humble beginnings—an immigrant family from Portugal,” she adds. “Now to be living in this breathtaking home makes me very grateful. Each space has something special to offer. Our home is not just for our small family, but for our extended family and friends.”
