Country Living

Every issue of Country Living, to varying degrees, leaves me considering all the dirt roads not (yet!) taken. “Wait, should I move to Texas and raise goats (pg. 86)?” But this fixer-upper issue is particularly brimming with pastoral possibilities. There’s simply something about a before-and-after—whether it’s a home reno or a life reset—that reminds us of the hidden potential to be found behind our walls or within us all. Still, even if you’re not quite ready to tackle an update (or an uproot!), you can live vicariously through bold souls like Country Living Design Director Maribeth Jones, who dared to paint her plain white kitchen a vibrant shade of yellow (pg. 10), designer Claire Zinnecker, who bought a rickety $15,000 farmhouse on Facebook Marketplace (pg. 84), or Elizabeth Starks and Jake…

1 How freshly gathered lilac blooms fill the whole house with the sweet fragrance of spring 2 Planning a weekend of antiquing alongside your favorite fun-loving old souls 3 The seasonal swap-out of heavy blankets and flannel sheets for breezy bedding and lightweight cotton linens 4 Petite backyard retreats that encourage you to tinker, linger, or do a little bit of both 5 Lying on a quilt beneath your favorite tree with a good book and a glass of rosé 6 Collecting eggs laid out by both hen and hare 7 Stopping to admire colorful curb appeal courtesy of paint and petals (See pg. 108 for more curb appeal inspiration.) 8 Pulling out your daintiest dishware just in time for brunch and shower season Follow us on Instagram @countrylivingmag for a daily dose of Simple Country Pleasures. PHOTOGRAPHS BY…

HOMES, GARDENS & OTHER HAPPY HABITATS If you’re the sort who can’t pass up an opportunity to peek inside an old home, you’ve no doubt encountered your fair share of delightfully dated wallcoverings—think timefaded florals, a country toile with some peeling corners, even a pastoral scene with a torn patch. And if you happen to be at an open house, you may overhear a skeptical buyer insist that the wallpaper has gotta go, to which we’d implore: “Dear stranger, please put down your putty knife.” Decades ago, another person who walked these same creaky floors—let’s call her Millicent—loved that cabbage rose motif so unapologetically much that she boldly chose to line her stairwell with top-to-bottom blossoms. While 100-year-old hardwoods and period fixtures are collectively celebrated, timeworn wallpaper is rarely as welcomed…

1 PETITE SPACE STRATEGY High-Impact Woodwork After making tweaks to the room’s footprint (including removing a bulky unused chimney in the corner), Maribeth maximized charm with vibrant Shaker-style cabinets and a tall 6-foot 8-inch wood-paneled backsplash. The chimney removal allowed for custom cabinetry, complete with plate racks and open shelves, flanking both sides of the window (see pg. 13). 2 NAME TO KNOW William Morris Best known as the father of the Arts and Crafts Movement, British artist William Morris used woodblock printing to capture the patterns of nature during a time of industrialization in England. The kitchen’s botanical wallcovering (“Fruit”; sandersondesigngroup.com) depicts citrus and pomegranates and was one of his earliest designs, first printed in 1864. 3 DECORATIVE DETAILS Living Room-Worthy Accents “Early on, I decided to throw out all the kitchen rules and make this room…

Why We Love Them They’re Time-Tested: In the age before industrial looms, covering floors was a costly business. Many early-American decorators could not afford handwoven rugs and preferred to paint their floors. These original DIYers picked patterns from general store stencil books and hand-mixed their floor paint right in the kitchen. Although times may have changed, the look has endured. They’re Incredibly Versatile: At home everywhere from quaint cottages to grand estates, painted floors are also easily executed in every space from porches to powder rooms. They’re Budget-Friendly: Refinishing hardwoods can cost thousands, but armed with the right tools—think painter’s tape and a good foam roller—you can upgrade your floors for less than $200. Smaller projects (like a solid coat in a bedroom) can be tackled in a weekend, but expect to spend…

YEAR BUILT 1845 $539,000 Whitingham, VT 5 BR; 4 BA; 2,248 SQ. FT. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: This Colonial-style farmhouse is available for purchase for the first time in a century—and it’s well worth the wait! The broad-plank spruce floors are honey-toned perfection, and the kitchen’s antique Glenwood stove is pleasantly reminiscent of earlier chapters in this bucolic beauty’s story. AGENT: Jacki Murano; sovtrealtygroup.com WORK REQUIRED: The CL Fixer-Upper Scale MOVE-IN READY NEEDS MINOR IMPROVEMENTS INVEST IN A DECENT DRILL PUT THAT CONTRACTOR ON SPEED DIAL $365,000 Red Hook, NY 4 BR; 2 BA; 1,872 SQ. FT. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: It’s small in stature, yet stately in its presence! Beyond this traditional exterior awaits plenty of surprises, such as a rich wood-paneled living room that boasts a luxe arched entryway, coffered ceiling, and stone fireplace plus a screenedin porch off the back that beckons…