Country Living July/August 2021

Rachel Hardage Barrett EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @RACHELHARDAGEBARRETT A A Welcome from the Editor If one image captures the spirit of this issue, it would be the bookshelf on pg. 79, which holds what I imagine to be decades’ worth of dog-eared reads—Nancy Drew! The Hardy Boys!—enjoyed by generations of sun-bronzed bookworms. There’s just something about getting lost in a physical book that epitomizes the spirit of summer escapism. It should come as no surprise that those page-turner-packed bookshelves belong to a beautifully crusty cabin in Maine, because no state better evokes the carefree, feet-dangling-in-the-water, gone-fishin’ feeling of the season than one nicknamed Vacationland (pg. 58). Even if you don’t have a road trip to the Northeast in your future, I hope this issue devoted to downtime leaves you with that feeling of…

HUE FINDER Painted buoys provide a peppy summer palette. FIELD NOTES About Those Colorful Lobster Buoys… Brightly colored buoys have become as iconically “New England” as the lighthouses that rise up from the rocky coastline. You can thank commercial lobstermen for their eye-catching designs, which have been used to mark their lobster-trap locations since the mid-1800s. (Colors are bold so they’re easier to spot amid choppy waves.) Some of the identifying designs have even been passed down through generations of families in the trade. To this day, lobster boats are required to display their identifying buoy colors aboard, too.…

1 STATEMENT-MAKER Painted Floor “The checkerboard pattern adds such character,” says designer Victoria Hagan of the kitchen’s original blue-and-white hardwoods that she revived with a fresh coat of paint. To get a shiny, durable finish that’s surf- and sand-proof, try Benjamin Moore’s Floor & Patio High Gloss Enamel. 2 CHARACTER BUILDER Regional Accents Personal touches that speak to the seaside surroundings (a framed landscape propped on the counter, a clamming basket tucked under the island, and a quirky, wall-mounted folk art whale) warm up the utilitarian space. 3 EASY UPDATE Square Tile Backsplash No subway tile here. Installed in an offset pattern, the subtly textured square tiles evoke the shingled-cottage spirit of New England architecture. GET THE LOOK: Casale Rustico 4-inch “Quadrato” (above) $30 per sq. ft.; cletile.com 4 BRIGHT…

“WILD.” THAT’S HOW VICTORIA FORD (@PREPFORDWIFE) describes the state of their backyard when she and her husband, Marcus (@marcsford), moved in last year. “Everything was so overgrown,” adds Marcus. While they loved the slightly rustic feel of the tree-filled space, it was far from the park-like setting they envisioned for hosting backyard movie nights and playing with their dogs on the lawn. “We spend a large portion of our time outside, so rather than bringing the outdoors in, we aimed for the opposite, by pulling the indoors out, to create a green extension of where we already live,” says Victoria. The Backyard Behind the garage, two neglected concrete pads proved to be the perfect foundations for outdoor rooms. Here’s how they did it. Start with What You Have. A couple…

“I GREW UP GOING FISHING,” says Lela Rose, whose great grandfather, known as Little Sandy, started a hunting and fishing club in east Texas. “I would go fishing with both my father and grandfather and just loved being with them and hearing stories of the place and of their childhood times there,” she says. These days, the designer continues the tradition, with her own festive twists. “I love to plan parties around an activity, and fishing is an easy activity to connect with nature. It also helps that a fishing theme has endless food possibilities, from ceviche to sea scallops to a classic fish fry.” Here’s how to re-create Lela’s seaside social. “Floating on a boat or sitting on a dock is just so serene—actual fishing not necessary to enjoy!”—LELA…

No 1 Bleached Artwork Framed bandanas make for colorful and graphic wall art. To give yours a more weathered, vintage feel, consider a bleach treatment. Mix two-parts water to one-part bleach in a bucket. Dip 100 percent cotton bandanas ($3 each; ridingwarehouse.com) in solution and stir until slightly faded; remove and rinse. Dry completely. Once dry, frame in 21-to 23-inch square frames (for a similar look to ours, try Poster Palooza’s “Contemporary” white frames, $41 each; amazon.com). No 2 Utensil Holders Cut two 4 ¼-by-14-inch pieces from a bandana. Sew together, leaving a small opening. Turn inside out, and sew opening closed. Fold up bandana 5 ½ inches from bottom, and sew on three sides to create a pocket. No 3 Flower Pots Use Mod Podge to attach a bandana…