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by Beth S Buxbaum
Moving changed Nelson Zayas’ life. In March of 2014 he and his husband, Nick Bewsey, purchased an 18th century Victorian twin townhome in Lambertville. Nelson, the owner of Blue Raccoon Home Furnishings couldn’t be happier. The move put him three blocks from the store. “We were living in Ottsville,” explains Nelson, “and the commute to the store was exhausting. I now can open my gate onto the towpath and walk or ride my bike to the store.” Nelson doesn’t have to get into his car.
Aside from the proximity to the store and enjoying the lifestyle of living in the picturesque town of Lambertville, Nelson loves old homes and their old bones. Being a professional interior designer, Nelson thoroughly enjoys conforming his living space to an aesthetic vision. As a collector, procurer of unique objects and furnishings and an antique lover, Nelson has a very distinctive yet eclectic style.
Built in 1873 this two-story house is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and is described in historical accounts as a 19th century vernacular with influences of Italianate. Nelson shares an old map dated 1895 that displays the original house's footprint. What is interesting is that two additions are already visible on this map, indicating that the house was enlarged within 23 years of when it was built. These additions are discernible as you walk through the house, particularly from the front hallway to the kitchen and back porch, where there is a subtle step up from one room to the next. “I am not sure why they couldn't level off the floors as they built the addition,” Nelson wonders aloud.
“Everything was in good shape,” Nelson adds, “and it was evident that the house was well maintained.” The house had all the original pocket doors, archways and floors. “One of the first things we did was pull up all the carpeting that covered the original pine floors on the first level,” says Nelson. He explains how this was quite a task because all the carpeting was tacked down with many staples. Once all the staples and the carpet were removed they refinished the floors in different finishes for each room. Along with the floor project they also touched up the plaster, removed wallpaper and painted.
“The kitchen and bathrooms were a mess,” he continues. For the kitchen renovation, the entire space was gutted. “The kitchen was a disaster,” Nelson adds, “and it was great to design the kitchen myself so that it was organized just the way I wanted it.” Nelson loves to cook and entertain, so the kitchen had to meet all of his requirements. This space, which included the kitchen, powder room, laundry and double New Orleans-style porch, was part of a late 1800s addition. This area was multi-functioning and a bit disjointed. To accommodate the laundry area, the contractor, Brud Hutchinson, built a closet and tucked the washer and dryer behind the closet doors. At some point the prior owner added a powder room to the back end of the house, just off the porch. Nelson points out that during the renovation they discovered that the powder room and back porch had no foundation.
Nelson worked with Mike Cameron to do the masonry work in this kitchen area. He had to rebuild a foundation to secure the powder room and continue with the renovation. On an opposite wall, they removed the stove and flue and discovered the original exterior brick wall. All the plaster was removed to expose the brick wall. Mike used the brick from the original exterior wall to patch this wall and reinforce the archway to the front hall. Also, there was a wall that divided the powder room and entrance to the back porch and yard. Nelson had the contractor remove half the wall to open up the newly created kitchen.
Upon completion of the structural elements in this renovation, Nelson was ready to design his kitchen. “I wanted the kitchen to be clean and simple,” Nelson explains, “I love that kind of stuff.” In shades of gray and white, Nelson selected white subway tile for the backsplash, white cabinetry with frosted glass doors from Finkel's Hardware in Lambertville, and stainless steel appliances from Hendrix. The counter tops were a recycled Richlite from his store when it was in New Hope. For contrast, he added a darker ceramic tile floor, to replace the linoleum floor. To finish this space Nelson placed two lime green Broom chairs at the end counter top and illuminated the area with old factory lights from Europe. With his kitchen done, Nelson moved on to the rest of the house.
No structural work was done to the footprint of the remaining first floor rooms, which included the living room, parlor, dining room and front hallway. Nelson removed wallpaper in the dining room, refinished the floors and repainted these rooms. On the second level, the master bedroom was part of the most recent addition by the prior owner. Structural changes on this level involved the conversion of a fifth bedroom that was a walk-through from the hall bathroom. This bedroom was gutted and converted into the master bathroom suite. A double sink and mirrors were recycled from counters in the store when it was in New Hope. Finishing touches to the master bath included a new ceramic tile floor that looks like slate to set the tones in this space.
Other original features on this second level include a pie staircase in the master bedroom that leads to the kitchen. A guest room, from the original section, is set two steps up to enter. Again, this is an example of how the additions were constructed. Another smaller room Nelson converted into his office. Nelson notes that this room was once a tiny kitchen. He explains that at one time during a prior ownership, there was a tenant on the second floor.
Throughout the house there are signs like this of the house's past. A challenge in renovating an historic home is to work within the parameters of the house's footprint, while updating and redesigning for today's lifestyles. Nelson and his team blended the original elements, re-using materials from the house or his store, to transform this 19th century duplex into his new home.
With a collector's eye and a designer's detail, Nelson has created an eclectic and unique styling in the house. Nelson defines his design motif throughout the house as modern country, mostly mid-century modern. The styling is based in tradition, with lots of antiques. “I like adding a modern twist to traditional spaces,” he adds, “and then mix in modern lighting.”
As a retailer, he has traveled extensively to find items for the Blue Raccoon. “I used to just get on the road and travel to New England or the mid west shopping for the store,” Nelson adds, “but it is becoming harder to find things. He still goes to Highpoint, North Carolina twice a year, goes to trade shows and works with antique dealers. Admittedly some of the pieces end up in the house instead. Many of these pieces have a story. From his collection of group photos, to the Tramp art and coffee, coffee table, Nelson relays the origins or significance of each piece.
Nelson has embellished his living space with an array of pieces he has purchased over the years. For instance, the coffee table sits in the living room as a cocktail table. Originally purchased for the store, Nelson just had to have one for his home. “These tables were created from old shipping palettes made in the U.S. that were shipped to South America to transport coffee,” he explains. He worked with the dealer who brought them back and cleaned them up. Another interesting item is his Tramp Art table made during the depression. “These tables were from a company who had hired prison inmates to carve found wood into boxes, frames and tables,” Nelson continues. One of his favorite collections is his Rookwood pottery. This pottery was originally made in Cincinnati where it was produced in the early 19th century. He has a variety of colorful pieces including vases, dishes and candleholders. Another interesting accent is the series of Japanese Kokedama. “I saw this form of Japanese plant display and decided to make my own,” Nelson continues, “it is essentially a plant that sits in a ball of soil covered in moss and then hung from string.” Several Kokedama, with ferns and orchids, hang delicately in his living space.
As far as collections go, one unique collection imbues a sense of the past. Nelson's extensive collection of old, group photos cover the walls in the front hall, up the stairs and along the second floor hallway. Mostly black and white and sepia, the photos tell stories about people unknown to Nelson, arousing a curiosity. From military men, to nurses, fraternity brothers and sports teams, all these photos are truly a conversation piece. Creating conversation pieces through his design styling works well for Nelson. His placement of his favorite artists, prized collections and one-of-a-kind accent pieces appoint his living space with a distinctive vibe and energy.
Nelson is an avid collector of Bucks County artists, especially Alex Cohen and Suzanne Douglas. One of Alex Cohen's works accents a wall in the parlor, a space Nelson decorated to feel like an artist's parlor. A grouping of mixed and matched chairs surrounds a large ottoman functioning as a coffee table. A Moroccan table, embellished with inlaid wood and mother of pearl, flanks this grouping and is illuminated by a gilded metal light fixture. Nelson has infused his parlor with a Bohemian feel.
In the living room, a more sophisticated approach is evident. With splashes of orange as his accent, Nelson has filled this room with several of his favorite things. His Rookwood pottery vases, bowls and candleholders are displayed on the Tramp Art table. A sleekly designed sofa, by Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams, his key vendors at the Blue Raccoon, sits in this space by the large front windows. Above is a light fixture in wood beads and metal by Aiden Gray, a Southern artisan. In an opposite corner Nelson has assembled two orange chairs. An antique vintage poster adds a jazzy touch to this seating area. Nelson explains that this poster was part of a New York City subway ad campaign for a radio station, WNEW. A Tibetan hand knotted rug pulls everything together.
Shades of blue punctuate the dining room. A blending of old and new, sophisticated and funky are the design elements in this room. A pine Sabre-leg table is central to the space, flanked by powder blue velvet modern Ada chairs by Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams. In the corner is a blue velvet chair next to a grandfather's clock made from distressed blue found wood. A funky, almost space-agey light fixture in metal with a bronze finish and an LED strip brightens this space. His decor elements are mixes and matches of styles, finishes and periods.
In defining his living space, Nelson enlivens it with a varied palette, adding splashes of color and incorporating past and present stylings throughout. Whether for his home or the store, Nelson has an eye for what works. His love for the past intertwines with his respect for artistry and his intrigue with different. Nelson is an original, just like the treasures that surround him.
Blue Raccoon Home Furnishings is located at 6 Coryell St., Lambertville, NJ. To contact Nelson Zayas, call 609-397-5500. For more information, visit www.blueraccoon.com.
Beth S. Buxbaum is a freelance writer from the Philadelphia area.