See Chef Brad Leone's Renovated 1750s Farmhouse — Including a Preserved Stove with Beehive Oven (Exclusive)

TV personality and YouTube star Brad Leone gives PEOPLE an inside look at his 1750s farmhouse that he renovated during the pandemic

Like many others during the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrity chef Brad Leone had a lot on his mind — and was yearning for something more in life.

The TV personality and longtime frontman of Bon Appétit's It's Alive was a pioneer for the outlet's Test Kitchen. For years, he walked viewers through preparing foods that involved preservation or fermentation.

But things had changed, and he was looking for a new way to connect with viewers online while figuring out his next steps.

"Ohhhhh baby, we bought our first home!" Leone, 38, wrote on Instagram in March 2021. He and his wife PeggyMarie, 40, had purchased their dream house together: A 1750s farmhouse in coastal Connecticut.

The couple, who met in 2010, share an eclectic style that radiates throughout their homestead, which features everything from a signed Warhol to thrifted artwork and furniture.

After stints in Brooklyn and Jersey City, where they first discovered their artistic vibe, they made their final stop in the sprawling countryside in North Stonington, about a half-hour from Rhode Island, with their two sons, Grif, 7, and Cal, 5.

"Lots of projects from gardening, cooking, hunting, fishing, boiler repairs, hole diggin', lumber milling, car fix, dog swimming, island hopping, boats, tree pruning, fly tying, clam diggin', fort building, music playing, fire burning good friggin' fun from A-Z," he wrote on Instagram. "I'm really excited for the future!"

But Leone wanted to do more than renovate the 2,400-sq.-ft. historic home for his family to live in. He envisioned a culinary paradise to film his brand-new video content. Once Leone parted ways with the magazine in 2022, the six-bedroom three-bath home — centered around a large stone hearth with four fireplaces and a preserved stove with a beehive oven — was almost ready for action.

After two years of remodeling, contractors kept the original exposed rough-sawn timber beams, doors and staircase to maintain the authenticity of the home. But as an avid woodworker, Leone still wishes he had built it myself. "It certainly would've been a little less expensive," he says, laughing.

Once the old wood siding was freshly painted and two additions were complete, including a state-of-the-art kitchen and a studio (a large old shed converted into Leone's workspace), he added finishing touches to the location, including a Blackstone grill, smoker, pizza oven and outdoor wellness center featuring a cold plunge and wood-fired hot tub.

"I turned it into the Bon Appétit 2.0 version," he says. "It was my new oasis and evolution of videos for cooking, fermentation and projects that I could do in my studio and on the farm. And I'm in love with it."

Afterwards, Leone started filming demos for his two original shows, Makin' It and Local Legends, which premiered last month, on the nine-acre property. The first show is about his love for fermentation (he concocts a mean New Orleans-style Oaxacan smoky mezcal hurricane) and the latter show — described as a "community guide" — is where Leone unpacks local food and beverage traditions.

In the first episode, he travels to Portland, Maine, and learns to brew local beer, and later on, he searches for freshwater Brook trout in Cape Cod.

Growing up, Leone loved nature and the outdoor terrain. He foraged with his father for wild raspberries in the forest and fished at nearby lakes in Northern Jersey. At night, he would help his father water the 6-ft. tomato plants in the vegetable garden. Nowadays, Leone tends to his herb and vegetable garden and orchard trees and goes fishing with his children — just like he did with his father when he was young. He enjoys making dry-aged fish, which he keeps in his walk-in fridge until it's ready for preparation.

Having watched his mother throw out broccoli stems as a child, Leone says he now really doesn't like to waste food — especially if an ingredient can be repurposed in a different dish or fed to his animals, like his free-roaming chickens, three ducks and two geese on the family farm.

"I wish my parents took our food scraps, made compost and added it to our garden. I'm not perfect, and I can always do better. But food is the biggest filler of landfills. I think in the United States — it's such a wasteful thing. And broccoli stems are delicious!" he says, chuckling. "Just being able to utilize as much as you can, I think, behooves everyone, including myself. You know, whether I'm giving the extra food to my chickens — just having a platform to promote that in an organic and fun way, that becomes part of my mantra."

Settling in with his family into their new home has also allowed him to lean into who he really is. "I'm not the life of the party kind of guy," he admits during an unexpected moment of candor over Zoom. "What you see is what you get, for better or worse — you know, it probably annoys my wife — but I am also introverted and can be quiet. The camera seems to elevate my personality, which isn't always there, which is good. I feel good when I shoot."

In the seven years since Leone first stepped onto a video set, he created a world that he no longer wants to let pass him by.

He's drawn new-found inspiration from his hero Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in his hotel room in France in June 2018. 

Related: Remembering Anthony Bourdain: Inside the Adventurous, Insatiable Life of a Culinary Rock Star

Bourdain traveled the globe for 15 years on television, taking Americans on adventures to exotic places and meeting extraordinary people along the way. He had a unique voice and expression that managed to break through the incessant noise, always pushing boundaries and connecting fans to humanity.

The food expert and social activist embodied life in every word he wrote and every TV episode that aired — and inspired Leone to keep trying and creating his culinary vision.

"Bourdain was about people and tearing down walls that are put up, whether it's by government or religion. He broke down boundaries and helped showcase that people are people," says Leone. "He's always been my inspiration and always will be."

With his modest approach, Leone wants to follow in the footsteps of greatness and live the way Bordain did, always seizing each day.

Reflecting back, Leone says it's all he ever wanted to do in life — and now he does just that. Leone travels the world with other culinary experts and films their discoveries while also exploring the endless culinary practices from his own home.

"I think I'm onto something really special. I've gotten pretty comfortable with it, and honestly, I really feel like I'm just getting started," he shares.

But picking up where Bourdain left off is his ultimate goal. "It's big, big shoes to fill and a heavy torch to follow," he continues, pausing for a moment. He looks hopeful, then smiles widely. "But I'll certainly do my best to try."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.