Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2025 i Country Living

Before you venture any further into these pages, I encourage you to pour a Maple Hot Toddy (pg. 36) and curl up under a quilt (I’ll wait). There, that’s better. Our fall issue is always one of my favorites, and this year’s feels like an escape to a cozy mountain cabin—one filled with intimate reading nooks (pg. 7), Tyrolean chairs (pg. 18), rustic collectibles (pg. 21), and fieldstone fireplaces (pg. 61). (Speaking of cabins, who wants to go in on the Pennsylvania charmer for sale on pg. 14?!) I find it interesting that even though Country Living readers gravitate toward a wide range of design styles (see them all at countryliving.com/homes), something about a cabin seems to tug at our collective heartstrings. I suspect it’s not so much the rustic…

Branching Out Named for the grand “Great Camp” retreats built by Gilded Age elites in New York’s Adirondack Mountains during the late 1800s, the Adirondack aesthetic endures today because of its rustic yet refined sensibilities. Marked by crossed-stick corners and leaf-and-branch appliqués, carved wooden frames in this style are particularly prized by collectors of tramp art. Early-20th-century examples typically sell for $30 to $150 based on size and condition, but rare multilayered designs can command $500 or more. Carried Away First used by members of the Algonquian nations of the Northeast as early as 900 B.C., potbellied pack baskets have served roaming hunters and fishermen for centuries. (French fur trappers later adopted the design, giving rise to the term “trapper basket.”) Lightweight yet sturdy, these woven back-packs feature flat bottoms,…

IN THE “CAKE VS. PIE” DEBATE, Darien Rozell has no problem picking a side: “I love the seasonality of pie, how it allows us to highlight the ripest fruit.” Every fall, that peak flavor comes courtesy of tart and tender McIntosh apples, which are easy to find in Upstate New York, where Darien and husband Eric (along with their three young boys) put down roots after stints in Seattle and Boston. “Both our families have been in this region for 250 years,” she says. Darien started documenting the story of her pastoral property on social media (@pantry.hill) but quickly craved connection beyond clicks. “I wanted people to have the chance to experience the magic, so we started inviting guests into our kitchen to bake my great-grandmother’s recipes,” she says. Today, these…

Lay of the Land YEAR ESTABLISHED 1840 COUNTY SEAT Ossipee NAMED FOR Senator Charles Carroll, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence Ride a train through forests filled with birch trees……and more picturesque ways to embrace all of fall along the foliage-filled border between New Hampshire and Maine. Up and At ’Em: Enjoy a maple chai and a stack of banana-walnut pancakes at Lydia’s Cafe, a beloved breakfast-all-day spot in Wolfeboro. Step Through Time: At the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm in Tamworth Village, visitors can experience rural farmsteading firsthand (and occasionally visit with the livestock!). Those with a bit more opulence in mind can tour Moultonborough’s Castle in the Clouds, the Arts and Crafts–style estate of Boston shoe magnate Thomas Gustave Plant. Stop to Shop: Named…

MAKE IT PERSONAL There’s just something about seeing your name in writing, which is why a hand-penned placecard goes a long way toward setting a welcoming tone at the table.…

IN SEASON Harvest Hoop Your corn’s leafy covering can lend a textural touch to the front door. For an approximately 23-inch wreath, use scissors to remove the curved ends of roughly 100 corn husk wrappers. Starting at the pointy end, tear each wrapper about halfway down into thin strips. Gather at the bottom, tie with twine, and hot-glue to an 11-inch wooden wreath form. Repeat until form is covered. SAVE THE DATE COUNTRY CALENDAR Here’s where the pickin’s good this month. (Love antiques? Subscribe to our new monthly newsletter, “Thrill of the Hunt,” at countryliving.com/vintage.) Junkstock October 3–5 & 10–12 | Waterloo, NE A century-old 155-acre horse farm provides a picturesque setting for this popular vintage shopping event that’s so good, it spans two weekends. (The Bloody Marys are pretty…

1 The seasonal swap-out of lightweight coverlets for your coziest quilts 2 Pumpkins of all sizes dotting fence posts and porches throughout the neighborhood 3 An afternoon nap with the faint hum of a televised football game in the background 4 When the season’s dappled light hits just right 5 The happy hodgepodge in an autumn mudroom, from riding boots to walking sticks to corduroy-collared barn coats 6 Setting the table with a passed-down set of Spode’s “Woodland” transferware 7 Pie. So. Much. Pie. (For more ways to roll, see pg. 33.) 8 Returning home from the orchard with the literal fruits of your labor Follow us on Instagram @countrylivingmag for a daily dose of Simple Country Pleasures.…

“We were just gifted this family piece from my mother-in-law.”—T.R., Birmingham, AL WHAT IT IS: Early-20th-Century Barrister Bookcase Antiques Roadshow Executive Producer Marsha Bemko shared your piece with appraiser John Sollo of Rago/LAMA/Toomey/Wright, who tells us that this is one of Globe-Wernicke’s signature barrister bookcases. “Globe-Wernicke was an office furniture manufacturer in business from 1899 until the mid-1950s,” says John. “Most bookcases like yours were produced in the first quarter of the 20th century, and your oak example has an early label verifying that it is over 100 years old.” He notes that these are still very popular with collectors. WHAT IT’S WORTH: $600 to $800 ($100 to $200 per section) “I picked this up for my grandson in an antiques mall. Is Dr. Seuss the author?”—M.Z., Reston, VA WHAT IT IS: Dr.…

I first became a dog owner in the autumn of my life, at age 40. There’s the old cliché of a midlife crisis manifesting through a little red sports car. I opted instead for a little red Havanese named Greg. I’d never wanted a dog; my parents had raised me to view a dog as only a slight upgrade from a feral raccoon. But my nine-year-old son wanted one, and he’s savvy enough to leverage his parents’ guilt over his only-childness. I didn’t choose a sibling-less life of solitude and privation. You chose that for me. He was getting a dog. Our parameters: hypoallergenic; good-natured enough to quickly integrate into a family unaccustomed to pets; diminutive enough for frequent baths. A playdate with a friend’s Havanese clinched it. A realization…

The long meander through lush valleys and over rolling hills bordered by dense hedgerows makes navigating to Tom Cox’s 17th-century English country farmhouse a challenge, albeit a beautiful one. Even the designer himself had a hard time locating the secluded property in Devon, England: “I’d been coming to this area for a long time to fish, but I got lost trying to find the house. Finally, I had to call the [real estate] agent.” Once he arrived, Tom fell for the 325-year-old stone cottage hook, line, and sinker. “I’d never seen anything like it,” he says. “It’s quite magical.” For years Tom had been looking for a quiet homestead to escape to after a busy week at HÁM Interiors (haminteriors.com), the design firm based near London that he founded in…

GET A LITTLE PLAYFUL A stint at the kids’ table is a childhood rite of passage. Make it especially memorable with whimsical touches (acorn sippie cups!) and on-theme activities (stick-tac-toe!).…

Maple Syrup Sweet Potato Grits WORKING TIME 1 hour 5 minutes TOTAL TIME 1 hour 35 minutes MAKES 6 to 8 servings 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large), cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise again if needed to fit steamer½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces1½ cups stone-ground grits1 cinnamon stick Kosher salt¼ cup pure maple syrup1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Flaky sea salt 1. Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and fit with a steamer basket. Cover and bring to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, skin side down. Cook, covered, until very tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Peel potatoes and discard skins. Transfer flesh to a bowl and mash until smooth. 2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until…

When it comes to self-care, there’s plenty of chatter about building in time for the things you love—but a literal built-in devoted to leisure conveys real commitment to the cause. Typically tucked in near a window or underneath the stairs, a cushioned corner invites houseguests of all ages to sit and stay a while—preferably with a well-worn can’t-put-it-down classic and a steaming cup of comfort. A reading nook is made for the kinds of quiet moments that are in increasingly short supply, providing a chance to swap the hum of screens for paper’s hush. It’s also a personal hideaway where no one will find fault with your selection, whether it’s lighthearted chick lit or a campy detective novel. Here’s to settling in for a fully booked afternoon in a judgment-free…

From the Farm to Your Table Here, five ways to embrace peak sweet potato season. Recipes, pg. 88 FIELD NOTES Picking Sweet Potatoes First, let’s clear up some confusion: Even though they’re often referred to as yams in the U.S., orange (and purple) sweet potatoes are not actually botanically related to true yams. Whatever you call ’em, look for tubers that are small to medium-sized with smooth skin that is free of blemishes, cracks, and soft spots. Store them in a dark, cool, and dry place for up to three weeks.…

Growing up, Nancy Bruns wasn’t aware of her family’s connections to the historic salt industry in West Virginia’s Kanawha Valley. But a 25-year career in the restaurant business stoked her interest in the mineral, which she collected samples of during trips all over the world. Upon discovering that her forebears the Dickinsons had mined salt until 1945 on the 60-acre farm her family still owned, she returned home to Malden in 2013 and, with her brother, launched J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works (jqdsalt.com). “Four hundred million years ago, this land was beneath the Iapetus Ocean,” Nancy explains. “Over time the earth’s plates shifted and the water was buried, leaving a pristine, mineral-rich brine that runs deep underground.” Once that brine is extracted via a well and clarified, it moves to sunhouses for…

As the days get shorter and the leaves start to change, friendly greetings of “Hello” and “How are you?” are replaced with chants of “War Eagle!” and “Roll Tide!” in just about every corner of Alabama. That includes Homewood, a picturesque town just over the mountain from Birmingham. John and Lauren Bryant (an Auburn alum, by the way) immediately connected with the charming community and its old-school collegiate rival-ries. “It checks all the boxes—there are tree-lined streets, a 100-year-old elementary school, friendly neighbors, and plenty of spaces for children to explore and play outside,” says Lauren. “It feels like a small town—you walk to grab coffee and you’ll start a conversation with someone you see along the way.” Almost 10 years (and three kids) after settling into the idyllic neighborhood,…

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BRING ON THE PUMPKINS Don’t stop at the stoop with your spread of pumpkins and gourds. Put the season’s M.V.P. (Most Valuable Produce) to decorative use in places beyond the front porch.…

In With the Old PAGE 21 Frames: Genesee River, @geneseerivertrading. PAGE 22 Pack baskets: Genesee River, @geneseeriver trading; Things from the Past Co., thingsfromthepastco.etsy.com. PAGE 23 Door knockers: Wahoo Mercantile, ebay.com/str/wahoomercantile; Jim Davis, ebay.com/str/jrd1224. Side tables: 86 Vintage, 86vintage.com. PAGE 24 Rockingham ware: Vintage Treasures Two, vintagetreasurestwo.etsy.com. PAGE 25 Zithers: 7 Arrow, 7arrow.etsy.com. Home Field Advantage PAGES 54-55 “Bianca” pillow fabric; lesindiennes.com. PAGE 57 Lampshades; alicepalmer.co. PAGE 58 Lampshades; alicepalmer.co. PAGE 59 “Provence Reversible” quilt; garnethill.com. Call of the Cabin PAGES 60-61 “Shiloh” spool chair; ballarddesigns.com. “Fabienne” daybed; luluandgeorgia.com. Tufted leather ottoman; onekingslane.com. Faux sisal rug; theperfectrug.com. “Courbe Green” table lamps; crateandbarrel.com. PAGE 64 “Radar” sconce; schoolhouse.com. Stool; ballarddesigns.com. PAGE 66 TOP “Olympic Park” quilt; pendleton-usa.com. Lumbar pillow and “Isaac” sconce; schoolhouse.com. BOTTOM “Winter + Summer” coverlet, gingham sheets, and duvet; schoolhouse.com. “Paso” lumbar pillow; the-citizenry.com. Homey Hodgepodge PAGES 68-75 THROUGHOUT Art; studioham.co.uk. PAGE 70 TOP RIGHT AND BOTTOM RIGHT “Arrow” rug; studioham.co.uk. BOTTOM LEFT “Card Room Green” wall paint color; farrow-ball.com. PAGE…

Forrest Gump had just dispensed chocolate-box wisdom on the big screen, Lisa Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” was on radio repeat, and Jeff Bezos founded online bookstore Amazon in his Washington garage. (The whimsical Berkshires potting shed on this cover would have made for a more inspired workspace!) ALSO IN THE ISSUE: A look at imaginative folk art frames (left), an all-aglow pumpkin patch on Long Island, and an ivy stencil tutorial. See More! Country Living All Access subscribers can enjoy the timeless design ideas throughout this 1994 issue (and others!) at countryliving.com/archives.…