A childhood dream realized

As a child growing up in Philadelphia, Nancy Shaffran dreamed of a little country place in Bucks County.

But only after working as a tech at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, then migrating to Manhattan for a decade, did Shaffran, along with her partner, Rachel Malinowitzer, a Brooklynite, make that dream come true.

Once it got rolling, their search was not a long one. It took just two weekends and seven houses before they fell in love with a charmer in Erwinna that the locals call "the house near the covered bridge."

Perched on a small hill and ringed by water - two creeks that feed into the Delaware - the house is so picturesquely sited that it's a regular subject for local artists, who sit by the red bridge to capture the scene on canvas.

"I fell in love with the bridge and the land," says Malinowitzer, "and Nancy fell in love with the house." But the bonus for both has been the great outdoors.

"It is all about the wildlife here," says Shaffran, who now works as a veterinary nursing specialist for Pfizer, teaching vets about pain management for animals.

The two acres encompass a natural pond with turtles, frogs and fish; a host of cats, a dog, and rabbits live on the grounds, too. Regular visitors include deer, wild turkeys, foxes, groundhogs, several dozen species of birds, and bats.

After the women took ownership of the circa-1850s house 3 1/2 years ago, they quickly began work on the main living spaces.

"The kitchen and the patio were the biggest changes, and not coincidentally those are the two places we spend the most time," says Shaffran.

Blue-stained cabinets were reconfigured, some edited out, and their hardware changed. White tile flooring and stucco walls were replaced with Italian stone punctuated by small, colorful field tiles.

The counters were a hodgepodge of small ceramic tiles and soapstone. They looked to use salvaged materials, however. Just outside the kitchen was a patio of Israeli soapstone that, when wet, became as slick as a skating rink. So it was repurposed, polished and fashioned into new countertops.

All the appliances were replaced and a new sink was installed.

Just beyond the kitchen is a walk-in fireplace and a banquette that Malinowitzer had built for dining.

"When family or friends come, this is where they want to be, eating, reading, playing games by the fire," says Shaffran.

Because the couple has an appreciation for all things old, lighting was another cosmetic change. "We have replaced nearly all the light fixtures in the house and barn to reflect the period of the house," Shaffran says.

Floors were the biggest eyesore. When the couple originally toured the home, the surfaces underfoot were painted in various colors, including hot pink, or covered in carpeting.

"We were not sure what kind of shape [the floors] would be in, but we got lucky," says Shaffran. "Except for having to replace a few broken boards and missing baseboards, they came back to their original condition."

The exterior of the clapboard house was repainted, shutters were restored, and windows were replaced. On the grounds, dead trees were removed, grass was planted, and gardens were started. As a birthday present to Rachel, Nancy planted fruit trees and bushes.

Steps away from the mini-orchard and the main house is a smallish red barn with a guest apartment on the second floor.

"We thought guests would stay here, but it turns out they prefer to be in the main house, so we really use the apartment now as a theater," says Shaffran. "We have a flat-screen TV there, and we invite friends or family up for a movie."

When the two are not on or near the river - canoeing, kayaking, hiking or biking - they are enjoying what unfolds before their perch on the flagstone patio or the large front porch.

The fearless Shaffran recalls one close encounter with a visitor.

"After the 2006 flood, a two-foot tortoise washed up in our yard. When I went to pick it up to return it to the pond, I discovered it was a giant snapping turtle!

"We always joke it is like a real-life Fantasia here."