Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Winter 2022

What do you love best about the holidays? Is it the festive decorating, the time spent with family and friends, the delicious foods that only come out once a year, or the glory and revelation of the season? In my big Italian family, the holidays always meant lots of laughter, an overabundance of food, crazy shenanigans and the joy of being with a large, loving group of relatives. On Christmas Eve, we would gather at my grandparents’ house. The adults would drink wine, talk and cook in the kitchen, while us kids would peek at the gifts under the tree, rearrange the Nativity (the kings were still traveling and baby Jesus hadn’t made an appearance yet) and sneak hot chestnuts off the table. When it came time to eat, overflowing…

DIARY OF YOUR HOME Did you ever keep a diary or journal to jot down your thoughts, hopes and dreams? You might consider picking up a copy of Diary of Your Home: Ideas, Tips, and Prompts for Recording and Organizing Everything by Joanna Ahlberg (Rizzoli, 2022). The informational and interactive book encourages you to document the details of your home and your life within it, creating both a resource and a keepsake. www.rizzolibookstore.com A FARMHOUSE REBORN Lynne Sade offers inspiration and ideas from the 1850 Virginia farmhouse she and her husband, David, renovated on her blog, A Farmhouse Reborn. She also introduces readers to other historic homes in her area and shares information about her farm animals, which include goats, chickens and pigs. https://afarmhousereborn.com AMY FRITZ Check out the YouTube…

Tiered trays were once mainly used for holding food, often at parties or special events—think cupcakes and appetizers at a bridal shower or finger sandwiches, cookies and scones at teatime. In the last several years, however, these multilevel marvels have found new purpose as foundations for decorative vignettes. Available in a wide range of materials, including rustic wood, galvanized metal, enamel, copper, marble and more (as well as combinations of several materials), tiered trays also come in various shapes and sizes. You might find a two-tier tray suits your space or opt for a taller three-tier model. Both can be used to build a seasonal center-piece or elevate the visual profile of a side table, countertop or shelf. Because tiered trays typically are taller than they are wide, these hardworking…

Nature-Inspired Thanksgiving Give thanks for a bountiful season with natural fall flourishes and layers of rustic texture that won’t cost you a fortune. Jayne Westerholt at Chalking Up Success says all you need for an amazing tablescape is a walk in the countryside to harvest some grasses and wildflowers. Choose a mix of botanicals that have already dried, or hang fresh stems upside down for a few weeks before using. On your table, place one runner down the length and then position two more across the width. Put together a centerpiece with a tall vase and DIY candleholders. Arrange place settings with white plates atop woven mats. Make the scene look magical by running a string of battery-operated fairy lights down the middle of the table. The little points of…

Follow along with the video on Jennifer’s blog to learn how to make velvet display books. Position a mirror behind a lantern to amplify the flickering candlelight 10 Tips for Snug Spaces 1. Add plug-in dimmers to lamps to create softer lighting throughout your rooms. 2. Switch to flannel sheets and a plush mattress topper to make your bedroom inviting at the end of a cold day. 3. Bring comforting scents and flavors to your home by forcing bulbs to bloom indoors, baking cookies, using a spice-scented dish soap or sprinkling your morning coffee with cinnamon or nutmeg. 4. Introduce a few plaid blankets, chunky knits or faux-fur throws to your textile mix. Area rugs, pillow covers and even curtain panels also can be changed out easily for a quick…

Dining Room Conversion Luci Cisneros of White Oak Shop transformed her seldom-used formal dining room into a hub where both parents and children can work and create. After updating the room’s dark color scheme with Sherwin-Williams Crushed Ice on the walls and peel-and-stick planks on the tiered tray ceiling, Luci set to work furnishing the space. She repurposed bookcases from the living room and made a desk for each of her three kids by cutting a larger piece of butcher block into a trio of desktops. Battery-powered wall sconces shed light on each desk. She attached longer legs to a $25 coffee table to make a pub-height table for crafting and playing games. A paper roll held in place by a tension rod ensures there’s always a table runner that…