Jan loves old houses, but when they came across a captivating new house under construction, she decided she could infuse the home with a timeworn sense of charm. With only the framing complete in the new construction, the couple walked through to get a feeling for the size of the rooms. This was when the “walls” came tumbling down.
![“I think my own personal style is a bit of French design [and] a little bit of English, but I just love that overly collected, curated, layered space that looks lived in and comfortable,” Paige says.](https://thecottagejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Photo-May-05-2022-2-46-08-PM_OTR-feat-218x150.jpg "Designer Paige Kontrafouris Layers Her 100-Year-Old Home with Collected Treasures")
