Serena Dugan had always used her time on Shelter Island as an escape from professional life. The painter, textile designer, and entrepreneur typically rented a house in this low-key community near the ...

Ever drove down the countryside and wondered why all the barns are painted red? The answer, like most things, lies in our history. New England settlers didn't have enough money to paint their farms.

Not long ago, I found myself on an old farm. There was a barn, but it was more than that – a place with an air of history about it that one could feel the moment your feet hit the ground.

(Her storage space reflects this: Her paint collection is housed in custom ... out of the way to dance,” she says. The barn is only a year old, and Dugan says she’s still figuring out how ...