Let me start off by saying that I have been in hundreds and hundreds of homes, interpreting the energies and helping the occupants, for well over a decade and I have never, ever felt the pure goodness, the love, the beauty and the profound comfort before that I experienced in the magical lakeside retreat of John and Regina Weisheit. My husband and I spent three glorious nights enveloped in the splendor of this four bedroom Kinderhook abode and I can positively say that this home’s incredible energy is an amalgamation of the hardworking efforts of John Weisheit’s talented handiwork and the discerning, expert eye for “rustic/camp/industrial/lake house” décor that his wife Regina beholds.
It all began with a building in need of TLC that John completely gutted and then raised the ceilings from low to cathedral by taking out a crawlspace. He installed new windows, wide planked floor boards and a hefty reinforcement beam to create a clever sleeping loft. The first floor was completely reconfigured and one bedroom was made into two. A couple friends along the way helped out but John did nearly all of the work by himself, often staying at the home in the bitter cold for five days at a time, working day and night with just a bed, table and toaster oven.
I was shocked to learn that John didn’t even know how to do most of this type of construction work beforehand but he would watch You Tube videos and tutorials online to tackle these projects and even added a wood burning, stone fireplace!
Regina’s scores run the gamut from tag sales, flea markets, thrift shops, craigslist and antique shops and are effortlessly gathered with an uncontrived simplicity that are a refreshing break from overly staged magazine-like homes that try too hard. Regina is modest in her skills and says “I just gather things that I like along the way.”
It’s a home where every detail comes together – from the camp-like silverware to the civil war iron twin beds to the mounted fish that John and Regina saved and brought back to life from a shop they said was filled with “complete trash”.
The Tracey Sink pictured below was a $100 treasure from the old Levitt Homes that John painted and added knobs. Above the sink shines a light fixture that John found at his mothers house and wired and mounted according to Regina’s vision.
Their favorite purchase is the rustic farm table that came from Country Junque and serves as the heart of the home fulfilling the Weisheit’s dream of being able to have the whole family together for meals.
The wood chairs around the table are from Beall and Bell and the green chairs and fireplace screen were a total of $10 at an Animal Rescue Fund tag sale. Regina’s stores of inspiration are Moon River Chattel in Williamsburg Brooklyn, White Flower Farmhouse in Southhold, Long Island and North Found in Peconic.
When I stepped outside on the deck, I waved to the neighbor Lynn who told us about observing John’s tenacious fortitude in painstakingly installing each cedar shingle “from 7AM to nightfall with a ruler on each one” and I couldn’t help but be filled with the love that this beautiful home emanates onto all who enter. What a treat to be here and what a great reminder about the energy that makes a house, a home.
