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A Star Is
Reborn
Bringing life back to an
historical Hartshorn gem
WRITTEN BY CINDY POTTERS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE-MARIE CARUSO
W
hen Debra Nevas was a little girl,
her grandmother Eva took her to the
furniture department at Bloomingdale’s
to visit the decorated rooms the retailer
designed so beautifully in their furniture
department. Her grandmother told her
that no matter where she lived she should always surround
herself with things that were pretty.
Those outings and words of wisdom made a lasting
impression. Decades later, Debra and her husband Jonathan
Abrams took on the massive task of renovating one of
Hartshorn’s classic gems in the Old Short Hills historic
district. The result is a gorgeous and highly functional space
for themselves and their children, Lexi, 14, and Seth, 11.
A pretty house indeed. Grandma would be pleased.
A GRAND
HOME ONCE
AGAIN
Purchased in
July 2014, Debra
and Jonathan
teamed with archi-
tects Nancy
Dougherty and
Chris Gilbert of
Studio 1200 in
Short Hills to ren-
ovate the house,
restore what they
could, and add to it all the amenities necessary to make it practical for their
family’s busy lifestyle. They also worked with the Historical Preservation
Commission and Short Hills Historical Society to bring back as much of the
home’s original character as possible. “One of the most satisfying parts of this
project was keeping the original elements while making the house livable,” says
Dougherty. To make the entry (above) grander, closets that were added in the
’60s were removed, which made the space larger. White paint on the finials and
staircase banister was stripped revealing the wood it had back in 1886 when the
house was built. An addition in front of the dining room (right) was removed,
while special details remain intact, including the fireplace, arch and original
built-in bench. The light fixture over the dining room table is from IKEA.
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MAY 2017 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE