S ome homes come with a little extra something for new buyers : an inground pool ; stunning perennial beds ; a garden-shed-turned-studio .
Jennifer Barone ’ s new digs came with six chickens . “ We became instant chicken owners ,” says the Burrillville resident . “ I was over the moon .”
Barone , and her husband , Nick , bought the saltbox in 2013 , cementing their dream of living in the country . Jennifer wanted an old home ; her husband did not . The house was the perfect compromise : It was built in 2008 , a reproduction of a period Colonial , and looks like it was plucked straight from the 1800s and placed onto their spacious twenty-two-acre lot that abuts the George Washington Wildlife Management Area .
Now , they and their four children — three sons and a daughter — along with black Lab Puka , Thackery the cat , seven chickens and five ducks share the homey space , which Jennifer decorates in a sweet and eclectic farmhouse style . She mixes found treasures , family heirlooms , folk art and Brimfield and Salvation Army finds to create a cozy family haven .
“ Almost everything is thrifted , antique or found on the side of the road ,” says Jennifer , who initially studied art history before becoming a nurse practitioner .
And , of course , there ’ s always a space for the kiddos to play . In the basement , a vintage 1929 sink ( a $ 50 score from Brooklyn Restoration Supply in Connecticut ) decorated with pieces of copper cookware shares space with a large , open room where the boys
128 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2023