“This home comes alive each summer. Every house has a season, and our season is definitely summer,” says homeowner Dana Dore of Farmingdale.
A passionate, lifelong DIYer, Dore has built a solid reputation in the design community by adding charm and color to her family’s 1,700-square-foot, builder-grade home. These days, she’s a professional stylist, blogger and Instagram darling with Adored House by Dana Dore (@adoredhouse) with 23,000-plus followers.
“When guests first visit, they’re surprised it’s only 12 years old with 8-foot ceilings,” Dore says. “Because of my decorating tricks, our home appears much older and larger in photos.” Some of her fool-the-eye faves include tall furniture, beadboard walls and vertical-striped upholstery and drapery fabric.
The dining room appears a century older than it actually is, elevated by a collection of pre-loved tableware, board-and-batten walls, a vintage bar cart, old botanical charts, and a painstakingly restored antique pine cabinet that Dore promises never to paint. Photo: Laura Moss
The Monmouth County residence, home to Dore, husband Bob and their two daughters, welcomes with a laidback, rural feel in a quiet community. Despite a modest local population of 1,500, it’s an easy drive to bustling Belmar and Manasquan beaches.
“I like to infuse our home with nautical references in artwork and found objects, but I also have a good mix of timeless beach objects, since we’re just 10 minutes from the Shore,” Dore says.
Stylist Dana Dore and her daughters celebrate summer with a lemonade party in the backyard of their Farmingdale home. Photo: Laura Moss
The vast majority of decor within the home is vintage because she believes that “nothing compares to the quality and overall appearance of antique art and furniture.” Even the not-so-old flower beds overflowing with hydrangea, gaura and roses give the impression of a mature vintage garden.
“When we first bought our beige, totally characterless Farmingdale house, I was comfortable doing much of the work by myself. Bob loves gardening and cooking, but he lets me handle most everything else,” she says.
A quiet bedroom corner peeks into a sweet bathroom sporting a black-and-white floor, hand-painted by Dore. Antique pine cabinets are found throughout the home, and an old wicker basket corrals a collection of antique quilts. Photo: Laura Moss
Dore grew up in New Jersey, where her parents inspired an appreciation for antiquing, painting, wallpapering, arranging (and rearranging) furniture, operating power tools and tackling minor plumbing and electrical challenges. It seemed only natural for her to go on to study art and design, which evolved into a 14-year career in retail display, where she used her handy skills to decorate shop windows.
Today, as a social media content creator, Dore inspires others to add personality to their own digs, even those homes that lack character.
A jaunty striped pagoda umbrella Photo: Laura Moss
When she and Bob, a chef at the Asbury Ocean Club, first saw their home, the price was right and the community was perfect, but the new colonial-style house was not what they envisioned. Dore finally agreed to purchase the property after her husband assured her that she would have free rein to make it her own.
“Especially today, with a shortage of real estate inventory on the market, sometimes people who dream of an old home wind up settling for a newer house without charm,” she notes. “As I always say, ‘Love the one you’re with.’ You can make almost any place your dream home.”
The girls’ sisters suite is decorated with inlaid Art Deco beds, cotton bedding, and a classic Morris & Co wallpaper reimagined in a cheery citrus palette by Ben Pentreath. Photo: Laura Moss
In 2016, she began her slow but steady transformation of first-floor living areas as well as the primary bedroom and children’s room. “A big driver for me is my daughters, who inspire my style,” Dore says. “When I designed their sisters suite, it was a huge collaboration. They were quite vocal about their wallpaper and room layout preferences, and I completely understood their feelings because, when I was 16, my parents allowed me to make over my bedroom all by myself. Back then I enjoyed the walking tours of Cape May homes, so my room was inspired by Victorian design.”
Charming details are found in every nook and cranny. Photo: Laura Moss
Throughout the residence is an exuberant palette. Dore especially gravitates to summery yellows and greens, with a healthy dollop of old-school stripes and gingham. After watching home-renovation shows like This Old House and Martha Stewart Living as a kid, she especially likes to hunt for unusual found objects for her home. Case in point: the family’s coffee table is an indestructible old ship-hatch door, perfect for game night with the kiddos.
An ardent thrifter, Dore is rather addicted to Facebook Marketplace. “We’re fortunate to live in New Jersey, because there are amazing finds on Marketplace within driving distance,” she says.
She’s even been known to motor a couple of hours to snag finds like the kids’ twin beds, the kitchen table and a roomy TV cabinet. Her must-haves for a perfect summer house with Shore vibes? White bed linens, just-picked flowers on the table, and fresh-baked treats made with Jersey peaches.
“My best advice is to give yourself the time and grace to fill your home with things you love for the people you love,” she says.
Follow our home & style editor on Instagram (@susanbrierlybush).
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