30th Time Is the Charm!

In March 2020, K & I purchased our first home together. This is my first ever home purchase and my 30th move! I kid you not. Being a consultant, I have lived off the suitcase for many years. I never felt I “belonged” anywhere and yet I was comfortable everywhere. A true nomad, I called myself; normal life bored me, I would quickly counter those curious questioners. And then, I met K. Normalcy didn’t seem so boring anymore. 

Introducing The Red Banyan!

We moved into our new home just a few days before the pandemic shut down NYC/New Jersey in March 2020. And thanks to all the insanity around selling and buying a house – packing/moving/inspections etc. – K had been working from home for 2 weeks and didn’t go to his office in NYC. This was the time when COVID was spreading silently and rampantly in the city. In so many ways, I believe this house saved us and it seemed apt to name our home after the Banyan tree – a symbol of life, longevity, protection and shelter.

The Red Banyan, a beautiful red brick colonial set on 3 acres and nestled among preserved lands and wildlife habitats, is my absolute dream home. The front elevation and the backyard were all I needed to see to affirm that. Inside though, it was a different story – your typical 90s builder-grade home with plaster-white walls, bad cabinets and orange hardwood floors. The interiors had absolutely no style or oomph. It was vanilla, at its best. 

K & I were excited though. We had just sold K’s townhome for 20K over the asking price. In a development where all the townhomes were literally identical, K’s townhome had one of the highest sale prices ever. We were able to drive the extra $$ without taking down any wall or major construction. I focused primarily on interior design, staging and key strategic improvements. During the open house, I received much cheer for the house’s design and its aesthetic appeal, I was flabbergasted. This gave me the much needed “design” confidence boost – I knew I could design a beautiful home and I knew people would pay top $$ ! It was a game changer. 

With Red Banyan, we purchased the house, despite the vanilla interiors. We wanted to make it our own. It’s so much fun curating and designing a space, the effort that goes into the research and visualization is the closest to meditation I have ever felt. 

Join us @ The Red Banyan as we transform our Red Banyan into a beautiful modern designer retreat! We are excited to share this journey with you!