Inside a Warm Victorian Home     Living Room  With such an
eccentric mix of decor, Sarah felt bold color would be a bad
idea. "If I had put up chintz wallpaper, you wouldn't notice the
architectural shape of a birdcage or the patina of a wooden
milking stool," she explains. "White reveals nuances." It can
also be surprisingly warm. Instead of basic white paint, Sarah
had an artisan spray the walls with a watered-down blend of
several creamy hues before troweling the plaster—yielding a rich
effect with tinges of gray and putty and yellow that's different
in every room.  In this photo: The living room coffee table was
once a cider press. Verellen makes the slouchy slipcovered sofa,
while the bookcases and trumeau mirror came from Sarah's own
store, Chateau Sonoma. Here, Sarah and Darius play with their
son Tyge, 3.