Country Living March 2014

I enjoyed peeking into Serena Thompson's home near Spokane and getting a glimpse of her holiday decor [above]. I was also thrilled to see the skating rink in Shoreline, Washington. Thank you for remembering those of us who live out West! —Mindy Hardwick, Lake Stevens, Washington The simplicity and authenticity of your holiday issue is such a welcome contrast to the chaos in the stores. Thanks! —Dominique Avery, West Simsbury, Connecticut I was so excited by the toast servers you featured in your Collecting section last issue. While cleaning out my parents' basement, I found one shaped like a wishbone. We expect it to bring us good luck each morning! —Amy Munson, Roswell, Georgia Thank you for choosing an Akita as your pet of the month. Hopefully more families will…

Give your kitchen a farmhouse makeover at a knockout price. Ikea's machine-washable cotton rug comes in eight bold color combinations, including striking red and black stripes. ($2.99; 22"W × 32"L; ikea.com for stores) HOW SMART IS THIS? Old-School Cleaning Tips A homesteading manual from 1829, The Frugal Housewife, by writer-activist Lydia Maria Child, has been reissued 184 years after its first printing ($22.99; Andrews McMeel). So we mined the guide for unexpected hints that still hold up:      • Use strong and spicy smells (like pepper, red-cedar chips, or tobacco) to repel moths from chests and drawers.      • Restore tarnished brass kettles with a DIY rinse of salt and vinegar (very little elbow grease required!).      • Instead of washing marble, dust it, then remove spots with an oiled cloth and rub…

Time-out: Why set a cell phone alarm when you could snooze next to an elegant chrome ticker inspired by a vintage pocket watch? ($54; 2½"W × 3½"H; izola.com) RECOMMENDED READING 15 Stylish Homes to Bookmark Now The freshest way to house your indoor plants? Crib an idea from L.A.-based blogger/designer Justina Blakeney, who nests hers inside the tiny drawers of a card-catalog-style chest (left). Blakeney's eclectic abode—a 1930s bungalow chock-full of bright Nordic ceramics and far-flung textiles—is just one of 15 inviting house tours in Ellie Tennant's vibrant new book, Design Bloggers at Home ($29.95; Ryland Peters & Small).…

When Dori Ross set out to launch a business, she found her inspiration right next door. Two neighboring families in Vermont's Mad River Valley—the Vasseurs and the Hartshorns—had been sugaring for generations, but sold their syrup in lackluster opaque plastic jugs. Ross, a former marketing manager, thought they could do better. So in 2012, she partnered with both families to form Tonewood Maple. FIRST STEPS Ross hired a Boston firm to design modern packaging, selecting glass bottles to showcase the syrup's various hues. She also enlisted local candy makers to create maple wafers, flakes, and cubes. BRANCHING OUT The entrepreneur approached area boutiques and started selling at farmers' markets. Then, she attended a trade show in Washington, D.C.—and nabbed 20 new accounts. BIG BREAK Last year, Stonewall Kitchen and Barneys…

Swedish immigrant Ernest Estwing was a self-taught engineer who started as a six-cents-an-hour machinist before eventually striking out on his own in 1923. His big idea: Hammers forged from a single piece of steel would be stronger than the traditional wood-handled models. He developed prototypes in his garage and then patented his "unbreakable" design. 1925 An ad in a trade mag nets so many orders, Estwing opens his own factory. 1940s Despite nationwide steel rationing, the War Production Board allows the company to operate, owing in part to its lifetime guarantee. 1969 Neil Armstrong uses the brand's geology pick to train for his moon mission. 2010 A J. Crew designer raves about Estwing's leather-gripped hammer in The New York Times, saying, "The more you use it, the more beautiful it…

Brilliant new finds—from cheery rain boots to artisanal cutting boards FANCIFUL Alice in Wonderland would feel right at home in Paola Navone's sweet beech design. ($399; 33"W x 42½"H x 26½"D; crateandbarrel.com) VINTAGE Hay of Denmark just reissued this handsome beech chair, which debuted in the 1960s. ($217; 17"W x 31"H x 14"D; themodernshop.ca) BARGAIN This affordable beech version comes in seven hues—including yellow, aqua, gray, and coral. ($158; 17½"W x 33½"H x 19"D; serenaandlily.com) HIGH-BACK A tall, tapered profile gives West Elm's seat retro-modern appeal. ($299; 21½"W x 45"H x 24½"D; westelm.com) ECO-FRIENDLY This beauty is crafted from American black walnut and beech certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. ($585; 24"W x 33½"H x 21½"D; organicmodernism.com for stores) METAL Designed to be used…