Indholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2025 i Country Living

I hope this issue finds you either lazing about on a pontoon boat or strolling the midway of a state fair. Speaking of the latter, perhaps you’ve noticed that butter yellow—the signature color of cow sculptures—has slathered its way onto everything from home goods to apparel. Experts say the hue’s sudden ubiquity is a sign that we’re collectively craving more warmth and nostalgia in our lives. Personally, I think Country Living Design Director Maribeth Jones started the trend when she coated her whole kitchen in the color. (See her cheerful space at countryliving.com/yellowkitchen.) Whatever the reason, the buttering of interiors got me thinking about how color truly can be a kind of comfort food, and this issue is a celebration of that sentiment. Whether it’s a familiar shade of blue…

Best in Show Doled out in everything from pie-baking contests to livestock exhibitions, satin prize ribbons are the ultimate fair keepsakes. (Did you know that while “blue ribbon” is often used to connote top-quality in casual conversation, purple is the official color of champions in most competitions?) Vintage ribbons can be picked up for as little as $5 apiece, but more elaborate rosette- and button-topped numbers, particularly from the early to mid-1900s, can fetch between $10 and $100 each. One Felt Swoop Pennants have long served as cheerful souvenirs of a day at the fair. Today, examples from the early 1900s can command upward of $80 apiece due to their unique visuals and occasional presence of specific dates. As the felt pennant industry consolidated, pre-designed graphics became commonplace, and pennants…

With a summer full of free time ahead of them, Oregon-based designer Emily Henderson (stylebyemilyhenderson.com) wanted to give her kids, Charlie (11) and Elliot (9), and their friends a place to step away from devices and explore creative pursuits. The front half of an underutilized barn behind their home offered the perfect canvas (the back half houses their pet alpacas and pigs). To maintain the rustic-barn feel, Emily had the unfinished ceiling and walls lined with pine paneling. She then stained the floor in a diamond pattern and created a “banquette” from ready-made benches (wayfair.com) layered with a punchy patchwork of quilt-covered cushions that coordinate with a trio of upholstered mushroom stools (adfupholstery.com). “I used to make my own quilts in 4-H and have been an avid collector—or hoarder!—of vintage…

IN SEASON Warm Welcome When hung on a door, an antique French salt cellar serves as a charming “wreath” for a sunny assortment of late summer black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, coreopsis, and daisies. Fill a jelly jar with water and then with blooms, and tuck it inside the container. SAVE THE DATE Country Calendar Here’s where the pickin’s good this month. (Love antiques? Check out our new newsletter, “Thrill of the Hunt,” at countryliving.com/vintage.) New Hampshire Antiques Show August 7–9 | Manchester, NH Admirers of fine American antiques—Federal sideboards, Windsor chairs—won’t want to miss this well-curated exhibition. nhada.org World’s Longest Yard Sale August 7–10 | Highway 127 Patient pickers can find pretty much anything along this 690-mile-long extravaganza, which stretches from Addison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama. 127yardsale.com Sparks Antiques and Collectibles…

1 The unexpected delight of a sherbet green farmhouse (and a cherry red tractor!) along a country back road 2 Taking a paintbrush to the pantry and reaping the rewards with every ingredient grab (Find more pretty pantries at countryliving.com/pantries.) 3 Lazy summer days paired with sunny sleeping porches 4 Fresh tomatoes on the windowsill just waiting for their culinary cameo (See pg. 35 for a few ideas.) 5 The garden abundance of mid-August—even when the zinnias get a little unruly 6 A comfy armchair paired with a lamp, a good book, and an uninterrupted hour 7 Stacks of mismatched dishes in patterns of every color 8 The bittersweet feeling that summer is fading…but apple-picking season is on its way Be sure to follow us on Instagram @countrylivingmag for a…

“I was so excited to find this Le Creuset set in some boxes of my late uncle’s.”—J.K., Knoxville, TN WHAT IT IS: 1970s “Mama” Le Creuset Set One hundred years ago, in 1925, artists began handcrafting Le Creuset’s iconic enameled cast-iron cookware in northern France. Antiques Roadshow Executive Producer Marsha Bemko shared your uncle’s set with appraiser Kerry Shrives of Bonhams Skinner, who dates it to the 1970s or the early 1980s. “In 1972, the celebrated Italian designer Enzo Mari created the ‘Mama’ range with the slim T-shaped side handles and flat enameled disk-style knobs of your set,” says Kerry. This historic green color is popular, but not nearly as much so as Le Creuset’s trademark orange hue, Flame. WHAT IT’S WORTH: $500 to $700 for the set “This unique doorstop caught…

Hannah Rose Rivers Muller was born to be in the flower business. The youngest of four children raised on her parents’ Full Belly Farm in Guinda, California (fullbellyfarm.com), she had a free-range childhood filled with foraged bouquets, flower crowns, and naps taken in harvest boxes while her mother tended the farm’s blooms. “As I grew, so did my passion for flowers,” she says. After attending the University of Oregon, Hannah returned home in 2014 and was immediately drawn to the farm’s Wreath Room. Here, more than 50 varieties of flowers harvested from 15 acres of fields, as well as other grasses, grains, and foliage, are hung in bunches to dry before being stored until the first frost. The dried flowers are used to make wreaths and bouquets sold at regional…

the crunch of car wheels on Nathan Turner’s gravel driveway always sends him back to childhood visits to his grandparents’ house. “As a kid, I always got so excited [upon arrival],” recalls the lifestyle expert, decorator, and shop owner (nathanturner.com). “The second we got off the main road and hit that crunch, I would think, We’re officially at the ranch.” Those memories come alive each time he and his partner, decorator Eric Hughes (erichughesdesign.com), arrive at their 1950s ranch in Ojai, California. Both have generational ties to the state: Nathan hails from a long line of cattle ranchers near Sacramento, and Eric’s great-grandparents moved to Orange County in the early 1900s. “We both grew up around this kind of old-school California vibe,” Nathan says, “and Ojai is that.” After spending…

Sausage-Stuffed Squash WORKING TIME 30 minutes  TOTAL TIME 1 hour MAKES 4 servings 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing squash½ large sweet onion, choppedKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper½ pound loose sweet Italian sausage½ cup cooked white rice¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup), divided4 large yellow squash, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in rice, parsley, and ½ cup cheese. 2. Arrange squash…

A cloned sheep named Dolly dominated the news cycle, everyone was dancing to “Macarena,” and Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook was about to become a bestseller (the cupboard full of Cornishware on our cover would have felt right at home in the “white house with blue shutters” to which main character Allie aspired). ALSO IN THE ISSUE: A sunny bedroom featuring scallop-edged canopy twin beds (left), ideas for crafting with buttons, a guide to preserving summer fruits, and a whole lotta lavender. See More! All Access subscribers can enjoy the timeless interiors of this entire 1996 issue at countryliving.com/archives.…

When it comes to outfitting your home, designers often say to think about your spaces in terms of moments—enjoying bowls of cereal around the banquette, slipping off wellies on a bench in the mudroom, curling up with a book in a cozy reading nook—and no single moment may matter more than the experience of walking through the front door. Besides offering a friendly and hospitable color cue for first-time visitors (“Just look for the house with the yellow front door!”), a vibrant entrance serves as a mood-boosting dividing line between the occasionally gray outside world and the comforts of home—a visual reset button, so to speak. You don’t need much paint—a quart will probably do—but there’s perhaps no other home upgrade that gives you as much bang for your brush.…

DURING THE 1950S, pastels like bubble gum pinks, powder puff blues, and dainty yellows dominated the world of bathroom design, and the aesthetic sweetness is enjoying a revival by modern designers and manufacturers. “There’s research on how colorful spaces influence well-being for the better,” says Ingrid Fetell Lee, designer and author of The Aesthetics of Joy. Whether you embrace an existing basin or seek out a new one, pastel porcelain is a time-tested way to make your bathroom feel awash in character. See more and shop the look at countryliving.com/sinks.…

FIELD NOTES Selecting Squash Yellow squash is a versatile fruit (yes, fruit!) thanks to its mild, slightly sweet flavor. Look for a squash that is glossy and 4 to 6 inches long (it will be seedier if larger), and check it for ripeness by pressing the skin gently—it should be firm but not hard. If you’re growing your own, don’t worry about harvesting too early—the more you pick, the more will grow. Visit countryliving.com/summersquash for more recipes to make use of all that bounty. From the Farm to Your Table Here, five ways to embrace peak yellow squash season. Recipes, pg. 88…

Town Stats POPULATION 15,960 ALSO KNOWN AS The Barbecue Capital of Texas UNIQUE ATTRACTION The Southwest Museum of Clocks and Watches is one of only three dedicated horology archives in the U.S. Dip your toes in a swimming hole ahead of an afternoon of antiquing… …and 13 more ways to savor the tail end of summer in true Lone Star style. Build a Buzz: On weekends, main square mainstay Chaparral Coffee pairs its breakfast tacos with Bloody Marias from sister spot Chaparral Cantina. Snap a Pic: Key stops for photo ops include the striking circa-1894 Caldwell County Courthouse (far right) and the Lockhart Community History Mural along Edgewater Drive. Go Antiquing: At Upscale Resale, thrifters will find everything from primitive crocks to funky patio sets, and Stampworthy Goods does a…

Currently Craving PAGES 12-15 “Splash in a Bucket” cabinetry and shelving paint color, “Mushy Peas” island paint color, “Bib and Braces” larder paint color, and “Blancmange” pantry and back of bar cabinet paint color; plainenglishdesign.com. “Canteen” faucet; waterworks.com. Sconce; urbanelectric.com. In With the Old PAGE 24 Pennants: SecondBoxFrom TheTop, secondboxfromthetop.etsy.com. PAGE 26 Tickets: Eclectic Mix, eclecticmixllc.etsy.com. PAGE 27 Game wheels: Genesee River, @geneseerivertrading; Judy Frankel Antiques, judyfrankelantiques.com; Franklin’s, franklinsnc.com; Radio Craze, radiocraze.com; Gallery on Main, galleryonmainst.com. The Lake Effect PAGES 54-63 THROUGHOUT Custom upholstery; thestraightthread.com. PAGES 54-55 “Casse-Noisette” green pillow fabric; decorsbarbares.com. “Kristina” gold pillow fabric; lesindiennes.com. “Shetland Plaid” pillow fabric; kravet.com. Lamp; nickeykehoe.com. “Bungalow” side table; brookeandlou.com. PAGES 56-57 LIVING AREAS “Carter” table lamp and “Mia” floor lamps; visualcomfort.com. Spool chair; hickorychair.com. KITCHEN “Abacus” by Noir stools; perigold.com. “Calista Performance” stool upholstery fabric; lisafinetextiles.com. “Flora” rug; schoolhouse.com. “Gibson” pendant lights; urbanelectric.com. PAGES 58-59 BAR Eames lounge chair; dwr.com. “Jammu” chair upholstery fabric; michaelsmithinc.com. PAGE 60 “Gwendoline” bed; beautifulbedco.com. “Persian…