Southern Home July/August 2021

Summertime and the traditional vacations that come along with it may have looked different recently, but the Southern Home team and I are thrilled to be featuring some of our favorite second homes. From the unexpected to the nostalgic, these abodes are the result of years of planning and dreaming for many of the homeowners. This season not only brings a change in the weather, but it also reminds us of so many happy days gone by. Trips to the beach and the lake, enjoying watermelon and iced tea in the backyard, and taking much-needed time to gather with loved ones are just some of the memories that the warm weather invokes. It is our hope that this issue will grant you a visual vacation of your own. As you flip…

Southern Home (SH): Who or what most influenced your creativity? Marie Flanigan (MF): First and foremost, my parents. My dad was always good at nurturing the gifts of his kids, and even as a little girl, I was creative. We lived in a small Texas town, and on Saturdays, he’d take me for an ice cream soda before we’d spend the afternoon at the local art gallery. For a long time, I wanted to be a painter, but I ended up studying architecture in college. SH: What prompted your pivot from architecture to interiors? MF: I felt a loss of control handing over a set of plans and never seeing the final details followed through. Both disciplines are so integrated and woven together, and one can be elevated when the other is thoughtfully…

Featuring client homes in a variety of architectural styles, Ojai, California-based architect Steve Giannetti and his wife, Brooke, present their fourth book, Patina Homes. Giannetti’s designs are a result of modern, classical, and industrial elements merging together to create a unique style. His signature palette consists of wood, metal, and stone, which develop what he calls a “chalky patina” with age. The book shows off 12 varied homes—ranging from a modern desert glass box and a beachfront contemporary to a historic East Coast farmhouse and a Provencal-style home in California—and shows how the Giannettis were able to solve unique architectural challenges. The first home readers will enjoy, however, is Patina Farm, the couple’s own abode. This design collaboration between the pair reflects the combination of their two unique stories and shared…

Known to his friends and social media followers as the ultimate weekend farmer, Christopher Spitzmiller raises his own chicks, grows his own flowers, and stores his own jam, cider, and honey. In his new book, A Year at Clove Brook Farm, he treats readers to a full year at his country retreat. The volume is organized into four sections that reflect each season and is filled with tips for creating flower arrangements, living with animals, and garden planning. The book begins with spring: the lilacs and apple blossoms, the dovecote with Indian Fantail pigeons, Easter lunch with daffodils and porcelain, and Spitzmiller’s recipe for rhubarb pie. Summer brings hydrangeas, dahlias, readying the chickens for the Dutchess County Fair, and a garden cocktail party. Fall focuses on collecting, cider-making, an orchard luncheon…

Named for the working pear orchard on the grounds, Shauna Varvel’s 18th-century Rhône Valley farmhouse was reimagined by Varvel and local architect Alexandre Lafourcade. Le Mas des Poiriers was once an outdated structure that now thrives as a luxurious and contemporary expression of Provençal style. This home served as the starting point for Varvel, as she explored the architectural and interior elements that are featured in her book, Provence Style: Decorating with French Country Flair. The volume includes intimate tours of chic homes and their interior details that are inspired by the picturesque region they reside in. It also includes chapters on the public spaces of Varvel’s home, from entrances to living rooms, the private realm of bedrooms and bathrooms, and outdoor areas, including patios and kitchen gardens, transporting the reader…