Vermont has attracted the strong, silent type for centuries. The New England ski capital is known for maples, mountains, and minding your own business, and its historic houses follow suitsturdy barns and Greek Revivals dot the hilly landscape, interwoven with trails, lakes, and valleys that add to the states charm. With all the natural splendor and architectural heritage Vermont has to offer, building a new house there is an intimidating proposition. One New York City couple was undaunted by the challenge after hiring Sheila Bridges to decorate the interior.Frank FrancesIn the great room of a Vermont house with architecture by TruexCullins and interiors by Sheila Bridges, vintage chairs in a Schumacher ikat surround a games table from John Rosselli & Associates. The wallpaper is by Morris & Co., and the Roman shade is of a Castel Maison fabric.It was the New York Citybased ELLE DECOR Titan designers skill with layering and texture that made her the best choice to bring warmth and character to an 8,000-square-foot house built by the Burlington, Vermontbased architecture firm TruexCullins in 2023. I fell in love with Sheilas work after seeing it in ELLE DECOR, the wife says. Her use of pattern and color is very appealing.Frank FrancesIn the barn, two Nickey Kehoe sofas in a Rogers & Goffigon fabric flank an ottoman in a Schumacher ikat. The armchairs are by Madeline Stuart, the chandelier is by Ralph Lauren for Circa Lighting, and the curtains are by the Shade Store.After the husband had floatedand subsequently kiboshedbuying a ranch in Montana, the couple scouted rugged central Vermont in one whirlwind weekend, visiting 10 properties in two days. They chose an unspoiled 240-acre plot with unobstructed views in every direction, a stunning, romantic piece of earth. But, as one might expect, it was not without some issues. There was no road into the house site. We had to park at the edge of the road and hike up, the wife says. But the minute you clear the bend, the whole world opens up before you. My husband was completely enraptured. Tour a Sheila BridgesDesigned Vermont GemThe Greek Revival house follows the form of traditional 19th-century New England connected farms. A central, rectangular structure houses the husbands library, an office, and a parlor for the wife, with four bedrooms above. Initially intended as an occasional landing for ski trips, the house has now become a regular retreat, with friends and adult children populating the bedrooms. There is a double-height, barnlike space (the only room with undecorated walls) used for larger gatherings, and to the right is the great room and kitchen, where the family spends most of their time, with the primary suite above it. Frank FrancesThe kitchen cabinets and island are painted in Farrow & Balls Calke Green. The oak barstools are by Sawkille Co., the fittings by Waterworks, the pendants by the Urban Electric Company, and the range and hood by BlueStar.Bridgess design concept began with an unexpected source of inspiration. It started with the Vermont license plate, she says. Its distinct leafy-green hue, reflected in the Morris & Co. Blackthorn Autumn wallpaper, covers the kitchen cabinets and extends into the great room. Im always inspired by nature, says Bridges, who keeps horses and homes in the Hudson Valley and in Iceland. I visited Vermont a lot throughout my childhood. When you think of the state, you think of the foliage, so it follows that this home is very rich and reflective of nature.In 30 years, I have tried not to use the same pattern or textile twice. Sheila Bridges A flora and fauna theme permeates every room of the house, with barn swallows flying on the walls of one downstairs powder room and vines and butterflies adorning another. Even the custom Roman shades in the great room were designed with animal motifs at their center. Upstairs are two more cheeky prints, with prancing deer on the walls of one bedroom while skiers zoom down slopes in another. I start every job fresh, Bridges says. In 30 years, I have tried not to use the same pattern or textile twice. Bridges goes beyond bespoke.The depictions of winter sports and forest fauna disappear in the wifes parlor, where the focus shifts to trees and foliage with two botanical prints mounted on an earthy chinoiserie grass-cloth toile by Scalamandr. In the pattern-light, green primary suite with the best views in the house, peace is the premise. Though this was a new build, I still wanted it to feel like it had a sense of history that isnt just about humans, Bridges says. History is also rooted in nature. After all, this was all forest at one point.This story originally appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of ELLE DECOR. SUBSCRIBE