A second home doesn’t have to drain your bank account. One intrepid New Englander reveals how she landed her perfect waterfront getaway for less than $200,000.
Homes
When workers remodeled the kitchen of our town hall several years ago, they tossed out an old unfinished kitchen chair with one missing leg. I brought it home, thinking I might fix it. The chair sat untouched for so long that I finally decided to throw it away. But an auctioneer friend said that he’d […]
There’s a huge granite millstone paving the way to the front door of Skinner Mill, the house in Wells, Maine, that Tom Joyal, of Old House Parts,built for Elaine Triplett and Bob McLaughlin. A small white dog named Tarragon is jumping up and down on it, barking loudly. The sound of Branch Brook, which runs […]
Homes
Remake a Hanging Lantern
In our March/April issue, we profiled a group of talented folks that we call “The Fixers,” the people who know how to restore your antique quilt or your grandmother’s china or the vintage electric stove you picked up at Brimfield. While researching the story, I spent an afternoon with Seth Barrett, proprietor of Village Green […]
Local artisans keep used goods out of the landfills by turning reclaimed materials into beautiful pieces for the home. 1. Woodworker Scott Bradford, manager of the recycling center in Peterborough, New Hampshire, salvages boards, discarded hardware, and other materials to create one-of-a-kind birdhouses like this one ($115). Available at New England Everyday Goods, Peterborough, NH. […]
A couple remakes a ho-hum 1980s home into a cozy country-living cottage.
Maaike and Erik Bernstrom found the home of their dreams in Middletown, Rhode Island. Or, rather, they found the house that would become the home of their dreams through hard work and perserverance. Take a visual tour of their 1980s contemporary house turned shingled country cottage. See more work by photographer Nat Rea: http://www.natrea.com See […]
I took my three little boys shopping at the Co-op two days before Christmas and got many, many looks of sympathy mixed with envy. We made a mad spectacle that reminded people how much fun holidays can be when children are a part of the celebration. Nobody was whining, no one had a runny nose, […]
Our first question to Mark and Betty Garrison, owners of Rocky Point Blueberry Farm in Warwick, Rhode Island, was: “What inspired you to turn this beautiful residential property into a farm?” We were having coffee in the living room of the three-bedroom (plus “in-law apartment”) house designed by Mark and built in 1984, while admiring […]
Centuries ago Christmas and winter-holiday celebrations were centered around the rhythms of nature. From the gifts that were exchanged to the wreaths on the doors and the decorations on the tree, everything was either home spun or thoughtfully gathered from the outdoors. The simple joy associated with such traditions and connecting with the beauty of […]
Closing up your summer camp or cottage can be a chore, but it beats the alternative of opening it up in the spring to odors or damage. To prevent problems, use this checklist to be sure you have taken care of the important tasks. Drain water completely Turn off propane at tanks Turn off circuit […]
At home in Providence with Chris Van Allsburg, the author of The Polar Express, one of the most beloved holiday tales of all time.