Country Living December/January 2026

If this issue just arrived in the mail and you’re thumbing through it quickly while standing up over your kitchen counter and sorting through bills (boo) and greeting cards (yay), I encourage you to stop and save your magazine reading for later. I know it’s incredibly hard to carve out moments for yourself during this shaken snow globe of a season, and I want this issue to be part of whatever time you can, in fact, find for yourself—or at least a motivator to make that time. Now that I have your full attention, please settle into a cozy armchair by a roaring fire and escape into the comfort and joy that these pages provide. Whether it’s baking a cable knit-inspired cake (pg. 39), hosting a candlelit dinner in a…

1 Escaping to a tucked-away cabin with a pile of books and plenty of kindling 2 The annual influx of season’s greetings from friends and family near and far 3 The understated beauty of homemade garland created from popcorn and dried citrus 4 Rewatching the favorite holiday movie you can quote line by line 5 The creative satisfaction of crisply wrapped corners and a well-tied bow 6 Viewing snowy scenery—and fuzzy faces—during winter drives through the countryside 7 Embracing every possible way to merry up the mantel 8 The sleepy week between Christmas and New Year’s Day when the world seems to spin a bit more slowly Follow us on Instagram @countrylivingmag for a daily dose of Simple Country Pleasures.…

Rooted in both tradition and practicality, the tabletop tree can be traced back to 19th century Germany, where small evergreens decorated with fruits, candles, and handcrafted ornaments were commonly seen in homes. Concerns about deforestation later led to artificial alternatives made from dyed goose feathers, and those feather trees found their way stateside—and into the famous Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog—in the early 1900s, which boosted demand for pint-size pines. While tabletop trees today don’t tend to be quite so sparse as the originals, something about their petite stature still lends them a humble, homespun sweetness in keeping with that of Charlie Brown’s famous fir. Their streamlined silhouettes also allow us to spread the holiday spirit to spaces beyond the living room—a kitchen tree embellished with cookie cutters, a playroom…

1 Spruce Green When homeowners Rhonda and Cliff Walker called upon designer Natalie Hager (nataliehagerinteriors.com) to help rethink their dated-looking early-2000s kitchen, she thought best to start from scratch. The full gut renovation resulted in a larger, more open space that honors the Tennessee farmhouse’s classically Southern architecture but with a layer of modern finishes. The new cabinetry’s crisp colorway also lends freshness and, as a bonus, allows for easy holiday decorating with just a few touches of cranberry red. 2 Stove Cove Anchoring one side of the kitchen, the arched brick nook is the only area that was left untouched. Home to the range, it’s reminiscent of Colonial-era beehive ovens that were used both to trap heat for baking and to warm the house. A sign advertising a French…

$741,000 East Haddam, CT 3 BR; 3 BA; 2,133 SQ. FT. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: A warm tone-on-tone color palette lends modern sophistication to this stately Colonial’s exterior. The renovated interior is just as impressive, with wide-plank floors, exposed ceiling beams, and carved millwork. Stone walls encircling the home add charm to the property. AGENT: Laura Marozsan; lauramarozsan. bhhsneproperties.com WORK REQUIRED: $595,000 Cranbury, NJ 4 BR; 2 BA; 2,728 SQ. FT. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: That white picket fence! The charm of this Colonial Revival farmhouse continues from the front porch to the screened-in back porch, with details such as hardwood floors, wainscoting, and hex tiles. A clapboard-clad studio out back welcomes creative ventures of all types. AGENT: Grant Wagner; callawayhenderson.com WORK REQUIRED: $599,000 West Bridgewater, MA 4 BR; 2…

WITH THEIR NAME DERIVED from the German word putzen, meaning “to decorate,” these mica glitter–adorned cardboard constructions have their roots in Czechia and Slovakia. Popularized in the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century thanks to prolific Japanese makers, they were once holiday mainstays, easily available at local five-and-dime stores. These days, amid renewed interest in homespun holiday decor and folksy flourishes, designers and collectors alike are flocking to putz houses for their nostalgic style. While vintage options are still widely available at antiques stores, modern manufacturers such as Cody Foster now also offer their own “glitter houses.” Learn more at countryliving.com/putzhouses.…