Dorine designed, and Alvin took care of the financial side. They raised two daughters, Tammy and Ilissa, in South Orange, N.J. But 20 years ago, after their first grandchild was born, they moved to Bucks County.
They built a home in Newtown. It wasn't just any house. "It was a copy of Giorgio Armani's St. Tropez house," says Dorine, except that cornfields and horse farms surrounded it. "When we would come home to that house after traveling, it felt like we were still on vacation."
For 16 years, they enjoyed that 3,000-square-foot house, but the city boy had had enough of the cornfields. Daughter Tammy, a Realtor, kept her eyes open for a place offering the same amount of space without the upkeep.
Thus, two years ago, they bought a carriage house in a development in the rolling hills of Lahaska. The open-plan home has four bedrooms and 31/2 baths and overlooks the carousel in Peddler's Village. In summer, they throw open the French doors and enjoy views of ponds and walking paths on the property.
With the eclectic array of furniture the Lerners collected over the years, they were able to make their new home resemble their last. To make the space appear more contemporary, Dorine stripped off most of the moldings; the ones she kept vanished under the same paint color used for the walls.
The kitchen stayed the same except for the backsplash tile a daughter and her boyfriend sanded down, removing a floral design. White carpeting was pulled up, and warm, wood flooring was installed.
Dorine mixed old with new, high with low, even in lighting. Large drum pendants hang in the kitchen, while more industrial-looking museum-style lights are in the foyer, where some of her artwork hangs. Both styles are from Ikea.
