Country Living July 2022

Growing up, I was not a fan of road trips. In the days before myriad digital distractions—or, as the kids like to say, “back in the 1900s”—car rides always felt so looooong, although my sister, Katie, and I did enjoy competing to see how many cows we could spot outside our respective car windows. (To this day, I still feel oddly giddy when I see a field full of cattle.) In recent years, however, I’ve become our family’s back-road ambassador, unapologetically shuffling everyone into the car in the name of countless small-town escapes and delightful detours en route to bigger-dot destinations. We’ve sipped milkshakes at Turnage Drug Store in Water Valley, Mississippi; perused the shelves of Page and Palette, a third-generation bookstore in Fairhope, Alabama; marveled at the Big Oak…

1 How nothing says “summer” quite like kids feasting on watermelon from the rind 2 Singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” before the seventh-inning stretch 3 Delightfully dated gas stations that hearken back to days of telling the attendant to “fill’er up” 4 Claiming a stool at a smalltown soda fountain, such as Gruene General Store in Gruene, Texas 5 July 4th festivities, from patriotic parades to fireworks fanfare (See pg. 34 for more ways to celebrate.) 6 Braking for the neighborhood lemonade stand and seeing a little face light up when you say, “Keep the change.” 7 Savoring every chance to serve dinner outdoors (Check out our best backyard cookout recipes on pg. 43.) 8 The happy abundance that is a colander filled with freshly picked cherries…

If you’ve ever whiled away a rainy afternoon reclining in a rattan porch rocker—a dog sleeping at your feet, ice cubes clinking in your glass, bluebirds in full chirp—then you already know that wicker is more than an intricate weaving technique. During summer in the country, wicker is a way of life. A long beloved staple of porches, patios, and unfussy interiors, wicker furniture is refreshingly devoid of pretension. In fact, its modesty only magnifies as it gracefully wears its age—think coloring that’s a bit faded by the sun, a slightly peeling coat of paint, or the occasional unraveling of a reed or two. Those so-called flaws speak to years, possibly decades, of putting alfresco furniture to its intended use: seats taken, cocktails consumed, and summer storms savored. In other…

Room to Rock At 660 feet long and 20 feet wide, the sprawling structure has ample space to watch a July 4th fireworks display over Lake Huron. Handcrafted Seating There are always at least 100 white rockers at the ready. The wicker models are made by North Carolina-based Troutman Chair Co. Soaring Ceiling Painted Dewkiss by PPG Paints, the porch’s skylike blue color is said to keep birds from nesting under the 40-foot-high overhang.…

1 PAINT PICKS Colors of Nature The secluded cabin has views of the rocky Maine coast, which informed architect Nate McBride’s (mcbride-architects.com) color choices for the kitchen. Lush green on the cabinets and backsplash speaks to the surrounding landscape, while the whitewashed paneled walls convey a sense of calm. 2 CHARACTER BUILDER Wood Accents A wide range of wood tones coordinate—but do not match—and that’s the intention. Salvaged beams outline the space and compose some paneling, while the floor consists of white oak boards. The custom island is reclaimed white oak topped with durable zinc, and Nate used vertical grain Douglas fir lumber for the other countertops. GET THE LOOK: “Abbott” Island $1,799; potterybarn.com 3 LESS IS MORE Crisp Cabinetry The custom face-frame cabinets have a simple, furniture-like appearance. A…

Object Lesson Banner Beginnings: While the earliest version of our flag first flew in 1776, the Continental Congress didn’t codify it as the U.S. flag until the next year. The Flag Act of 1777 unified a young country under a banner of 13 alternating red and white stripes—one for each of the 13 colonies—and 13 stars to represent each state. Star Student: In 1958, 17-year-old Ohioan Robert Heft spent more than 12 hours sewing his 50-star flag design for a class project. While he only received a B-for the final product, his teacher promised to raise the grade if Congress adopted his design. With the help of his congressman, Robert brought the flag before President Eisenhower, and the U.S. officially adopted it on July 4, 1960. Color Code: Each hue…