When searching for a property in Upstate New York a few years back, Nick Spain and Michael Bolognino had a very clear vision. “We wanted a sweet, quintessential New England farmhouse,” says Nick, a designer who heads up Arthur’s, a New York City–based interiors and garden design studio.

However, the market had other ideas, and when the couple’s search expanded to the Berkshires, they made an unlikely match: an 1850s Italianate mansion that was once a Catholic rectory. “It was right on the edge of the town, and it wasn’t on a ton of land,” says Nick. “It was the opposite of everything that we were looking for.”

$22,280 Siding & Chimney Repairs	$19,488 New Roof	$18,000 Exterior Painting
$6,700 Town Sewer Connection	$42,306 New Heating & Plumbing Systems	$7,000 Insulation
$21,502 Additional System Upgrades	$13,289 Updating 2.5 Baths	$6,168 New Bath & Laundry (Floor 1)
$12,407 New Bath (Floor 2)	$15,478 Hardwood Flooring Repair	$41,909 New Kitchen
$42,735 Electric Upgrades	$28,710 Interior Sheetrock, Plaster, Painting	$13,131 Framing
$2,000 Propane Tanks	$4,759 Misc. Repairs	$25,000 Furnishings
Grand Total: $342,862

The home had sat unoccupied for four years, and before that, had seen few updates in its 160-year-long lifetime. On the couple’s first visit on a freezing New Year’s Day in 2016, there was no heat, carpeting in the bathroom, and a plethora of Bicentennial-themed wallpaper from the last remodel in the ’70s. But these were just distractions. “We just immediately fell in love,” says Nick. “So many of the things that we had been attracted to in the original listing, the historical details, were even more incredible in person.”

Once the keys were in hand, Nick and Michael embarked on a top-to-bottom overhaul themselves—the first time either had undertaken such a large DIY project. From pulling up layers and layers of flooring, to fixing 19 radiators by hand, to cutting the channels for the electricians to lay new wiring, they did as much of the labor as possible, learning as they went. “My husband will tell you he actually loves doing plaster repairs now,” says Nick.

Working most weekends over two years and with a budget totaling $342,862, the couple rescued the home from the outside in, with much of the costs going to the necessary improvement of structural and mechanical systems.

“I think it's really important to have open, honest conversations about what things like this cost because I think so many people fall into that HGTV trap where it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah. I can do this on a dime,’” says Nick.

“We mixed and matched a lot of materials. We did high and low, and we put a lot of work in ourselves. That’s still where we ended up,” he says. “That's just something to keep in mind. If you want to do something like this and are thinking it's going to cost X amount, be prepared to maybe have to spend a little bit more because unfortunately, what you might've seen on television is not exactly the most honest interpretation of what the process costs and looks like.”

“I really like how non-open plan the house is, in the sense that all the rooms are very square and closed-off from each other, but there were some key areas that did need to be opened up a little bit just to make sense for flow and light patterns,” says Nick.

One such area was the kitchen, which was moved to a former playroom in order to enlarge it and bring it up to scratch. “We’re big cooks,” says Nick, so that room needed to be a priority in the remodel.

Shop the Look

Nick’s approach to the Filomena was to craft a balance between new and old, modern and historic, instilling the couple’s personal style while honoring the house’s storied past. “I do think it’s important to reflect the history of the house,” says Nick. “Even in rooms where we were drastically changing the aesthetic, or introducing a new aesthetic, we tried to ground it with at least one significant piece that was historic, and spoke to the origins of the home.”

“The renovation process, I think anyone will tell you, is a lot of work, and there’s a moment where you feel like you might be drowning a little bit,” says Nick. And it’s true that there’s still more work to be done at the Filomena, such as planting more gardens and reglazing the glass in old wood window units one at a time—another skill the two have gained along the way.

But after two years of hard work, in 2018 the couple was able to move in and enjoy the fruits of their efforts, culminating with their wedding reception in the backyard. “This house…it’s not just a place that we’re living in. We’re creating memories,” says Nick. “I was trying to create a design process that was additive. I think it feels really nice, and that we’re becoming part of the shared history with the prior inhabitants, as well as of this house. It feels special to us.”

More Budget Breakdown:

Two Travel Therapists Build a Tiny Home-on-Wheels for $24K

A Murky 1920s Home in California Is Leveled Up for $232K

A Color-Changing House in Dallas Is Built for $584K

Project Credits:

Contractor: Neil Segala

Interior Design: Arthur's / @helloarthurs

Photography: Zio & Sons / @zioandsons

Filomena / @thefilomena

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Budget Breakdown: A DIY Couple Painstakingly Revive an Italianate Manse in the Berkshires for $343K