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Who We Are —

In the summer of 2008 we were a young family brimming with dreams and ambition, on the hunt for a new home to replace our current small row-home we had just finished remodeling. Rich had his eye on this rundown mansion in the city and when it came up for sale we jumped at the chance to see it!   There was water damage on multiple floors and birds flew out of the master bedroom when we entered, but we didn’t let that phase us.  We were captivated by the heavy iron doors that led past the flaking painting in the foyer, the incredible parquet floor and the marble fireplace. It had a next level fancy gold mirror above it! The floor to ceiling windows and the charming cove on the third floor all caught our eye.  And the massive amount of space. So much space and so much potential. We knew we were wearing rose colored glasses, but we wanted in! 

 The road has been hard and expensive. To be honest, it has probably been the hardest thing we have ever done.  We’ve invested 1,000’s of hours of our time in the house, some of it feeling like an adventure and some of it feeling like drudgery. The house is an excellent teacher. We have learned to value quality and authenticity over speed and economy. We’ve learned that we’re better as a team and Youtube can teach you anything! We are still learning so many years later! We found that home restoration is a lifestyle and the work ebbs and flows as life happens around you. Sometimes we needed to take a pause because we were exhausted, sometimes we were out of money and sometimes we just needed new vision.  

Travel is one thing that inspires us deeply. It was during one of those pauses, a trip to Paris, that a new vision was born. We stayed in the most delightful flat, at the top of 7 flights of stairs, with a lovely balcony and all the old world charm. We did all the normal things you do in Paris.  We oohed and aahhed as we gazed out the balcony, we ate our weight in pastries and wandered around the city completely inspired. There was this feeling we felt there – the respect of old things, the emphasis on quality rather than quantity and the incorporation of storied objects into every day life. These concepts really made an impression on us.  When we returned home, we were struck with the desire to bring that feeling back with us and to share it with fellow travelers through our home. Eventually Fahnestock House was born.  We’ve worked really hard to bring the authenticity we felt in Paris and abroad to our spaces. We try to keep as many historical elements as we can, collecting pieces that have a story, using texture and simple furniture to create a space that is both comfortable and special. Our goal is to create spaces that have soul and inspire our guests to rest, create and grow!

Our story is not complete yet! We are still restoring the exterior of the house and have additional plans for several interior rooms. We don’t have an end date when it will all be complete, but rather are going with the flow of life! It will be completed in due time as we keep working on it  bit by bit.   We invite you to come stay with us and hope you will leave inspired to pursue your own passions! 

- Rich and Shannon