Tour Embroidery Artist Sarah K. Benning’s Colorful 1873 Victorian Home

Overflowing with art, plants, and thrift-store treasures, embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning’s colorful home in Keene, New Hampshire, represents a dream come true.

By Katherine Keenan|Mar 29 2022|

Art and plants abound at embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning's 1873 New Hampshire home.

Credit: Katherine Keenan

When embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning and her husband, Davey, bought an 1873 Victorian home in Keene, New Hampshire, in 2018, the first thing Sarah did was begin painting. “Everything was butter yellow,” she says with a rueful chuckle. Still, she claims it was love at first sight.

Though parts of the spacious home are still works in progress — like the second-floor stairwell, still butter yellow — after only a few years Sarah and Davey have definitely made their mark on the space.

Sarah started creating embroidery art in 2013, right after college. Her apartment at the time didn’t look anything like this, Sarah says, so she used her embroidery to envision the space she dreamed of living in one day, a home filled with plants and midcentury modern furniture.

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In Keene, she was able to begin making that vision a reality. “Before moving here, we’ve never really had a space that we’ve had control over, in terms of hanging artwork or painting walls,” Sarah says.

We recently visited Sarah’s home for an “Open Studio” feature on her artwork, which appears in Yankee’s May/June 2020 issue. If you’re curious to see how her art reflects her home (and vice versa), scroll on for our bonus photos of her eclectic abode.

Embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning at home in New Hampshire.
*Credit: Megan Haley*

First, some quick facts about the home:

Where is it? This Victorian-style home is located in downtown Keene, New Hampshire.

When was it built? 1873.

Who lives there now? Sarah K. Benning; her husband, Davey; and their cat, Quiqueue (pronounced KEY-cue).

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home Tour200205_Yankee_Sarah K Benning_033_LR — “I started stitching interior scenes of places where I wished I was,” Sarah K. Benning says of the years before she and her husband bought their 1873 Victorian home in Keene, New Hampshire.
*Credit: Megan Haley*

And now, the tour:

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home Tour200205_Yankee_Sarah K Benning_051_LR — Sarah’s work station in her upstairs studio. Hanging above the desk are completed embroidery pieces, which she sells on her website and at craft fairs.
*Credit: Megan Haley*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home TourIMG_5772 — The entryway sports two different shades of pink, an original light fixture, and a healthy helping of greenery.
*Credit: Katherine Keenan*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home Tour.jpg — This is one of the house’s many “gallery walls,” which feature an eclectic assortment of paintings from thrift stores and purchased from artist friends. (Shortly after this photo was taken, Sarah and Davey repainted the staircase treads and covered the risers with bright wallpaper. See the results here.)
*Credit: Katherine Keenan*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home Tour200205_Yankee_Sarah K Benning_010_LR — Another of Sarah’s workspaces.
*Credit: Megan Haley*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home TourIMG_8642 — In the downstairs living room, the gold fireplace offers an elegant counterpoint to the bold blue walls and wild botanical wallpaper.
*Credit: Katherine Keenan*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home TourIMG_7758 — The spare lines of a wooden coffee table and daybed contrast with an array of pillows, throws, rugs, and artwork.
*Credit: Katherine Keenan*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home Tour200205_Yankee_Sarah K Benning_123_LR — Details from the living room gallery wall.
*Credit: Megan Haley*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home TourIMG_9827 — On the second floor, sun streams through the big windows, casting light across the furnishings and, yes, more plants.
*Credit: Katherine Keenan*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home Tour200205_Yankee_Sarah K Benning_129_LR — The doorway to Sarah’s upstairs studio.
*Credit: Megan Haley*

Sarah K Benning Embroidery Artist Home Tour200205_Yankee_Sarah K Benning_043_LR — In the studio, bright white walls are enlivened by colorful accents and a touch of greenery.
*Credit: Megan Haley*

To learn more about Sarah K. Benning, see our “Open Studio” feature in the May/June issue and visit her website.

This post was first published in 2020 and has been updated.

Katherine Keenan

Formerly associate digital editor, Katherine Keenan created content for NewEngland.com, managed the New England Today newsletter, and shared the best of the magazine on social media channels. A graduate of Smith College, she grew up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and currently lives in southern Maine.

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Tour Embroidery Artist Sarah K. Benning’s Colorful 1873 Victorian Home