FORTUNATE QUIRKS OF geography have saved both the region of western Maine from Bethel to Fryeburg and the area from the New Hampshire border to the Waterfords from condo developers and the tourism industry. Most travelers passing through, usually on Routes 2 or 302, are hustling from the tourist meccas of coastal Maine to those […]
furniture
Happy is the miller who lives near the mill. So reads the script swirling over the mantel in this 1787 cottage that sits in the shadows of one of the few remaining historic windmills in Rhode Island. David Clancy and his wife, Jennifer, subscribe to the same philosophy. “Our daily commute is like his,” says […]
Yankee
Antiques: Federal Furniture
Americans are a loud bunch. We talk big. We act out. We don’t truly embrace the “less is more” mentality. Our heroes are risk takers, and we value action over restraint, boldness over subtlety. I suppose it’s inevitable that a country spawned from revolution would embrace boisterous ideals, but I fear that in doing so, […]
Magazine
A Lyrical Line
C. H. Becksvoort of New Gloucester, Maine. It’s a name synonymous with high-quality Shaker-style furniture. Chris Becksvoort uses the same simplicity of design when making music stands (a little-known line of his). “[They] give pleasure, and I think a lot of musicians do appreciate that, whereas the metal folding ones merely hold the music,” Chris […]
Magazine
Treetop Retreat: Home Projects
Project: Backyard Tree House Jeannie and Gus Merwin’s backyard is 14 acres of New Hampshire woodland. “Peaceful” is the word the Merwins use to describe the way they feel when perched in their new tree house. The east window looks out on a cascading brook and waterfall. From the other windows there are views of […]
Magazine
Bats in the Bedroom | Mary’s Farm
One night last summer, I was lying in bed reading, my dog asleep against my side. A comfortable silence enveloped us as the slight breezes of the midnight hour moved through the curtains. Suddenly, an intruder cruised through the doorway into the room on silent wings. I jerked the covers up over everything but my […]
L.L. Bean: 4:48 a.m. It’s nearly 5 a.m. and you’re standing at the gateway to Maine’s North Woods. Well, actually you’re wandering through the hunting and fishing annex of the vast L.L. Bean retail empire in Freeport, joined by bleary-eyed, coffee-fueled hunters who have been driving all night from Connecticut and New York and have […]
It takes a creative person to make a house a home. Artist Lisa Nelthropp did more than that when she purchased a property near New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee seven years ago. After evicting families of squirrels and bats who’d been in residence for years, Lisa realized maybe the former inhabitants didn’t really have it so […]
Vermont
Vermont Treasure Towns
Sometimes the most rewarding travel comes in unexpected places. Learn more about these four Vermont gems: Montgomery, Vergennes, Norwich, and Newfane.
If you were planning to move to a town in the immediate Boston area, Winchester would have to be one of the top choices on your list. It’s a town known for its great schools, quality community life, and fine (and, sure, expensive) homes, and of course, it’s an easy 15- to 20-minute commute to […]
Magazine
Magical Wand
For fly-fishing enthusiasts, the coveted tool is a bamboo fly rod. David Kenney, of Middlesex, Vermont, originally started building bamboo fly rods as a side business to his full-time furniture making. Now he exclusively makes these beautiful split-canes, “building a bit of a story into each rod.” Note his attention to details, such as gold-plated […]
When graphic designer Carol Kolodny built her cottage in Vineyard Haven in 1981, she had plenty of room for herself and could accommodate her nephews on their frequent visits. But some 20 years later she was feeling crowded, particularly when company came calling, as it often does for residents of Martha’s Vineyard. “My brother joked […]