ANDERSON, Ind. —
While many people are careful to decorate their home in an accepted and somewhat conventional manner, Beverley Esarey strives to place items in a way that no one else has considered.
“We like to watch people when they come in and sit down,” she said, perched on the deep brown couch in her living room. “It isn’t very long before they start trying to straighten out my doilies.”
Rather than neatly smoothing the dainty accents over the furniture as is customary, Esarey likes to gently rumple them. This gives the impression that life is swirling around the inanimate objects.
“And I like to keep the poker on the floor in front of the fireplace,” she added. “It looks like someone just used it — or is about to.”
Beverley’s husband of two years, Chuck, is delighted by her unusual style. Buying the home on East Seventh Street together around the time of the marriage, he has watched her decorate each room.
“I just let her go,” said Chuck, retired foreman from Guide and current maintenance worker for Gold Key Property Management. “She’s not like anybody else.”
Cross-stich & a boat
Common collections of paintings or knickknacks have also been rejected. Beverley has several collections on display that are impossible to reproduce.
Featured throughout the home are her intricate cross-stitch masterpieces. Some boast beads and some shimmery thread, but all are eye-catching works of art. To display a particularly large piece, Chuck built and mounted a mantel over the fireplace on which to set it.
Also on exhibit in the living room is Beverley’s collection of finials (the tops of lamps). One day while shopping for a lamp, she noticed the unique finials and decided to purchase a few. As her collection grew beyond her number of lamps, she needed a site to display them. Her father constructed a shelf with screws that secure the finials in place.
In her “nautical” room, a boat that was once a visual display at Elder-Beerman, her previous employer, sits vertically in the corner. Across the room, a small glass-topped table is filled with sand and a beautiful arrangement of shells.
A touch of Wales
Despite her many treasures, the home is crisp, clean and clutter-free.
“I’m really conscious about not having clutter but I do like to decorate,” said Beverley, now retired. “I like the neutrals in here because I’m able to change the color scheme easily. It’s so nice to work with and keeps it looking open and bright and clean.”
Not only has the couple made their mark inside the home, but they have added style to the outside as well. Chuck and Beverley built a large deck.
“We put every piece of wood on there ourselves,” said Chuck. “You could put a Mac truck on that deck. After we were done, she asked for a pergola.”
Wishing he had factored it into the original plans, Chuck found a way to design exactly what Beverley envisioned.
“I love that deck,” he continued. “Friends come over and we sit out there all hours of the night.”
The previous owner, now deceased, had lovely flower beds, to which Beverley has contributed.
“I feel her presence in my flower garden,” she said. “I have added my flowers to hers and I know she’s happy.”
This floral flair is also weaved through the house, along with a number of cross-stitch cottages and other touches that provide an English feel. Since she emigrated from England at age 10 and Chuck has traced his genealogy to Wales, they both like the reminders of their heritage.
“We went back to England for two weeks for a visit,” she said. “We even went to Wales and found an old castle that used to belong to his family way back. I want this home to remind me of my home in England.”
Each week, Emma Bowen Meyer features a Madison County home. If you know of a home that should be showcased, send an e-mail to emmagoldiemeyer @yahoo.com.
Lighthouse love
Knowing about Beverley Esarey’s love of lighthouses, her father built this original model that acts as a doll house. With three floors of miniature furniture and outdoor features (settled into actual sand, of course), her granddaughters love to redecorate the unusual replica. Between the two of them, the Esareys have five children, 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
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