Let's Meet Christine Work

Hello Friends this month I’m sharing a lovely Insta-friend Christine Work.

Welcome to the Chalet Christine please introduce yourself. Hi my name is Christine Work and I cannot believe I’m 48 years old. I’ve lived in the Hudson Valley of NY for 20 years with my husband, Dave and 13 year old son, Braden. We moved here from Boston where I met my husband Dave while going to graduate school. I’m originally from the suburbs of Chicago where my family still lives. While I miss my home sweet home Chicago, there is something very special about the Hudson Valley with its river and mountains.

I ask every interview regardless if they’re an Interior Designer or not - Did you decorate your bedroom while growing up? I am not an interior designer, I just really enjoy design and art and making our home ours. I do believe everyone interested in home decor as an adult MUST have spent time decorating their rooms or dollhouses, and I am no different. Looking back, my parents were very patient with my constant furniture rearrangement. Each year I would also get to pick out a new wallpaper for my one accent wall; I wish I had photos of this ever changing wall. I remember one time insisting on ripping the carpet out of my bedroom. I did know there were hardwood floors underneath. Once I had the idea, I couldn’t wait for any help, I just went for it. From that moment, I knew I was never going to be a fan of carpets. The room looked SO much better!

Christine you have a very pared-down design style. You like graphic pops and antiques – in neutral backgrounds. Has this always been your design style or has it evolved? Meryl, I’m impressed how perceptive you are about design style. I DO love a neutral background. I guess I’ve always felt that with a more or less “blank canvas” I could be more creative with layers. For me, it allows me to change things up without the investment of time and/or money. It’s easy to switch out pillows or art rather than repaint, retile, etc.

I started to appreciate antiques and family heirlooms when I met my husband and his family - they had furniture and art that was passed down generations. Since, I am first generation, my family started new when they immigrated to the states. In our home now, we have quite a few pieces from my in-laws - our dining room table, pie safe, and my favorite - the jam cupboard which makes for great LEGO storage.

Please share your Design Philosophy. In preparing for this interview and thinking about my design philosophy, I looked back at photos of this house from the past 10 years. Even in the past decade, my design choices have evolved. I have certainly accumulated more antiques, vintage rugs, art and a LOT more plants. While it wasn’t intentional, my mix of furniture styles and decor resonates with me. I don’t want to feel stuck with one look or style or genre. I have always appreciated variety in all aspects of my life. I think the one intentional design approach I have is for there to be meaning, history and story behind all the “things.” I love having my son’s art hang on the walls. I love framing family mementos. My grandmother, mother and father-in-law all passed away within the same year and it has been important for me to have their memories where we can see and remember.

**looking across the home’s entry to Christine’s Work From Home Space**

I really love the impact you created by painting your fireplace surround black. What led you to make that change. I think black or any other dark color such as moody blues or greens really add depth and dimension to a space. I think every room or even outfit benefits from a grounding dark color. I thought by painting the fireplace, the family room would have more of a focal point and it would really just make our simple mantle more “rich.” While it took a little convincing of my family, there were no regrets.

Before

After

Recently you updated your kitchen appliances - can you share why. It’s hard to believe we have been in this house for just over a decade. Isn’t it at the ten year mark that the appliances start to fail?!?!? The washing machine went first and then the microwave broke. We decided to not replace it with an over the stove one but instead with a hood. A microwave now lives in our basement but isn’t used much. The decision to replace our stove was my husband’s - he wanted an induction stove for safety and environmental reasons. I was reluctant to have to learn how to adjust my cooking, but I would now recommend this type of stove to anyone…it boils water in a second and is a breeze to clean. Since we rent our house a few times a year, we had to have reliable working appliances.

Your bathroom was shared on Apartment Therapy - this is so cool how did it happen? One of our COVID projects was to hang wallpaper on one wall of our upstairs bathroom. I thought it would be fun to just try something different - a fun but temporary change. The only other thing I did was get a new shower curtain and of course a vintage mini rug. I’m shocked that it’s still hanging and we haven’t really tired of it. But that bathroom is on my project list…I’m just not sure what to do with it. It was featured on Apartment Therapy twice - the first time when I submitted a before and after: Before and After: Bold Wallpaper Turns a Bland Bathroom into a Work of Art for $75 and the second time as a wallpaper feature Before and After: 9 of the Most Gorgeous Wallpapered Bathroom Redos Ever.

Before

After

You’ve already mentioned you’ll celebrate 11 years in your home next month. Can you share how you ended up in this house? We built our house just down the street from our last home and moved in 2013. Our last home was built in 1888 and was 1100 square feet. It has been a great experience to have lived in such a historic home as well as in a new build. I’ll never not love the character of an older home but the amenities of a new home are quite nice too. This is a photo of our 1888 home’s basement - you see I’m still using the chairs and the desk in our current home.

Basement of the 1888 House

When we were building our house, we frequently heard people say…it’s so great you are building your own home, you can have whatever you want. I would quickly correct…no, you can have what you pay for. So since building, we have done a few projects such as replacing a kitchen window for a larger window since we have a river view, adding crown molding to more of our rooms, a lot of landscaping including installing a bluestone patio and walkway, taking all the wire shelving out of the closets and having my husband custom build shelves, and more recent and my favorite - adding built-ins around the french doors in the room we use for guests as well as my Work From Home space - our Den.

**the Den with it's wonderful built-ins**

So tell us do you have a favorite space is in your home. I really do enjoy each and every room of our home. It is important for me to use all of our spaces; I don’t like to be wasteful. But if I had to choose a favorite, I would choose my son’s room. I love to see how he makes it his own. It’s a different glimpse into his personality and it too has evolved over the years. A close second is the room I use when I get to work from home - I love my gallery wall filled with many IG artist friends, and I love my books

Son Brandon's Room

Den Gallery Wall

Christine you’re a talented artist. Is this a pursuit from childhood or something you’ve cultivated in adulthood? For as long as I can remember, I have loved to color, draw and paint. This was something my mom Irene and I did together. She was so talented. For me, it is just something I enjoy. What thrills me is that my son enjoys the time we spend painting and drawing as well. I have a few things that I have painted framed, but for the most part, I just keep a sketchbook.

**Pattern mixing in Dave's home office**

I love seeing the pieces you find thrifting. Have you always been a thrifter? I’ve only somewhat recently found the thrill of thrifting. Thrifting is such a great way to create unique spaces. I love the hunt and the surprises. And while I certainly enjoy a trip to IKEA or Target, I appreciate not having a home that looks trendy. It is important to our family as well that we be good to the environment. Thrifting furniture [wood] and rugs [wool] and decor is a more sustainable way to create a unique space with a story. I’ve also thrifted more than my fair share of wood bowls.

Please share with the readers what is your day to day gig? By day, I oversee the Planning, Assessment and Research Office at a community college. I love working in higher education. It’s a rewarding field to be able to serve the community and students. And I appreciate being able to work on a beautiful campus in a historic mansion. My offices are the bedroom, sewing room and walk-in closet of the home. My account is entertainment for me - I love design and art. And what I didn’t know would happen by starting this account would be the friends I would make. I have met local people with whom I have become good friends as well as many other people I have met on IG but not in real life that play a meaningful role in my life. Meryl, you are an example of a person who I’ve grown to know through this platform and who I care about. Awe Christine that’s so sweet and kind of you to say and I feel the same my dear … both mom’s of 13 yr old only sons; lover of thrifting and graphic pillows!

Plans for the rest of 2024? We are always talking about future projects - what we actually end up doing is a different story. We are considering replacing the single door to our balcony with a french door. I’m excited about this - it will make the inside and outside more functional and just look nicer. We are also thinking about replacing the tile in our shower with porcelain slabs and getting new vanity tops. And there are always the little things - upgrading lighting, hanging art, repotting plants, painting, etc.

Thank you for this opportunity to share a little bit about me, my family and my home. I appreciate the community you have created and cultivated. And I’m so happy to call you a friend.

Christine thank you for taking the time to sit down and be interviewed and answering a million of my last minute questions… ha! I appreciate your time and I super appreciate you as a friend! XX

Please follow Christine on Instagram and I’ll see you there too!