A peek behind the scenes

As the Copy Chief/Production Editor for Country Home, I seldom venture beyond our editorial offices in Des Moines. But last September, I was able to attend a photo shoot at a charming home in the country near Leesburg, Virginia, as a team of four (one of our magazine’s editors, the producer/stylist who had found this great home, and a photographer and her assistant) met to capture the home’s beauty and inspiration for our readers. “Some Things New, Some Things Old” (beginning on page 94 in the May 2007 issue of Country Home) tells the story of this farmhouse that has been given a fresh look with simple, sophisticated style. Here are some behind-the-scenes photos I took during the two-day shoot.

—Susan WeaverSenior Building and Design Editor Meredith Ladik peers through the camera to see what the photographer has framed to shoot on the home’s front porch. Much of the inventory for Caroline’s shop in Leesburg, Ekster Antiques and Uniques, is housed in the big red barn in the background. It’s also her workspace where she paints some of the antiques and new furniture she sells at Ekster (www.eksterantiques.com).

The front-porch photo (that eventually wound up on page 97 of our magazine) seemed to be missing something. To add a punch of color and some height to the porch table, stylist Jean Norman grabbed a pitcher from the kitchen to fill with flowers. She went to the side of the house and simply snipped some branches from blooming shrubbery.

Editor Meredith Ladik and photographer Helen Norman view what has been digitally photographed thus far on Helen’s laptop computer, checking the composition of the photos, color accuracy, et cetera.

We couldn’t have found a more gracious, hospitable family as our crew invaded their home for two days last September: Caroline Verschoor, her husband, Jon-Paul Saunier, daughters Sofie (7 years old at the time of the photo shoot) and Gwenaël (4 years old at the time of the shoot), and their faithful family dog, Rosco.

Rosco is an eager but gentle participant in many of Sofie’s and Gwenaël’s playtime activities. The family also has two cats, Furball and Foxy.

I didn’t have an “official” job on this photo shoot, so I adopted the unofficial role of “kid wrangler.” When her big sister was at school and Gwenaël wasn’t needed to pose for the camera or otherwise “assist” the photographer, we enjoyed such activities as reading together and exploring the outdoors on our stick horses. Giddyup!

Good “Buds”

Neighbors make good "buds." From the quick "hello" across the fence to the way they shovel your walk or bring in the garbage cans while you are away... there is nothing like a great neighbor. Aside from those friendly courtesies, there are so many other benefits from neighbors... an inspiring garden border of blooms that you spy from your kitchen window... a luminous exterior paint color that gives you a lift every time you see it... an exotic leafy tree that beckons you to take a walk just so you can soak up its beauty.

For our spring story on flowering branches, I called on a couple that lived up the street from us when we resided in Webster, New Hampshire. Jenny and I met them one day when looking for a Christmas tree. (They had a hillside full and a handmade sign that said "you cut.") We were first drawn to their "neck of the woods" by the tree sign, but were then taken with the beauty of their home and landscape. An early yellow cape gently set in amongst the forest so that the house and outbuildings looked like they sprouted right out of the ground. Everything there was like a pretty picture... real life with simple, utilitarian items set against the rustic nuances of true-blue country.
The pair have been absolutely lovely to Jenny and I over the years, and we have been to their home on many different seasons for different photo shoots. Last spring was a particularly memorable shoot there. New Hampshire had experienced an abundance of spring rains and the fields and trees were lush and overflowing. I arrived at the location with photographer David Meredith, my wife and coordinator, Jenny, and my assistant, Lisa. Like so many times before, we strolled the property and visited the homeowners’ summer living room (a space between the barn and back shed that is constructed of wide-plank pine boards and aged to a rich, rustic patina). It has screened walls on each side and is filled with great country pieces.

We borrowed the dining chairs and brought them out under the apple tree and placed them around a table amid the tall meadow grasses. The summer living room became a great background for our cut branch ideas, including a simple day bed we constructed from a twin bed set and some fresh country linens. (See photo.) You know what you are shooting is special when you long to sit at the table you have set up, or sleep in the bed that has been newly made. But when you see a lush blossom pop off the page like you can touch it and smell it, then you know, positively, that you have captured the essence of the season.

The sun was warm and glorious those two days at my favorite country house and we enjoyed the smell of the earth, the beauty of the apple blossoms, and the brilliance of dandelions set against the luminous blades of new spring grass. These are moments to remember, captured beautifully in the pages of the April 2007 issue of Country Home.

Our "good buds" (neighbors and blossoms) inspired all kinds of fun projects: Our table was set with a paper runner made of gift wrap with forced-branch motifs fastened together with double-stick tape; Country Home Style Editor Jennifer Kopf found the best dinner plates with a forced-branch detail in the center; I gathered an array of bottles, glasses, and vases and filled them with the cut branches and buds. (I use the advice I once received from a florist with 60 years of experience, adding seltzer water to woody stemmed branches. The seltzer water should be about half of the liquid in the vase. It gives them a little longer life.) I am heartened to look at these pages over and over and glad to share this special part of spring. Thank you to our dear former neighbors and their special spot in the country.

Matthew Mead

Lambing season

March, as the saying goes, roars in like a lion and leaves like a lamb. On our farm, March not only leaves like a lamb, but it also leaves behind lambs. Because March is the start of lambing season for us and for our small flock of Cheviot and Jacob-cross ewes.

It never seems to fail that a big storm sends ewes into labor. Although there is ample space in the barn, some laboring ewes wander out into the storm and their lambs are born unceremoniously dropped head first into a snow bank. Others nestle into straw nests in the barn and deliver their lambs without help or incidence. But some need help—and my husband, Doug, and I play midwife.

The first week of March brought a howling storm that raged for two days and piled drifts of snow against the farm outbuildings. Inside the barn, a skittish first-time-mom Cheviot ewe went into labor at around 10 p.m. Two hours later (after several late-night calls to our sheep-raising neighbors, Larry and Sandy, and our vet), we hand delivered (actually pulled out feet first) a giant ewe lamb.

It was dicey for a while…when the lamb came sliding out, she was wet, listless and her tongue was navy blue and hanging out of her mouth. Doug wrapped her in a terrycloth towel and rubbed her vigorously. Outside, the wind howled and blew the snow around in circles in front of the barn door.
For what seemed like hours (it was minutes) we anxiously watched the wet little body for any sign of life. And then she gave it to us. She twitched, she jerked, she opened up her eyes, and gave out a strong “bahhhh.” Her mom, also somewhat listless, raised her head and called back to her lamb.

For what seemed like hours (it was minutes) we anxiously watched the wet little body for any sign of life. And then she gave it to us. She twitched, she jerked, she opened up her eyes, and gave out a strong “bahhhh.” Her mom, also somewhat listless, raised her head and called back to her lamb.

Here’s to an eventful spring for all of us.
Karen Weir-Jimerson

We thought this big Cheviot lamb was going to be twins!

A Behind-the-Scenes Look

I’m thrilled to be able to share my new home with all of you in the April issue of Country Home. Isn’t it great the magazine is doing a “green” issue? I hope you love it as much as I do.

When reading this post, it may be helpful to have the April magazine on hand. You can also CLICK HERE to see four sets of the “before and after” photos. I think—if anything—these photos prove that, with a little paint and some imagination, any room can be transformed into a comfortable, beautiful, living space.

BUYING THE HOUSE
I fell in love with this house the first time I saw it. After touring 20 homes, I knew the instant I stepped foot in this 1920s bungalow that it was mine. Even though it was the smallest of all the homes I’d seen, it had the most character and quirks that made it special.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD THING
But with every home, there’s a hitch: This home came fully furnished with the listing price. My accountant—who is not a decorator—thought it was a coup. As a Country Home contributing editor, I thought that was a huge hindrance. I preferred to furnish a home starting with a clean palette—not one already full of furniture, accessories, and even dishes in the cupboard. So as I stressed about what to do with my belongings and this home’s furniture, my realtor said two magic words that eased my mind: “auction house.”

So I sorted through everything—the dishes in the cabinet, the antique books, and the furniture—and marked everything that would go to auction and what would stay. All I kept: a wood bed upstairs, a blue bucket, the medicine cabinet (which I recycled into a BBQ station outdoors), a few stools and chairs, and the bottle of champagne in the fridge (which was consumed on the first night). The auction house came and picked up everything else, and a few weeks later, I had a check for them for the goods that sold. Yeah! Fast cash.

BASIC RENOVATIONS
First things first: The upstairs bedroom needed to be painted. Before, it felt like a dark cave: dark wood ceiling, dark wood beams, dark wood floors. You needed lamps even in the day to see around. So I hired a local painter to come in and paint the whole thing cream, using an eco-friendly paint from Benjamin Moore. The whole room brightened up and it became a bedroom.

THE KITCHEN
The kitchen was awkward from the start: A tiny campfire stove that barely could cook one pot. A gigantic fridge in an awkward position. A beveled wooden countertop didn’t have any storage space underneath. So many “What were they thinking?” questions popped in my head.

First, I donated the refrigerator and other appliances—including a weird washer-dryer combo machine (it washed and dried your clothes). They were quickly snatched up. I recycled everything else, including the stainless-steel sink and the stove, by taking them to the scrap yard.

When remodeling day came, there in front of my tiny home were giant trucks from Lowe’s and Kraftmaid—which caused a traffic jam. And the traffic jam only got worse when both FEDEX and UPS showed up to drop off overnight packages. I wanted to hide in the house. I just kept thinking, “This is not how you introduce yourself to the neighbors.”

The kitchen, after just two weeks of renovation, is now a lean, green, working machine! I modeled it after a galley-style NYC kitchen with the best of the best appliances (most energy-efficient Energy Star) and eco-friendly countertops (http://www.icestone.biz/) and backsplashes (http://www.glasstile.com/) made from recycled glass.

THE CRAFT ROOM/OFFICE
I loved the color of this room and thought it was very cute and “country” But what was the point of it?

This is a great example of turning an extra room (it could be a spare bedroom or a room in the basement) and making it into something useful. Lots of shelves hold craft supplies. An extra wooden board from the kitchen renovation is now the worktable. And two faux iron flower pots act as table bases. I really love having all of my crafting supplies in one place. It’s nice not to do a project and then pack it all up and hide it in a box in the closet. I can dream up recycling projects in my head and try them out here. Many of the projects you see in “Fresh Thinking” in Country Home are concocted right here.

Let me know what you think. For more, visit my blog at http://www.dannyseo.typepad.com/ to see the evolution of my little, green bungalow home.

Thanks!

Danny Seo

Winter Antics

In winter, the cold temps and deep snow in the barnyard keep all the animals in low gear. The horses stand with their backs to the wind, facing our white barn to soak up the reflective warmth. The sheep stand in a tight circle. And the donkeys usually loiter in the barn because they seem to distain the concept of winter on every level. (After all, they’re originally from Sicily, so winter must seem like some sort of cruel joke to them).

A typical winter day in the barnyard is business as usual for all the animals: hay breakfast, a couple hours of standing around, a walk to the trough for a drink, more standing around, then dinner (oh boy, hay again!).

But every once in a while, when the sun is strong and the wind is absent, the horses feel frisky.
Sam is usually the instigator of the barnyard games. First, he’ll roll around in the snow or mud, covering his beautiful blonde coat in muck. Then he’ll gallop around the paddock a couple of times, eying the other horses, donkeys, and sheep, who watch him warily. He tries to generate interest by kicking up his heels, bucking up and down, and shaking his blonde mane. Sometimes he’ll give a hearty “let’s go” neigh.

His horse buddy Ben sometimes takes up the offer and they chase each other around galloping, biting, kicking, and often sliding into fences, creating giant divots in the paddock. But if Ben isn’t in the mood for play, he’ll warn off Sam by flattening his ears in a menacing way. Yukon, our quarter horse, just gives Sam “the look” and Sam backs away.

With no horses to play with, Sam moves down the food chain to the sheep. They never want to play with Sam—ever. But Sam doesn’t pick up on that and he gallops recklessly into the flock and scatters the sheep in all directions (I call this action “sheep bowling”). Once there’s movement (fleeing sheep), Sam is deluded into thinking that they’re playing with him and he’s happy. Sometimes he’ll lower his head and chase some poor ewe around the paddock for a minute. Then he takes a couple of victory laps alone, dips in for a gulp of water at the trough, and settles back down for an afternoon of standing around until dinner.

Are you ready for gardening season?

The past two summers I've had a date with a great love—Ireland—first through a press trip organized by Tourism Ireland, then on a photo shoot of our favorite spots for Country Gardens magazine. We visited gardens and gardeners in the counties of the Irish Midlands: County Offaly, County Wicklow, County Roscommon. And we drove north to Enniskillen on the banks of Lough Erne in Northern Ireland.

The best part about interviewing gardeners along our travels is that every garden is so different. From grand estates to backyard cottage gardens, each is created by geography, season, weather—and the limitless imagination of their gardeners.

Ireland is a simply dreamy place to garden. In midsummer, perennials, annuals, and roses (oh my, the roses!) were a gush of bloom.

I think that great gardeners—and I wouldn’t hesitate calling any one of the people we met a great gardener—are surprised and pleased at seeing their own gardens through the eyes of someone else. And I was pleased to be those set of eyes. Gardeners are a generous, humble, and creative group. And even though they may be able to rattle off the names of one hundred plants in Latin in a single breath, I’ve never met a gardener who was boastful.

To discover more about Irish gardens and to meet the gardeners we interviewed, check out the Spring 2007 issue of Country Gardens magazine.

Want to breathe the rich and magical air of the Irish landscape right here in America? Then come to the Philadelphia Flower Show March 4-11. The theme this year is “Legends of Ireland.” I’ll be speaking there on March 4th, along with Country Gardens Editor Samantha Thorpe; David Speer, garden photographer and Editorial Manager of the Better Homes & Gardens Garden Group; James Baggett, Editor of Perennials and Nature’s Gardens magazines; and my husband, Doug Jimerson, Editor-in-Chief of Better Homes and Gardens’ Garden Group.

And I’ll report back here with photos of my favorite displays.

Hope to see you there.

Karen Weir-Jimerson

BACK STAGE AT A COVER SHOOT

One of my recent projects was creating a cover shot for the March Bed and Bath issue of Country Home magazine. Many times the covers originate from houses that are photographed for the magazine. But other times, when we are introducing fresh ideas like new bedding, we "create" a sumptuous setting to show off updated style with a twist. This photo shoot was no exception.

I typically meet with Style Editor Jennifer Kopf and we chat about colors and ideas as well as trends and fresh style choices. Jen found lots of great new bedding ideas in the marketplace. We both were drawn to the traditional navy blue-and-white scheme that is so prevalent in this year’s new linens.

It was up to me to find a location, a bed, and just the right props to bring it together as a room. A friend with a rustic barn (which could really be a guest house) helped us out with an amazing location. I had a great Oak Victorian bed in my prop room that had been painted white, and I looked for all types of coordinating props at antiques shops and flea markets in my area.

I wanted to update the bed, so I gave it a coat of flat latex paint in gray from Pratt and Lambert and then a coat of specially mixed glaze. It gave the bed a simplicity and heirloom depth that just wasn't there with high-gloss oil paint. I also needed a paint color for the wall and wasn't sure what direction I would take. While going through some props to put away, I found a vintage Haager planter in chartreuse perched atop an English-made navy blue-and-white transferware platter. Aha! Tradition topped with a twist!

I took the planter to the paint store and matched the paint with Pratt and Lambert, and then painted the wall. To my delight, the color combination was pure magic—beautiful and sophisticated bedding with a bright shot of color to liven things up a bit.

One of my favorite things about this setting is that it is a great color foundation for any bedding color combination. The simple gray-tone furnishings would mix well with pinks and greens, softer shades of blue and yellow, and an array of lavender tones. Creating a look like this will help you easily change your bedroom with a fresh set of sheets for every mood.

Many times readers write and ask me how to get their bed to look as lush as the ones that we photograph, so I have developed a little check list of my favorite ways to add a bit of feathering to your nest and end up with a bed that looks just like it does in the magazine:

MATTHEW MEAD'S TIPS FOR CREATING THE BED OF YOUR DREAMS

* If it’s been a while, flip your mattress and layer on a quilted mattress protector. Get out your iron—it may be a bit of work, but there is nothing like ironed sheets when slipping into a freshly made bed.

* On top of the quilted mattress protector, place in layers: a sheepskin liner and a feather-filled mattress topper, then a cotton flat sheet; tautly tuck in the sheet. This will form the base layer on the mattress itself. Then add the top sheet, the comforter slipped into a duvet (I prefer two comforters for a fluffier look—I use small stationery clips to hold the two comforters together), and then all of your additional blankets and quilts for added warmth and pretty style for the foot of the bed.

* I like six pillows total and I prefer vintage feather, but there are beautiful new pillows on the market. Consider some Euro pillows to prop yourself up when reading. For added comfort, slip pillows into quilted covers before adding the final pillowcase. And for the most decadent final treatment, spritz pillows with a lavender linen spray.

* The last layer is a couple of decorative throw pillows to add a bit of interest and texture. You might find a vintage floral or heirloom embroidered piece which creates a lovely focal point and a bit of whimsy.

* Make sure your bedside table has a great lamp for reading, writing, or working on your laptop, and—of course—a place for fresh flowers and a drink.