Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Country Living

As we settle in to my favorite month of the year, preferably under a cozy Welsh blanket (pg. 18), I’m reminded of a quote from Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing: “Autumn leaves don’t fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this, their only chance to soar.” I love this sentiment, which inspires me to adopt the pace of the poplar leaves, happily meandering through the season as opposed to hurriedly trying to get wherever I’m going. (Because I love October so much, I sometimes harbor guilt for every second that’s not spent productively frolicking in flannel.) Or, to add to my leaf pile of metaphors, it’s a reminder to just embrace the corn maze—to let the kids lead me down the path that will definitely not…

Match Holders Made in the early- to mid-20th century, the caddies shown here kept matchboxes (and their accompanying striker strips) at easy access near stoves and fireplaces. Seek out containers made from enameled metal (especially pieces with embossed labels, like the green at center), or opt for more heft with classic cast iron (center and top right). You’ll spend $50 to $75 for pieces in pristine condition. The Lucky Lore of Chimney Sweeps Legend has it that a chimney sweep “swept” King William the Conqueror out of the path of a careening carriage in 1066, earning an invite to the wedding of William’s daughter—and an association with good fortune. It’s still considered good luck to see a chimney sweep on your wedding day; some advertise their services accordingly. Fire-Starter Pots…

From the Farm to Your Table Here, three ways to embrace peak pear season. Recipes, pg. 96…

NOTHING CONJURES THE FEELING OF FALL like an old-school, pile-on-the-trailer country hayride—the bumpier, the better. Designer Lela Rose (lelarose.com) certainly found that to be true on a recent trip to Mead Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where dinner was served in a field after some old-fashioned tractor-assisted transit. “I just loved the throwback feel of the whole thing,” she says. “It provided inspiration to host my own here in Texas.” In true Lela fashion, this version is less about the hayride than it is the after-party—think aprés ski but swap Fair Isle sweaters and hot chocolate with serape blankets, cozy bourbon cocktails, and a round of poker using peanuts as currency. Aprés hay, anyone? Build a Hay-Bale Banquette. Lela created seating using the farm staple and minimized the scratch factor…

Town Stats POPULATION 228 STOPLIGHT COUNT Zero! CLAIM TO FAME Many pioneers heading West in the early 1800s purchased Conestoga wagons from renowned Sperryville wheelwright John Kiger. “Be sure to say hello to Leo, the friendly black Lab at Sperryville Corner Store…”…and 15 more ways to while away a crisp fall day Rise and Grind: For a caffeine fix, grab a cardamom latte from Before & After, and take in the views of Thornton River from the Adirondack chairs out back. Picture This: On the “must ’gram” list: the “Welcome to Sperryville” mural at Happy Camper Equipment Co. (top left), which shop owner Rob Chapman painted himself. While you’re there, be sure to pick up a souvenir pennant (below). Shop ’til You Drop: Bobette Swindler, the fourth-generation owner of Beech…

Roughly three years ago, Elizabeth Reich found herself with a case of cabin fever, one that had her longing for a place in the woods of Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, her family’s favorite getaway. “It’s a year-round destination with swimming and kayaking in the spring, hiking in the fall, and snow skiing in the winter. We’d loved the area for years, and the timing finally felt right,” says Elizabeth, an interior designer with the Baltimore-based Jenkins Baer Associates (@ jenkinsbaerinteriors). She and her husband, Greg, both agreed that only a log cabin would do, but Elizabeth had a very particular vision of how it should come together. “I wanted the coziness and natural materials you’d expect, contrasted with modern accents,” she says. To achieve the above, she started with a…

Perfectly Imperfect PAGE 13 Cabinetry; artichokeltd.com. Designer Kim Warburton, KW Interiors; isabelandink.com. PAGE 14 Designer Ann Stillman O’Leary; annstillmanoleary.com. Country Classic PAGE 19 (TOP) Angie Lewin pillow; stjudesgallery.co.uk. (BOTTOM LEFT) Interior Designer Rita Konig; @ritakonig, ritakonig.com. Architect Gil Schafer, G.P. Schafer Architect; @gpschafer, gpschafer.com. PAGE 20 Cherry ladder-back settee with rush seat; lolofrenchantiques.com. Vintage Anatolian rug; lilliekatrugs.com. In with the Old PAGE 27 Miscellaneous vintage fireplace collectibles (match holders, coal scuttles, bellows, and more): Nancy Roehmer, reddupthehouse.etsy.com; Pam and Bill Bardwell, oldfangledfinds.etsy.com.PAGE 28 Vintage brooms: Stephanie Harkins; inwiththeold.etsy.com. Vintage fire-starter pots: Kristen Garner; @gypsy trading post. PAGE 29 Vintage bellows: Bryn Tarr, antiquidae.etsy.com; Yvette Egan, parkwoodtreasures.etsy.com. PAGE 30 Vintage coal scuttles and hods: Jim Page, pagescrappers.etsy.com;Angela and Renee, yesterdayspieces.etsy.com. Picnics & Parties PAGE 46 “Brown Drift” rug; kiliim.com. “Boxes” rug; benirugs.com. Little House in the North Woods PAGES 66–75 Interior Designer Lucy…

1 Winding country drives peppered with red barns, golden leaves, and yellow Labs 2 Stuck-in-time cabins filled with everything from cozy quilts to vintage fishing creels 3 Small-town general stores stocked with fresh pecans and homemade apple butter 4 Classic New England curb appeal, old trucks included 5 The kind of warm conversation (and occasional sing-alongs!) a campfire magically conjures 6 Roasted pumpkin seeds seasoned with cinnamon sugar 7 Beautifully faded foliage that proves Mother Nature is the best designer 8 Homemade Halloween costumes because, as the song goes, “Mama Tried” 9 The feeling of slipping on your favorite sweater and boots for the first time in a year 10 The bumpy anticipation of a harvest hayride…

Object Lesson Rural Roots: Thanks to the long tradition of sheep farming, wool sits at the heart of textile crafts in Wales. Welsh tapestry blankets have been woven in country mills since the 19th century, created on large looms using a signature double-cloth construction. Staying Power: Because the wool is hand-dyed in rich colors designed to stand the test of time, these blankets have brightened up homes for centuries of gray winter days. The blankets also make for popular wedding presents. Higher Learning: Eye-catching patterns (often with native Welsh names) are another signature of these blankets. At bottom left, an iconic “Caernarfon” patterned blanket tops a nook by interior designer Rita Konig and architect Gil Schafer. Makers to Know: Family companies like Trefriw (t-w-m.co.uk) and Melin Tregwynt (melintregwynt.co.uk) have been…

Around the Table: Dawn, author of Ready, Set, Cook: How to Make Good Food with What’s On Hand, husband Matt, daughter Ramona (4), son Russell (2), and, on occasion, a stuffed fox friend (blablakids.com) On the Menu: “To me, October means Dutch ovens,” says Dawn. “I love this Braised Beef with Tomatoes and Onions because it offers big flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture with minimal hands-on time.” Also topping the table: Little Gem Lettuce with Mixed Seed Sprinkle, Dinner Toast, and a slightly chilled Gamay. Sweet Fix: “I started a cookie-delivery service that ships nationwide, but if you’re in L.A., we’ll deliver them warm. A portion of every sale goes toward pediatric cancer research [superkindcookies.com]. To perfect these Superkind Snickerdoodles, it was all about the right cinnamon-to-sugar ratio for rolling” (1…

COME FOR THE… English Eclectic Interiors Inspired by his time in the English Cotswolds, HMH proprietor Jason Reeves layered the Highlander’s rooms and common areas with artwork and antiques spanning continents and centuries. “I wanted inspiration in every corner,” he says. The inn’s distinctive exterior shade (Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball) pays homage to its first life as a retired sea captain’s farmhouse. STAY FOR THE… Griddled Banana Bread Served with a healthy pour of sorghum syrup and a sprinkle of Maldon salt flakes, the Griddled Banana Bread is a brunch favorite at the Ruffed Grouse, Highlander’s seasonally inspired on-site tavern. For Jason, the dish evokes fond memories of early morning fishing trips during his teenage years. Recipe, pg. 100 BOOK YOUR BED Highlander Mountain House (highlandermountainhouse.com). Rooms from…

IN SEASON Strawflowers Named for the strawlike texture of their bracts, varieties grow in fall-friendly colors like burnt orange and crimson. For a quick dose of festive decor, place in vintage brown apothecary bottles alongside coneflowers, cosmos, and thistle. COAST TO COAST Country Calendar This roster of fall revelry offers seasonal fun for the whole family. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Sept. 17–Nov. 21 Croton-on-Hudson, NY Stroll paths lined with more than 7,000 glowing gourds on the grounds of 18th-century Van Cortlandt Manor. hudsonvalley.org National Apple Harvest Festival Oct. 2–3 and 9–10 Biglerville, PA Browse booth after booth of apple treats—from pancakes to pie to donuts—at this event in scenic Adams County. appleharvest.com Scarecrow Festival Oct. 8–10 St. Charles, IL Follow the festival map to find close to a hundred…

Of all the rooms in a home, no space better showcases the beautifully collected chaos of life like the humble, hardworking mudroom. Providing a barrier between the indoors and out, work and family, school and home, this great in-between provides a spot to shake off the daily detritus, both mental and material. Featuring a seasonal rotation of odds and ends—rain jackets make way for fleeces, sun hats give way to scarves—the mudroom is a snapshot of life at this very moment. Look around: Maybe it’s a sullied jersey that speaks to football season in full swing or a pair of pint-size cowboy boots dirtied at the pumpkin patch. Whatever it is, avoid getting so caught up in the clutter that you lose sight of its significance. Someday you’ll crave the…

$300,000 Zoar, OH 2 BR; 2.5 BA; 1,840 SQ. FT. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: This one could easily be a museum! One of the original log cabins in a Historic Landmark village (it’s also on the National Register of Historic Places), this home is a showcase of vintage craftsmanship, including local brick floors, an open hearth fireplace, and walls lined with exposed 12-inchsquare, hand-hewn beams. AGENT: Katherine Campbell; sothebysrealty.com WORK REQUIRED: The CL Fixer-Upper Scale MOVE-IN READY NEEDS MINOR UPDATES INVEST IN A DECENT DRILL PUT THAT CONTRACTOR ON SPEED DIAL $599,000 Marietta, PA 3 BR; 1.5 BA; 2,934 SQ. FT. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: This picture-perfect home has beaded tongue-and-groove walls and the beautifully weathered wide-plank floors that only 200-plus years of foot traffic can create. Bonus: The detached…

OBJECT LESSON: Perfection Stove Co.’s Oil Heaters WHAT TO KNOW: In 1888, two unlikely business partners, Frank Drury and Henry Parsons Crowell (founder of Quaker Mill Company, now known as Quaker Oats), formed the Cleveland Foundry Company. By the turn of the century, they had become synonymous with manufacturing their “Perfection” oil cook stoves and portable heaters, with the claim to fame that they could burn for 10 hours on a gallon of oil. Even oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller saw potential enough to join as both a client and supplier of kerosene. By 1918, more than five million American households used a “Perfection” heater, prompting the company to change its name to the Perfection Stove Company a few years later. Over the next several decades, they introduced more than…

what’s inside First published in 1950, this collection of 1,100 recipes compiled from Mennonite women across North America aimed to preserve food traditions that go back centuries and often reflect German and Dutch heritages. Still in print, it remains popular among both Mennonites (an Anabaptist Christian community) and the Menno-curious. country crowd-pleaser No Mennonite barn raising is complete without strong-man sustenance. The robust “Food for a Barn Raising” menu insists that 115 lemon pies; 500 fat cakes (aka doughnuts); 3 gallons each of apple sauce, rice pudding, and cornstarch pudding; 16 chickens; 3 hams; 50 pounds of roast beef; and more would feed 175 men. about the author Home economics professor Mary Emma Showalter Eby singlehandedly tested nearly 600 cake recipes for her thesis-project cookbook. At the insistence of her…

The trees in Vermont’s West River Valley are ablaze with fall colors, and on the 100 acres of Big Picture Farm (bigpicturefarm.com), life is in full swing. “You never know when the snow will arrive, so in autumn we’re running around making sure everything is ready for winter,” says Louisa Conrad, an artist raised in New York City who, alongside husband Lucas Farrell, a poet from Aspen, Colorado, moved to the farm 11 years ago hoping to begin a goat-milk caramel business. “The beginning was tough,” Lucas remembers. “Louisa would spend six hours a day hand-stirring caramel in our tiny, rustic kitchen.” But her confections soon won awards, and the business grew, as did the number of dairy goats (now 46) that roam the pastures. “Goats are so intelligent and…

BOTANICAL BOUNTY Decoupage Leaves: Gather new or vintage leaf-motif wallpaper or wrapping paper. Cut out motifs, and decoupage to pumpkins using Mod Podge. Painted Leaves: Use a leaf-shaped stencil to trace leaves on a pumpkin, then paint with acrylic paint. Once dry, use a white paint pen to outline the leaves, adding veining and other decorative details. WREATHS OF BITTERSWEET For a simple centerpiece, wrap pumpkins with bittersweet vines, holding in place with T-pins and hot-glue. If you can’t find bittersweet, use lengths of grapevine and attach berries or wooden beads with hot-glue. FRONDS FOREVER Clip an assortment of fern fronds. Coat backs of fronds with adhesive spray, and attach to white or light-colored pumpkins as desired. CHARMING GNOME HOME Cut a hole in bottom of both a Hubbard squash…

Roasted Pear, Sweet Potato, and Radicchio Salad WORKING TIME 20 minutes TOTAL TIME 1 hour, 10 minutes (including standing) MAKES 4 to 6 servings FOR SALAD: 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for baking sheet2 firm Bosc pears, halved and cored2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch piecesKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper3 small heads radicchio, quartered 3 heads endive, leaves separated4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)¼ cup roasted, salted pepitas FOR DRESSING: ½ cup apple cider vinegar1 tablespoon country Dijon2 tablespoons pure maple syrup2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano¼ cup olive oil1 small red onion, thinly sliced 1. Make salad: Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly grease two large baking sheets with oil. Cut pears lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices; arrange in a single layer on a prepared baking…

“MY GRANDMOTHER, MARY CATHERINE ‘CASS,’ LOVED QUILTING. And she was really good at it, winning numerous best-in-show awards at country fairs throughout Maryland. When I was a kid, my mother had this quilt on her bed, and I remember being told to be very careful around it. When I was 16, my mother passed away, and I inherited this quilt. I cherished it and kept it on my bed, too. My grandmother eventually passed away as well, but the quilt remained. Two incredible women who mean so much to me are ingrained in this object, which represents warmth and comfort, but also patience, persistence, and diligence. My grandmother had a sign on her wall that said ‘when life gives you scraps, make quilts,’ and that really holds true! Even during…