A Tiny Tour #003—Lisa Przystup + Jonathon Linaberry
Sharing a coffee and a gorgeous sunny afternoon with the creative couple in Delhi, New York.
Hi friends…today’s edition of A Tiny Apt. is free, so please do pass it along, and be sure to click through to your Substack app or browser because it’s long as hell, aka: brimming with lovely/cozy home images you won’t want to get clipped. You can find lots more stories, home tours, and style guides right here in our ATA archive, too…❤️
I knew about the writer and style muse Lisa Przystup long before I met her in person.
I always loved seeing her content drop into my Instagram feed, and her book Upstate—Living Spaces with Space to Live was one of my favorites references around the time we were searching for + finding our own refuge outside the city. I can’t remember exactly who messaged who first, but we began to say hello and leave encouraging comments for each other…something that always makes the void of social media so much more alive and interesting. Eventually, we were at the same event where we met in person…a little like finally meeting my penpal from Washington State in fifth grade, something I daydreamed about but wasn’t quite sure would ever really happen.
Lisa and I don’t live close upstate, but I was always curious about her home because I love her eye so much. The way she moves in clothes, captures the light of a summer picnic, or catches the quiet chatter of friends wading in a swimming hole. No matter what she’s doing or making, Lisa always manages to create an environment and a feeling that draws me in…making me think more meditatively about my own everyday moments, making the bed or getting dressed, always with a tiny flourish of warmth and ritual.
When she and her husband Jonathon (an artist/musician who goes by The Bones of J.R. Jones, his newest album Radiowaves is out now ⬇️) said yes to having me over for a Tiny Tour, it’s a bit embarrassing how excited I was. As it happens, they live about two hours from where we are upstate, but on my solo drive I took the long way, winding through the Catskill mountains on a cool, almost sparkling blue day that (not to be too dramatic) nearly made me weep from all the beauty.
Here’s our conversation as well as so much visual/sensory inspiration from a family who have made their 130 year-old house into such a peaceful and inspiring sanctuary. Let’s get into it…xxCb
ATA: Hi Lisa & Jonathon…thank you so much for having me over…tell me about your house…when was it born, when did you find each other? And, how did you end up here?
Lisa: It was our pleasure! The house was born in 1893, we found it in 2016 after having looked at almost 20 other houses. When we first started looking [to move north from Brooklyn], we were hoping to find a spot two hours outside the city, but we quickly realized there wasn’t really anything in our budget in those areas, so we pushed further out to Delhi/Andes/Bovina, three towns west of the Hudson River, about three hours north of the city. Jonathon had shot a music video at our friend Taylor’s cabin, and he and the crew spent the night in the space over Brushland Eating House, which is when he met the owners Sara and Sohail—that whole experience was our introduction to the area.
Lisa and Jonathon at home in Delhi…their dog Gus will make an appearance shortly:).
Above, along with a vintage hula skirt, one of two wasp’s nests Lisa was given as a gift. “I think they’re such beautiful works of art,” Lisa says.
ATA: Where are you both from? Does anything about the house remind you of where you grew up?
Jonathon: Central New York, I grew up in a town outside of Syracuse—the weather here really reminds me of home (a lot of gray days) and the fauna is similar, too.
LP: I’m from the suburbs of Northern Virginia. To be honest there is very little about our house or the area that reminds me of where I grew up…it’s kind of funny to realize that now...
Above: The sofa is the Andes Sectional from West Elm covered with a linen drop-cloth. The teracotta lamp is vintage, the wood frame above it is by Tomo Objects. The coffee table is vintage sourced from Craigslist. The rug is Mehraban. The amazing black lacquer chair is old Urban Outfitters (it was called the Marte if you ever find it on resale) from seven years ago (here’s the exact chair at Bed Bath & Beyond, or this vintage IKEA lounge chair that makes me want to SCREAM. Wall quilt is vintage from eBay (not similar but I love this one for a similar graphic vibe).
One of my favorite pieces in Lisa and Jonathon’s home is this storage system by CB2…I love how modular it is and how anyone could customize it to their taste…and records, like Jonathon. The wood lamp is vintage, and this one I found on Schoolhouse has a similar vibe (and comes in RED:). Candle sconces were a gift to Lisa from Jonathon…these by Nickey Kehoe are lovely and similar and also a marvelous price.
ATA: Tell us about some of the more notable ways your home has evolved over the years?
LP: We bought the house in 2016 and spent the first four years bouncing back-and-forth between Greenpoint and Delhi since I was tethered to a desk job—once offices went remote during Covid, though, that was our chance to finally move here full-time, our intention all along. And we’ve been here full-time ever since.
JR: I would say that it’s evolving as we learn to live in it—understanding how we move and flow through the house. A huge part of this is that we ourselves have evolved because living in an old house requires a lot of adaptation: The endless list of things to fix, fighting against the energy inefficiency of winter, figuring out what room feels most comfortable during those colder months—stuff like that.
“A huge part of this house evolving is that we ourselves have evolved here, too. Because living in an old house requires a lot of adaptation.”
Lisa’s dress is by Anaak Collection (and I totally want it:). The bench by the window is vintage, but this one by Sundays is simple and very handy for books, sitting, and what not.
LP: Our home was definitely more sparse when we first moved in—after living in a 600-square-foot railroad apartment for 10+ years where our aesthetic was very tchotchke-on-top-of-tchotchke we were happy for the breathing room. It was a great opportunity for us to take our time and, as J said, figure out how we moved though and used the space. It’s only been recently that I started to feel hungry for more texture and warmth–it’s felt nice to start to incorporate and layer in those elements.
ATA: What’s your philosophy about making + building a home? Are you renovators or more tinkerers + everyday tenders to what it needs?
JR: I think initially, being a first-time home buyer you want to jump in, pedal to the floor and get as much done as fast as possible. My approach has definitely shifted over the years as I’ve started to recognize that it is impossible to get everything done all at once. I think I’ve grown more relaxed as I’ve embraced the trial and error that comes with building a home. Realizing that different rooms in your home will have many lives before you settle on the right one. Re: renovations, it’s always going to take twice as long and cost twice as much as you think it is.
“I think I’ve grown more relaxed as I’ve embraced the trial and error that comes with building a home. Realizing that different rooms in your home will have many lives before you settle on the right one.”
LP: I’d say that Jonathon is the renovator and I’m the tinkerer, constantly fussing and rearranging. When something doesn’t feel right in a room I will fixate on it until I figure it out. Jonathon tackles more of the bigger renovation projects and I tend to focus on creating a mood—lighting candles and incense to mark the end of the day, stuff like that. In the winter he starts the fires in the morning and I really like tending to them…I like to think we’re a good team.
ATA: What do you love most about your home? What qualities has it revealed to you over time that maybe you weren’t expecting?
JR: Currently loving the mudroom but that’s because it’s brand new and feels fresh and clean—it probably holds the only true right angles in the entire house. In the summertime I love being able to open the windows and that feeling of the outside filling all the rooms in the house—the smell of fresh-cut grass. I guess when I think about the qualities the home has revealed, I think about the qualities it’s brought out in me/the things that it’s taught me—like how to be patient and how to be okay with imperfection. It’s taught me to take pleasure in the work and not just getting the job done.
ATA: I love that so much…
LP: I love that it always smells exactly the way I want it to. I love the emotional support and warmth it offers. I love that it holds our world in it. I love watching the way the light moves through over the course of a day. I love the patches of sun and sitting in them. I love that almost everywhere I look (save for the piles of laundry) there are these moments of reassuring beauty and comfort. In a way I think it’s less about what qualities our home has revealed and more about the way it’s put a roof over our lives and acted as a vessel for memories and a shared life. Does that make sense?
ATA: Yes, yes, yes…I get that so much. How do you decide on what furniture or art comes in? I myself have no strategy…if I love it, I’m finding a spot for it, regardless of space. Which is why I live by the old One In-Two Out rule...
JR: Living with Lisa is compromise and negotiation—many times our tastes overlap, sometimes they don’t. I’m definitely a proponent of less is more. Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out what objects in your house to let go of, but there’s just not enough space for everything.
The blue chairs are Tomo Objects by Jesse Lee Wilson, the low table and wood spindle candleholder are vintage. Below, the cabinets are the Ivar style by IKEA, the lamp is vintage, spindle table by the window is from a yard sale, woven urn is by Terrain. The quilt is vintage from eBay…I found a similar one here. (Not similar but I LOVE this one, too, for hanging on a wall/over a bed).
LP: Ohhhh “One in, two out”—that’s Jonathon’s North Star, but in that respect we are most certainly looking at the same night sky. I am shamefully bad about that (though I am trying to be better). I am a collector at heart and often have a hard time editing—there are so many beautiful things in this world, and it’s so hard for me to say no. It’s tough to say exactly how we decide what comes in—usually it’s something I really push for and sometimes it’s a hard No from Jonathon—not because we don’t share the same taste but because there is simply no use or room for it. And, it’s hard to argue with that!
ATA: I can attest, I saw SO MANY beautiful things in your home…corners that literally danced with colors or textures. Can you share two or three things you’ve collected that have stories you love and have become a central part of your home’s look and vibe?
JR: Our stove—it’s the first big-ticket adult purchase that we’ve had in our home, and of course the irony was that it wasn’t installed correctly, so we couldn’t use the oven for the first two months we owned it.
ATA: I think that tracks for most of us who have gone through a build or renovation, always sort of a crap-shoot…
JR: I also love the cedar table in our backyard…it was one of the first things that I built for us. It means warmer days and being able to eat dinner outside with friends. It was originally built as an indoor table but we decided to move it outdoors and that was seven summers ago now. The turned wood bed frame that was my father’s when he was a boy and then it was mine when I was a kid–it now resides in a small guest bedroom and is held together by screws but I love the way it looks.
Lisa in one of two guest bedrooms. The bed is vintage and belonged to Jonathon’s father (and became his bed when he was a child). The paint is India Yellow by Farrow & Ball, the rust corduroy pillow is Schoolhouse, the rug is by Corador Home and here is a similar style I love by Revival. Everything else is vintage.
LP: The vintage wood light fixture in our kitchen. I was on the search for overhead lighting that felt warm and right and we went through two other fixtures before I found this one on Etsy—the first time we turned it on we were both like, “Ahhhhhh.” The papier mache swan headpiece that I made for Halloween one year then realized that December that it also happens to make a great Christmas centerpiece—she’s been a central part of our holiday decorations ever since. (Above, Lisa w/her swan last Christmas, pulled from her IG).
Our bed frame that we found on Craigslist (when Craigslist was still a thing). It’s vintage Ethan Allen and Jonathon spray-painted it black in our bedroom. On our newly painted white floors. With just some newspaper on the floor. Needless to say he then also had to repaint our floors.
Also, the two wasp’s nests we have. One year we were at Jonathon’s uncle’s cabin and he had this amazing wasp nest hanging from the rafters—from that moment on I was obsessed with finding one of my own. Every time we were on a drive or walking in the woods I was searching but never finding—when we did see one it was usually hanging over the highway from the tallest, most unreachable branch. Then one year Jonathon gave me one for my birthday (just about the best gift ever) and a couple years after that his Uncle Jim surprised us with one. I think they’re such beautiful works of art. The fact that the two we have were gifts makes them even better.
ATA: What about the piano?
LP: THE PIANO!
The piano!
JR: It was my grandmother’s. My grandparents got it in the early 1920s, they were all classically trained on piano and then my mother and her brothers were classically trained, and then she passed it down to us. My mom made me and my brothers all take lessons for years, so there’s just a huge history with my family and all the people who have played it and all the people that it inspired…yeah, a lot of history. I wrote my first songs on it, too…being 7 years-old and figuring out how to write music, which coincidentally sounded a little like Roy Orbison (I think there’s a videotape of it floating around somewhere).
The dining table in the distance is by De La Espada. The paper pendant lamp is by Hay (but no longer available), but you can get the Akari 55A at Noguchi.
ATA: What are some design tricks you’ve discovered while living here? For me, it was white-washing our floors, watering down the white paint we were using and letting that age and wear away over time. What about you? Anything that’s been a pleasant or not so pleasant surprise?
JR: I remember the first time we redid our porch, I sealed it with a glossy marine varnish which looked great but we quickly found out the rain and snow and ice made it incredibly dangerously slick—we’ll never do that again. On the pleasant surprise front, young forsythia branches worked well as a substitute for willow in the wattle fence I made for the garden on the hill behind our house.
LP: Canvas drop-cloths are the ultimate heavy lifters. They’re great for dog-proofing a couch, make an incredible pond-side blanket, and are killer tablecloths that add some elegance and drama (yes, elegant—I was dubious for years until I finally caved and gave them a go).
ATA: What’s your favorite season in your home and why?
JR: Oh man, this one is hard—I would say late summer/early fall because the mornings smell of crisp dead leaves and the days warm up enough that you can be outside and enjoy the sun on clear bluebird fall sky…in a weird way the sun somehow feels even stronger, higher in the sky.
Lisa and Jonathon’s kitchen, which was absolutely magical despite the fact that I had a hard time getting a great shot of it. Here’s a video so you can see how it connects to this wonderful breakfast room where we had coffee when I arrived. The water filter is by Walter, the table and chairs are by Ethnicraft. The wicker lamp is from West Elm a while back (this one is quite similar and only $50 for a real MOOD). The checkerboard art is by Jonathon’s uncle.
Cozy.
The phone came from the house where Lisa grew up. It’s not connected to a land line but she’s considering it…
Menu scroll from Schoolhouse, which they don’t carry anymore, but I found this one from Etsy that does the job or this one, which is a touch more glamorous and my personal choice if you have the space.
LP: Oh I’m jealous I didn’t think of this little pocket season—late summer/early fall is really such a special time BUT I think I can say with confidence that summer is my favorite. The windows are open and as Jonathon mentioned, the feeling of the outdoors merging with indoors—the blurring of those lines—is really something. I have so many fond memories of summers in our home: sleeping on the ground floor on the couch because it’s too hot upstairs, the sound of a box fan in the window, the smell of coffee in the morning, bowls of tomatoes and peaches on the kitchen table. Everything slows down when the sound of the crickets and the birds fills our home. That being said, winter is quite special in its own right—our house feels like a ship at sea, full of warmth and candlelight, a place of refuge from the cold and snow.
“I have so many fond memories of summers here: sleeping on the ground floor on the couch because it’s too hot upstairs; the sound of a box fan in the window; the smell of coffee in the morning and bowls of tomatoes and peaches on the kitchen table. Everything slows down when the sound of the crickets and the birds fills our home. That being said, winter is quite special—our house feels like a ship at sea, full of warmth and candlelight, a place of refuge from the cold and snow.”
Lisa and Jonathon’s other guest bedroom. Everything mostly vintage but the bedspread by Morrow Soft Goods and the bedside sconces are Schoolhouse. The rug is Nordic Knots. The framed print is by Emily Pettigrew.
ATA: What are a few of your most treasured home essentials or anything that feels inextricably tied to home?
JR: I think smell is incredibly important—and good lighting can transform a room immediately to someplace warm and welcoming. On my essentials list: sweetgrass, candles, and the incense I make—I like our home to smell a certain way. Being able to have a kitchen that you can cook in comfortably is a different kind of essential—having that space is key because it’s such a huge percentage of our day (as it should be).
Heading up to the attic nook…the dried palm was rescued from one of Lisa’s road-trips. The bedspread is by Morrow Soft Goods (I have a version of this myself). The rug is Blockshop Textiles and the mirror is West Elm. The wood sculpture is also Tomo Objects by Jesse Lee Wilson.
LP: Yup. What he said. I think we both respond to the emotional power of smell—lighting a nice-smelling candle or incense is so key to creating a home we want to be in. I think I’d add fresh flowers and nice sheets to the list. And good lighting 1,000%. I’ve been on a never-ending quest to find lightbulbs that approximate the warmth of incandescent bulbs. [FWIW, these are my favorites.]
Go-to good-smelling candle—Tatine Ancient Hinoki.
ATA: You and Jonathon entertain a lot…how would you describe your hosting style? Any secrets we can learn from?
LP: My hosting style is completely different from Jonathon’s—he is always calm, cool, and collected and I tend to go into a spin in the hours before guests arrive. So, I guess my style is chaos with a focus on aesthetics (table-setting, candles, flowers etc.) while J (calmly) handles the food prep.
JR: I like a very tidy house when people come to visit. It’s a tough balance accepting that a home is a lived-in space while also creating a space that feels welcoming to guests. I love to be in the kitchen—I love having friends and family in my home and I love treating them to a nice meal and drink, but I also get slightly overwhelmed by the socializing aspect of it. So, being in the kitchen cooking provides me with some much-needed space. Lisa is incredibly warm and gregarious and a far better socializer then I am. My favorite thing to serve is ramen—because I love the methodology behind the preparation and the universal enjoyment that people get from it—it feels really nourishing and giving in that way. Favorite move to make a room feel festive: light incense or sweetgrass and always choosing vinyl over a playlist.
Favorite thing to serve: Ramen. “I love the methodology behind the preparation and the universal enjoyment that people get from it—it feels really nourishing and giving in that way.”
Favorite move to make a room feel festive: “Light sweetgrass and always opt for vinyl over a playlist.”
We saw a magnificent hawk while we were walking outside. It was a little like photographing the moon, the majesty never really translates…she was beautiful tho.
Lisa and Gus ❤️.
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Oooh, thank you for this! UPSTATE is one of my favorite decor books.
one of the best things about ata and these tours is the homely sense you get... nothing really feels staged and all spaces are lived in, not perfect in this perfect way. <3