Making green choices can be complicated--and it gets even harder during the holidays, when we buy more and have less time to carefully consider our purchases. But it’s worth keeping in mind that Americans create 25 percent more waste between…
Holiday decorating enthusiasts rejoice! Prepare to be inspired for decking out your halls in seasonal splendor. A unique fundraising event—hosted by the Zonta Club of the Lakes Region—unites colorful and creative crafts from nearly sixty of the region’s top artisans…
In most households, visitors fall into one of two categories: There are “living room guests”—the more formal, pinkies extended, feet-off -the-furniture type of visitors—and then there’s the category known as “kitchen company.” John Tinios prefers those of the kitchen variety.…
If you’re tired of giving the same old holiday presents—a gift certificate, a box of chocolates, a fruitcake—this is the year to surprise friends and family with handcrafted works by local artists. Not only are these gifts the result of…
Before heading to the store for an inflatable snowman or reindeer that lights up, take a walk around the yard and see what your local landscape has to offer. Nature can provide you with the inspiration— and the materials—for decorating…
Stroll down Portsmouth’s narrow streets and history greets you at every turn, but perhaps not more so than at a unique complex of structures overlooking the South Mill Pond. The tale begins with a royal governor and continues as a…
Holiday decorating enthusiasts rejoice! Prepare to be inspired for decking out your halls in seasonal splendor. A unique fundraising event—hosted by the Zonta Club of the Lakes Region—unites colorful and creative crafts from nearly sixty of the region’s top artisans…
Although it doesn’t fly like the carpets of Middle Eastern folklore, an Oriental rug can magically transform a room. Considered a work of art by dealers and collectors, yet durable enough for daily use, an Oriental rug is one way…
Squash, both summer and winter varieties, comes in many shapes and sizes. Some are plain, some are fancy. Some have brilliantly colored skins, others have artful shapes. But all are delicious, good for you and easy to prepare. Just about…
For gardeners, it is already time to think spring—tucking bulbs away in the flower beds and along stone walls, anticipating the first blooms of the season. But why wait for months? Enjoy early spring blossoms long before the snow has…
As that autumnal chill begins to creep into the September evening air, it’s time to begin buttoning up the New Hampshire home for winter. With the volatility of fuel prices and the increasing concern about climate change, investing in a…
Great works of art are sparked by great ideas, and that is the shortest story of how a fantastic partnership between two giants of New Hampshire’s art world came to be. “David Lamb and I will always be indebted to…
In December 1821, saddler Nathaniel B. March placed an advertisement in a Portsmouth newspaper announcing that he was moving his leather-goods business from Daniel Street to a new brick building on State Street, where he would continue to sell items…
As fall settles around New Hampshire, cooler temperatures bring a snap to the air and a fiery orange glow to the leaves—causing many of us start planning winter strategies. As an active non-skier, my cold-weather priority is warmth and comfort—internal…
Although it doesn’t fly like the carpets of Middle Eastern folklore, an Oriental rug can magically transform a room. Considered a work of art by dealers and collectors, yet durable enough for daily use, an Oriental rug is one way…
As that autumnal chill begins to creep into the September evening air, it’s time to begin buttoning up the New Hampshire home for winter. With the volatility of fuel prices and the increasing concern about climate change, investing in a…
Great works of art are sparked by great ideas, and that is the shortest story of how a fantastic partnership between two giants of New Hampshire’s art world came to be. “David Lamb and I will always be indebted to…
Like most houses that make it into their third century, Hayfields has weathered some changes, although fewer than many other buildings of its vintage. In 1773, Captain Ruben Loveren settled the property—the farmhouse, a couple of barns, several outbuildings, and…
In December 1821, saddler Nathaniel B. March placed an advertisement in a Portsmouth newspaper announcing that he was moving his leather-goods business from Daniel Street to a new brick building on State Street, where he would continue to sell items…
For more than one hundred years, the MacDowell Colony has served as a rural retreat for artists looking to step outside the daily rhythms of their regular lives for a short while and to focus on their work. Thornton Wilder,…
Works of enduring architectural beauty take time—and teamwork. One collaboration of creativity, craftsmanship and, dare we say, courage blended together to create a one-of-a-kind, two-thousand-square-foot boathouse at the Lake Winnipesaukee vacation home of Paul and Sharon Steinwachs. As the ultimate…
Now that summer is at its peak, what a joy it is to spend long stretches of time outdoors at home with gardens to savor and so much more room to relax! After a long week at work, the sunlight,…
For artists, inspiration can strike at any time, anywhere. When painter Teresa Spinner and her husband Richard decided to reconfigure the floor plan of their Sanbornton home, Teresa remembered a book about color combinations throughout history that she found years…
Although I’m never sure that the warm weather will arrive in New England until August, summer appears to be here. I love walking around in a t-shirt, shorts and sandals; relaxing by the water’s edge; and listening to peepers or…
Why did Americans spend more than $149 billion on home remodeling projects in 2005, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies? Why is one hour of programming on HGTV drawing bigger audiences than news programming on CNN or…
Some renovations speak to the best instincts of everyone involved, as was the case with Mayfair, a Shingle-style home in York Harbor, Maine, that became the Old York Historical Society’s 2007 Decorator Show House. Having once been a gracious summer…
If you wanted to bring more art into your life, you could always move into the Louvre but a more practical option—one that doesn’t require a passport—comes your way in August when the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen holds its…
Part of the Common Man Family of Restaurants, founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Alex Ray, Lakehouse Grille in Meredith exemplifies the Common Man family’s originality and renowned commitment to excellent, accessible dining. The dining room is modeled after an Adirondack…
A fresh summer breeze is welcome in our homes this time of year, but by late fall, we’re shutting the windows to keep the heat in and the cold out. Windows provide fresh air, daylight and access to views, but…
For more than one hundred years, the MacDowell Colony has served as a rural retreat for artists looking to step outside the daily rhythms of their regular lives for a short while and to focus on their work. Thornton Wilder,…
Ah, summertime and the cooking should be easy... and al fresco! That translates to “in the open air” from Italian. But it also means utilizing the freshest fruits and vegetables that define summer eating, as well as moving your dining…
Works of enduring architectural beauty take time—and teamwork. One collaboration of creativity, craftsmanship and, dare we say, courage blended together to create a one-of-a-kind, two-thousand-square-foot boathouse at the Lake Winnipesaukee vacation home of Paul and Sharon Steinwachs. As the ultimate…
We can’t always count on Mother Nature to deliver the right amount of rainfall when we need it. One hot, dry spell can wreak havoc on a lush summer border, and yet some plants seem to thrive on neglect and…
Now that summer is at its peak, what a joy it is to spend long stretches of time outdoors at home with gardens to savor and so much more room to relax! After a long week at work, the sunlight,…
Why did Americans spend more than $149 billion on home remodeling projects in 2005, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies? Why is one hour of programming on HGTV drawing bigger audiences than news programming on CNN or…
Some renovations speak to the best instincts of everyone involved, as was the case with Mayfair, a Shingle-style home in York Harbor, Maine, that became the Old York Historical Society’s 2007 Decorator Show House. Having once been a gracious summer…
If you wanted to bring more art into your life, you could always move into the Louvre but a more practical option—one that doesn’t require a passport—comes your way in August when the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen holds its…
Seventeenth-century English writer Dr. William Butler said it best: “Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.” Butler was referring, of course, to strawberries, which make their annual and welcome “here comes summer” appearance in…
EVERYONE ENJOYS the explosion of color in a sunny summer garden, but for a fantasy come true, consider creating a moon garden. The concept is simple. Think of the way the full moon sparkles on snowy yards on winter nights,…
As a child growing up in Peterborough, Jason Hackler had no idea that his history would one day merge with that of the old Goyette Museum on the Nubanusit River in the middle of town. Although he always had liked…
April and Mike Mason of Stratham recently finished building their new Seacoast home. At its heart is an elegant yet understated kitchen, with more than enough space for the couple to prepare dinner together while their two young daughters do…
It’s taken Patty Humphrey thirty years, but she’s created ten lush gardens around her elegant Chichester farmstead, giving color and depth to the sweeping mountain views in the distance. “It takes about twenty years to build a really nice garden,…
Each spring we gardeners look forward to the changes and challenges that another season brings, carefully selecting new plants that suit soil and light conditions, and make our gardens even lovelier to look at. Another way of deepening the garden’s…
There are 151 apartments in the seventeen-story highrise at 555 Canal Street in Manchester, but one unit truly stands above the others. This penthouse, the home of Irwin and Margie Muskat, also is the height of elegance in which the…
EVERYONE ENJOYS the explosion of color in a sunny summer garden, but for a fantasy come true, consider creating a moon garden. The concept is simple. Think of the way the full moon sparkles on snowy yards on winter nights,…
As a child growing up in Peterborough, Jason Hackler had no idea that his history would one day merge with that of the old Goyette Museum on the Nubanusit River in the middle of town. Although he always had liked…
It’s taken Patty Humphrey thirty years, but she’s created ten lush gardens around her elegant Chichester farmstead, giving color and depth to the sweeping mountain views in the distance. “It takes about twenty years to build a really nice garden,…
Each spring we gardeners look forward to the changes and challenges that another season brings, carefully selecting new plants that suit soil and light conditions, and make our gardens even lovelier to look at. Another way of deepening the garden’s…
Lisa Schultz and Kraig Burnham of Merrimack have been steadily reshaping their home. Once the kitchen and upstairs bath were renovated, Schultz and Burnham realized that the master bath needed work to keep up with the home’s growing modern appeal.…
Like humans, our feathered friends have distinct preferences when it’s time to house hunt. For robins, a tree is the bee’s knees, while phoebes like to nest on a ledge or tucked under the eaves. But other birds are even…
