## The Willow Creek Legacy: A Post-100-Year Home Transformation
As an 18-year-old grappling with the complexities of adulthood, Adam Sternberg found himself drawn to a sprawling, meticulously restored botanical print, a testament to the enduring power of nature and the quiet beauty of the past. The artwork, a vibrant depiction of a 17th-century German naturalist, resonated deeply with him, a quiet, almost ethereal presence that felt both familiar and deeply personal.
He spent the next decade meticulously documenting the unique properties of the piece, meticulously restoring and preserving the delicate flora and fauna. The resulting artwork became a tangible link to his mother’s life, a tangible reminder of her vibrant spirit and the enduring legacy of her work. The print became a cherished heirloom, a silent companion that had witnessed generations of love, loss, and growth unfold within its walls.
The property, once a symbol of his suburban aspirations, now felt like a sanctuary, a place where he could reconnect with the past and embrace the present. He found solace in the artwork, a grounding presence that helped him navigate the challenges of adolescence and the complexities of life. The print served as a powerful reminder of the beauty and fragility of nature, a testament to the enduring power of art to heal, inspire, and connect us to the past.
The result was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a profound connection to his mother’s legacy and a renewed sense of purpose. The willow creek, a tranquil oasis in the heart of Westchester, now stands as a testament to the enduring power of nature, a beacon of beauty and serenity that has shaped the lives of countless individuals. The Willow Creek Legacy is more than just a home; it’s a living, breathing testament to the enduring spirit of the past.
Adolescents tend to operate in a blissful state of oblivion around the aesthetic curation of a home, but Adam Sternberg wasn’t like most children. When, at the age of 10, he learned that his mother was giving away a beloved drapery fabric, he instead convinced her to keep it in storage, where it sat for nearly 60 years until he found the perfect use for it in his own home. “I’ve always been a very visual person,” says the retired documentary film producer, who has shaped the narratives of history’s boldface names for the likes of Lucasfilm, the History Channel, and more. “I’m also very organized and very decisive. I knew I would find a place for it, and I finally did.”
The fabric—a lovingly restored botanical print featuring drawings by the 17th-century German naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian—now appears in the study of his Westchester, New York, home, an expanded 1950s farmhouse that has become a kind of museum to his life, passions, and sentimental notions. The 8,300-square-foot abode, which he found after years of real estate fits and starts, and decades caring for his aging mother in Manhattan, contains cherished family furnishings, antique heirlooms, and various collections of tableware, books, and art—all of which were spread across multiple residences and storage facilities around New York City and underwent a painstaking editing process prior to arriving upstate. “I could have made do with a lot less,” admits Sternberg, who inherited thousands of items when his mother passed at the age of 104, “but one of the benefits of having all of this square footage is that I was able to unpack and examine every single box. The house is a way of telling my family story.”
New pine paneling creates a grounding backdrop for a lovingly restored botanical print featuring drawings by the 17th-century German naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, which hung in Sternberg’s childhood home and remained in storage for more than 60 years before he found a use for it on the Roman shades and throw pillows in his study.
Part of what drew Sternberg to the property was a unique sense of place that comes courtesy of its storybook entrance and existing shingles. “It blends into the surroundings and has this unique style with the stone chimney and mansard roof that makes it feel like it belongs upstate, not just the Hamptons,” Rigg says.
Adolescents tend to operate in a blissful state of oblivion around the aesthetic curation of a home, but Adam Sternberg wasn’t like most children. When, at the age of 10, he learned that his mother was giving away a beloved drapery fabric, he instead convinced her to keep it in storage, where it sat for nearly 60 years until he found the perfect use for it in his own home. “I’ve always been a very visual person,” says the retired documentary film producer, who has shaped the narratives of history’s boldface names for the likes of Lucasfilm, the History Channel, and more. “I’m also very organized and very decisive. I knew I would find a place for it, and I finally did.”
The fabric—a lovingly restored botanical print featuring drawings by the 17th-century German naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian—now appears in the study of his Westchester, New York, home, an expanded 1950s farmhouse that has become a kind of museum to his life, passions, and sentimental notions. The 8,300-square-foot abode, which he found after years of real estate fits and starts, and decades caring for his aging mother in Manhattan, contains cherished family furnishings, antique heirlooms, and various collections of tableware, books, and art—all of which were spread across multiple residences and storage facilities around New York City and underwent a painstaking editing process prior to arriving upstate. “I could have made do with a lot less,” admits Sternberg, who inherited thousands of items when his mother passed at the age of 104, “but one of the benefits of having all of this square footage is that I was able to unpack and examine every single box. The house is a way of telling my family story.”
New pine paneling creates a grounding backdrop for a lovingly restored botanical print featuring drawings by the 17th-century German naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, which hung in Sternberg’s childhood home and remained in storage for more than 60 years before he found a use for it on the Roman shades and throw pillows in his study.
