Untitled (5)'Life & Leisure
A Matter Of Priority
By GERRY RAKER
It's difficult to zero in on Peg Cur-
tis, but here's a clue: Once her son,
Peter, was bringing a female friend
home from prep school for a visit.
Mrs. Curtis asked if he'd like her to
prepare a stuffed leg of lamb or roast
beef.
"Oh, Mother," said Peter, "can't
we just have family food?"
"Well, what's that?" she asked.
"Fondue Bourgignon."
Like Peter, one can't help but ex-
pect extraordinary things every day
in the week from a woman who is
building her own kitchen cabinets,
makes elegant little dollhouses to
order, hangs wallpaper, has done
catering and taught skiing and, best
of all, simply adores "this old hor-
ror" the 200 -year-old house in Chel-
sea which she and her husband, Hun-
tington, bought two years ago.
"In the wintertime we can see all
the way from the Beacon Ridge to
the Poughkeepsie Bridge," she said
as we stood on the wide veranda of
the Hudson River bracket house.
The Curtises moved to Dutchess
County from Westchester at a time of
life when she thought they really
didn't need a big house and when she
reasoned it would be wiser to pour
money and effort into fixing up a lit-
tle house they own on a Maine sea-
shore where they hope to retire.
"But I fell in love with this mon-
strous old place. To give you an idea
of what it's done, last week -end we
were supposed to go to Bermuda to
pick up a Bermuda racer which my
husband was to bring back as a skip-
per, but instead we spent the week-
end jacking up the barn and putting
new foundations under it. Some gla-
mourous week -end!"
Mr. Curtis, an IBM engineer, is an
ardent sailor and navigating ocean
races is his hobby. There are charts
all over his den where he also repairs
interesting old clocks.
Recently returned from a month-
long sailing trip with friends which
took them from Stanford, Conn. up to
Nova Scotia and points north, Mrs.
Curtis said they ran into heavy fog
"and it was very nice to have Hunt
and his slide rule along."
The house which captivated the
Curtises is for the first time since it
was built in 1840 being occupied by a
family with children, although the
Curtis children are away most of the
time.
What they originally guessed would
Part of front hall which Pet Curtis completely repapered herself in gold
and white. Wide plank floors are seen here and can be found throughout
the handsome house.
be a two-year restoration project now
appears to be stretching into a four-
year one with the following timetable
being observed: "I do things that
bother me most first," Mrs. Curtis
said in her perky but sensible way.
There is a very large center hall
which was all gray, including the
ceiling, 50 per cent of which had to be
scraped., When she could stand the
gloom no longer Mrs. Curtis decided
to paper the hall (by herself, of
course) and she chose a traditional
gold and white pattern. The first
strip to go on was 16 feet long, reach-
ing up from the staircase to the high
ceilinged second floor. She recalls
that she had just prepared the scaf-
folding when the local minister came
to call. A quick glance convinced him
that perhaps there might be a more
auspicious time, a decision in which
Mrs. Curtis reluctantly concurred.
Good-humouredly describing the
setting they have chosen for them-
selves Mrs. Curtis said "It may be
the only house in Dutchess County
with a two-seater outhouse. Even our
dog is very old. Victoria Regina Dei
Gratia is 14 and rules the roost impe-
riously. She still goes on boats and
mountain climbing with us, although
she's not as peppy as she used to be."
Another priority, or "what both-
ered me most," is the kitchen where
Mrs. Curtis is actually building all
her kitchen cabinets herself and they
are handsomely planed with interest-
ing moldings.
The "beach house annex" is a
completed project. It is a charming,
eaved bedroom racked py a narrow,
new circuitous staircase going up
from the dining room. It is' a lovely
twin -bedded room which their sons
use when they are home, from col-
lege, and is otherwise occupied by
guests, plus a most unusual bath-
room which the lady of thohouse has
decorated, J*rsplf• The old tub has
._beenpainlesi .end sta R-gw.white,
legs. A striing red and � wallpa-
per covert t e, slanted ceil'i tjg, (hung
by M' rs.. Cvr'tis).
But most interesting are the dark
blue tiled %calls which Mrs. Curtis
said were a non-descript dull green
until she painted them and then,
(what patience!) she :carefully
painted in the endless white lines
separating the tiles. Altogether the
beach house annex (their own appe-
lation) is guaranteed to provide a
hearty welcome to guests.
Downstairs, a full flight from the
main level, but also reached from a
front entrance, is "our fun floor."
There is a large barroom, complete
with knotty' pine bar and brass foo -
trail and colorful black and red car-
peting. And, opposite the barroom is
the den with its stone floor and fire-
place where it is always cool enough
for the Curtises to light a fire and
have dinner. as they watch the 7 p.m.
news. The room is reached by stairs
from the kitchen and Mrs. Curtis is
well -organized for transporting
meals.
The lower level hallway contains a
beautifully painted pump organ
which her husband restored. Al-
though they both play, Mrs. Curtis
claims to be too out of practice from
all her remodeling to play anything
but "Jesus Loves Me."
Her dollhouse days began when
they lived in Washington, D.C., and
she and a few friends made four dol-
lhouses to raise money for a church
bazaar, rising to meet the challenge
of their husbands who didn't think
Sunday, SePembe[ 9,1973 Poughkeepsie Journal
"I think they might be frustrated
decorators. There's a woman in Con-
ecticut wbo added a whole wing on
l house to hold 25 dollhouses."
viis. Curtis has made much of the
tiny' furniture used in her own dol-
lhouses but said that when she can
buy the appropriate piece she does.
"It saves time."
Another activity which occupied
more time in the past was the gour-
met catering service she ran with
two friends in Westchester. A self-
taught gourmet cook whose favorites
are "quiche in any form, type or va-
riety" she said of her former little
business, "We did weddings, dinner
parties and even a funeral once. We
didn't really make much money but
we did have a lot of fun and met
some fascinating people."
A great skiing enthusiast for years
until she "racked up a knee" Mrs.
Curtis taught skiing at Syracuse Uni-
versity and at a ski school in Hano-
ver, N.H.
She now does cross country skiing
only, which she describes as "still
very strenuous but not as demanding
as downhill trail or slalom racing.
It's good. If you can walk you can
cross country ski."
What's next on the schedule of re-
sotration activities? Or, what bothers
her most next?
Well, among the upcoming projects
once the kitchen cabinets are fin-
ished will be the re -doing of their
potentially lovely living room which
has two fireplaces. Above each is a
mirror which Mrs. Curtis "can't wait
to take down because we have two
fine oil paintings which would fit per-
fectly over each fireplace, but Hunt
said 'Don't take them down yet. You
Victoria Regina DeiGratia rules the roost, still guca ___�.�••�•••--__,____o
and boating but is not as active as she used to be, and certainly not as
active as her mistress ... but then few people are.
Part of front hall which Pet Curtis comPlcic'y '—r—
ors
—r --
ors are seen here and can be found throughout
and white. Wide plank flo
the handsome house.
,yyam
i The living room, still to be redecorated, with its twin
...a._ when the mirrors above them come down,
news. The room is -,
from the kitchen and Mrs. Curtis is
well -organized for transporting
meals.
The lower level hallway contains a
beautifully painted pump organ
which her husband restored. Al-
though they both play, Mrs. Curtis
claims to be too out of practice from
all her remodeling to play anything
but "Jesus Loves Me."
Her dollhouse days began when
they lived in Washington, D.C., and
a_ she and a few friends made four dol-
lhouses to raise money for a church
bazaar, rising to meet the challenge
of their husbands who didn't think
It's good. If you can walk you can
cross country ski."
What's next on the schedule of re-
sotration activities? Or, what bothers
her most next?
Well, among the upcoming projects
once the kitchen cabinets are fin-
ished will be the re -doing of their
potentially lovely living room which
Victoria Regina DeiGratia rules the roost, still gucm u,.,..,..a,,, ...=y..-•
and boating but is not as active as she used to be, and certainly_ not.
active as her mistress ... but then few people are.
to oil paintings will be hung. French doors Hudson River bracket house. Lower level is reached also plcu e m
ro rla P from outside by going down a few steps. Center hall, of outside stairs. P°�9tik�Ps�e°1f"°� Photo by
two aPP P , g
between lead to terrace with view of the Hudson l