Melissa Gilbert and Tim Busfield on their Uptown Escape

Soon after Melissa Gilbert and Tim Busfield got married in 2013 – both for the third time – they replaced the glitz and hustle and bustle of Los Angeles with the humble charm of small-town life in the Michigan where Mr. Busfield was born.

The experience was definitely a tonic, but a five-year dose was enough. In 2018, at the age of 10, Miss Gilbert, known as the star of the long-running TV series “Little House on the Prairie”, and Mr. Busfield, best known for her role in “The West”, Wing” and Emmy-winning TV series “Thirtysomething” appeared in Manhattan’s Upper West Moved to Side.

Mrs Gilbert, now 58, quickly said:dead, 1904” is a gripping theatrical adaptation of the James Joyce novel. Mr. Busfield, who is now 64 and is also a director, has found work in TV shows like “Law & Order: SVU”.

A lucrative business was all right, but Mr. Busfield felt particularly lacking in the clean air department. As Ms. Gilbert wrote in her new memoir, “Back to the Meadow: Rebuilding a Home, Rediscovering a Life,” “It has become important for us to have a place to escape to.”

A Zillow search took them to Highland Lake, NY, a spot on the map in Sullivan County.

Melissa Gilbert, 58 and Tim Busfield, 64

Occupations: He is an actor and writer; He is an actor and director.

A great leap of faith in the meadow: “This is where most people say, ‘Is that you? Hazelnut?’ If you have expressed interest in buying,” said Mrs. Gilbert. “But Tim and I are crazy at best. We are hopeful visionaries. We knew this house would house us well and serve us well.”

What the couple found in their price range—a small structure with an interior filled with reluctant half-timbering, peeling plaster, and previous owner’s debris—was not pretty. But despite the rats and mold and mildew (and that awful smell), there was potential.

The false ceiling in the kitchen obscured a cathedral ceiling. The loft would be an ideal music room. The living room had pine paneling and fireplace. And the 14-acre bosky acre that came with the dilapidated house was enchanting.

Ms Gilbert writes in Back to the Prairie: “As I stared at one of the rotting deer heads on the wall, a lifetime of therapy began and I thought I could do something here.” “I just had to look beyond the bullshit.”

The couple closed the property in January 2019 and called it “cabbage”, a mix of “cabin” and “cottage”, and began mapping out their renovation and design plans.

Money was an issue. The can-do spirit was – and is – currency. “You see, he’s wearing overalls,” said Mr Busfield with a kindly look to his wife. “A hammer will be hanging from one of those pockets in half an hour.”

Just one example (or maybe two): After a long search the couple found a sofa that was perfect in every way except for the color (an unfortunate shade of asphalt gray), so Miss Gilbert had a chance to try some burgundy slipcovers she had found. and then added other fabrics and cushions to create a whole new piece of furniture. She similarly refreshed a love seat, in this case with a burgundy floral print and checkered powder ruffles. For the record, he also mounted a windmill ceiling fan and a table saw.

But the couple sought out professionals when needed—just like in the kitchen where demolition, plumbing, and rewiring are concerned. They created a virtue out of tight budget and created a space that looks like a delectable retro diner.

The floating shelves are made from recycled bowling alley wood and painted a bright red, a look the couple loves. Miss Gilbert added interest to the prefab cabinets by edging them with recipes from old magazines. A large slice of corrugated tin was sprayed with vinegar to give the roof a beautifully sprinkled look, then mounted on a wall to hold the couple’s collection of cast iron cookware. Chrome and red vinyl chairs surround the farm table. At the top of the cabinet are figures of Donald Duck and Olive Oyl, an old set of Lincoln Logs and an old bottle of Coca-Cola syrup and other ornaments.

Ms Gilbert said it was the first time she had decorated a house with her full partner participation. In their previous homes and previous marriages, the default was to “do everything myself and say, ‘Ta-da! Here it is.'”

This didn’t quite fit Mr. Busfield: “No matter what house we were in, I would start doing things and he was like, ‘Wait a minute. Hi I’m here.'”

They were on the same page about creating and outfitting what they called the Woodstock bedroom – the house is a 20-minute drive from the site of the legendary 1969 rock concert. A lava lamp sits above a corner office, and the wall decor features a 1960s-themed puzzle that the couple put together, sealed, and framed, as well as a poster heralding The Who’s concert.

“The room was designed with Pete Townshend in mind,” said Mr Busfield, referring to the group’s co-founder. “We continue to hope that one day it will come and hang out.”

The couple also agreed on a photo wall of family and friends in the living room. “We have a Polaroid camera that we keep here, and whenever someone comes to visit or stay, we take pictures and attach them to the wall,” said Ms. Gilbert.

It’s very satisfying to see eye to eye. Marriage compatibility is a beautiful thing. So maybe now isn’t the time to unpack the brown-pleated armchair. Mr Busfield asked for it and got it. Miss Gilbert was horrified and did not spare her words. She told her husband that the chair was terrible, that it was “a grandfather’s chair.” Long and short: He didn’t want the chair at home.

Guess who won’t move from the chair now?

“I fell in love with him,” said Miss Gilbert shyly. “I knit in it. I sleep in it.”

“I’ve sat down maybe twice in the last year and a half,” said Mr Busfield.

Raised beds and a chicken coop were added for an herb and vegetable garden during the Covid quarantine in 2020. Seven chickens are currently residing.

Last summer the couple installed new windows and painted the exterior of the house a soft yellow. Earlier this spring, shutters were installed and climbing roses were planted. There are plans for homemade window boxes this summer.

A second bathroom would also be nice (although there is a functioning exterior building and several bathrooms in the trailer the couple bought for their log guests).

“I think a house is never finished,” said Mrs Gilbert. “It is always a work in progress.”

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