Picture this: You own a charming shop in a small town and live with your spouse in the apartment upstairs. Sounds like the premise of a romance novel, a sweet television show, or simply a fantasy life.
Such is the reality for Kimberly Bevan, an interior designer and shop owner who splits her time between New York City and Andes, New York. Seeking an escape from the city during the pandemic, Kimberly and her husband stumbled upon Andes and fell in love with a property steeped in history. Located in the heart of Main Street, the property was built in 1870 and originally served as the town’s Victorian-era apothecary and general store. Immediately, Kimberly, a first-time homeowner, knew this had to be it. “It was a dream I didn’t even know I was seeking until I saw the building,” she recalls. “It offered me a place to really hang a shingle and start my design business out here.”
The retail arm of the business became known as Briar, opening its shop doors in summer 2021 after a six-month renovation, mostly consisting of cosmetic upgrades like painting and floor refinishing. “I actually still have portraits of the original owners who built the house and ran the store,” Kimberly adds. In another stroke of magic, the space’s original built-in shelving from its apothecary days was still intact, a perfect place to merchandize her array of thoughtfully collected and expertly curated homewares. Goods are sourced from both neighboring farms and international destinations alike, particularly highlighting the work of female artisans and sustainable handicraft.
Kimberly turned the back of the shop into her full-fledged design studio, operating as the official workspace for Bevan Interiors. “Thankfully, I’ve met a lot of my interior design clients through the shop,” she says. “It’s like a direct portal into my aesthetic.” Today, her portfolio includes both local homes around the Catskills and NYC-based projects stemming from meet-cutes at Briar.
With the initial focus on launching Briar, she turned her attention next to the 1,500-square-foot apartment upstairs. Removing old lead paint from the walls and unearthing original wood floors from underneath dozens of coats of paint were just some of the initial tasks at hand.
Kimberly found creative solutions to meld the historic charm with modern touches, bringing together an eclectic farmhouse style and elements of her cosmopolitan tastes. “Having grown up in the English countryside then living in New York City and now spending time in Andes, the house feels like a reflection of all these aspects of my life,” she says. A burl wood cabinet in the corner of the living room was acquired from her father who happens to be in the antique furniture business, while a pink mohair ottoman in front of the sofa was found at an upstate barn sale, a remnant from the former Barney’s New York changing rooms.
“I really wanted the house to have a warm feel,” Kimberly explains. “Since it’s an old Victorian, the layout is pretty closed off, so I tried to find a common flow.” She chose Benjamin Moore’s Natural Wicker paint to brighten up the main rooms and utilized soft, ambient lighting with airy fixtures throughout. A plethora of varied textiles and textures—from rattan to velvet and jewel tones to floral prints—creates a whimsically unexpected yet entirely cohesive vision. Kimberly’s penchant for playful, feminine details is most evident in the custom window treatments, which are splurging on distinctive cornice boxes that offer a sophisticated take on the “shabby chic” mood.
In addition to the common spaces, the apartment includes a primary bedroom, guest room, and what the Bevans refer to as “the annex:” part reading nook, part board game hangout with a daybed that can be converted into an additional sleeping spot. Homemade features abound, like the annex’s shelving unit—hand-built by the couple from reclaimed Hemlock found around the property.
Yet it’s the kitchen that serves as the central gathering place for Kimberly’s community of neighbors and visitors. “There’s a rich culture of artists and makers here,” she notes. While she repainted cabinets and replaced countertops, she scored big with the vintage hardware, sporting an authentic aged brass patina. Her table—a slab of scrap marble from a stone yard that she added a found base to—is always open for impromptu entertaining. “Because we’re on Main Street and we have a big porch, everyone ends up congregating here. I think my social life is better in Andes than it is in New York City,” she laughs.
