Upcott Barton in Devon glows in the late evening sun Having the right image that will draw the maximum number of buyers has never been more important When it comes to marketing a prime property With ever-decreasing attention spans online it only takes a couple of seconds for a potential buyer to discount a house This means using professional photographers — never amateurs or phone snapshots — to ensure the highest quality images that truly reflect the home ‘For brochures, we typically feature the best angle of the property on the front cover to create immediate impact,' says Charlotte Hall of Knight Frank’s Country Department 'While the inside front cover includes a striking aerial or wide-angle image that highlights the full setting including any key features such as a tennis court When relaunching a property after the winter months, think about refreshing the photography, recommends Oliver Custance Baker, head of National Country House Department at Strutt & Parker ‘A new set of visuals helps create the feeling of a brand-new launch and a different angle might just catch the eye of someone who previously scrolled past Even buyers who saw it online a few months ago may view it with fresh eyes.’ Blue Book an estate agency which sets out to sell beautiful properties defined by quality rather than price geography or condition have relaunched several houses that had previously been marketed with other agents the new photography takes such a different approach to presenting the house to the market that buying agents express surprise they haven’t seen the property before — they have Both use architectural photographers who take images of the rooms but also seek to highlight what they describe as ‘smaller vignettes’ and characterful details of each property a stark contrast to the more conventional approach of having lights on in a room ‘It takes the conversation away from just the bricks and focuses instead on the more intangible romantic parts of what makes a beautiful home,’ explains Georgina Grunfeld head of Prime at The Modern House & Inigo Blue Book use a variety of photographers who specialise in different areas such as Georgina Preston as well as interiors photographers including Boz Gagowski ‘We’ve thought long and hard about photography at Blue Book,’ explains Lindsay Cuthill who co-founded the estate agency after working as the head of country houses at Savills I firmly believe that it has a place — sometimes you need that level of pzazz for a particular type of house It just needs to be property appropriate.’ A post shared by Georgina Preston (@georginaprestonphoto) The majority of properties sold through Blue Book are historical and are less-than-perfect in their presentation The Blue Book approach is to embrace that atmosphere by keeping the lights off in photographs and preventing each bed from having crisp hospital corners ‘Something I’ve found over my career is that the more immaculate the house is the less forgiving the photographs,’ says Mr Cuthill House Collective is a London-based agency with two offices in Primrose Hill and Notting Hill take a more editorial approach to photography ‘We’ve always believed that selling a home is about more than measurements and floorplans – it’s about emotion,’ says co-founder Jonathan Brandling-Harris ‘The homes we represent are full of beauty sterile photography never sat right with us We wanted imagery that did them justice – that captured the softness of light through a Crittall window the stillness of a walled garden at dusk.’ what goes into the brochure tends to be a collaborative approach between the owner and agent ‘Clients know their own homes best,’ says Ms Grunfeld ‘Some prefer having a bit more creative control while others are happy for us to take the lead.’ Be sure that the photographer captures aspects of the home that are most loved ‘Whether that’s the view of the house from a certain part of the garden or how the light comes in through the windows in the spring.’ It's a good idea not to give the whole game away in the photographs ‘When it comes to choosing what goes in the brochure either online or on paper we deliberately don’t show everything,’ explains Mr Cuthill ‘We might show a corner rather than the whole room — it piques curiosity.’ ‘Some see the images and think the house looks a bit dark or that we’re missing what clients consider to be the best angle But in the same way that we are often much more critical of our own portraits — and see things that others miss — it’s helpful to have an outside eye to establish how to present the house to market You need someone new to look through the lens We see things differently to the owners and pick out elements that are more relevant to the market that they might not have spotted.’ While on the subject of being open to different views and perspectives be prepared for photographers to suggest small furniture adjustments on the day of the shoot to enhance the layout The consensus is yes — but don’t go too far to remove the atmosphere from a room leaving it clinical or hotel-like we recommend decluttering and ensuring each room has a clear removing gym equipment from a living room,’ says Ms Hall ‘Small touches like fresh flowers add colour and warmth and we always advise smoothing out creased bed sheets It’s also important to tidy away trailing wires from lamps or chargers to keep spaces looking clean and inviting.’ Be mindful of the pitfalls of de-cluttering at speed ‘Trying to hide belongings under beds and sofas is rarely successful,’ warns Sarah Cull of Strutt & Parker in Salisbury ‘It’s amazing how these things end up popping out in a photo.’ If there is a plan to do any painting to touch up areas she thinks that adding a pop of colour is a good idea ‘A bright shade catches the eye and can draw attention away from less aesthetic features.’ Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Fritz G. Vogt, 1894, colored and graphite pencil on paper, The Lynk Homestead, Leesville Fritz G. Vogt drew this pencil drawing of the Lynk Homestead, in Leesville He slept in barns and relieved the pain of rheumatism with alcohol He spoke broken English and died at the Montgomery County almshouse in Yosts in 1900 And he left a collection of 200 drawings that became the subject of an exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City in 2003 The retrospective was also displayed in Cooperstown and Orlando Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content More Bob Cudmore AMSTERDAM — After making the most of temporary quarters in recent years 101 has settled into its new home and me… Have the latest local news delivered every morning so you don't miss out on updates Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Have the latest food and drink articles delivered to your inbox every Thursday Have the latest local news delivered every afternoon so you don't miss out on updates Sign up today to receive email newsletters of local daily obituaries Get the Register Star and Daily Mail E-edition delivered directly to your inbox Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The leading authority for the Architecture & Design community Recharge in a Restored Spanish Farmhouse in Menorca but they’re ones that come with plenty of rustic charm With a mix of traditional accents and contemporary designs the modern farmhouse aesthetic offers the perfect recipe for rest and relaxation—albeit one with many variations From eco-conscious builds that blend into their surroundings to chic abodes outfitted with the latest technology here are modern country houses that are stunning in their get-away-from-it-all simplicity Editor’s note: This story was originally published July 12 2019 and has been updated to include more modern country houses.  Read more: 15 Incredible Pools from Around the World Read more: 10 Bright and Modern Beach Houses Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Spring is my favourite time of year — and not just for the vibrant green canopy that comes with longer The countryside seems to breathe again after months of greyness with daffodils giving way to cherry blossoms and birdsong returning in earnest spring holds particular importance in my professional world as it marks the start of the country house selling season is when many country homes launch onto the market In some years up to 50 per cent of annual sales begin during this short period Much of winter is spent quietly preparing — agents trudging through frosty gardens with photographers and surveyors World War II’s impact on the British home front was dramatic and wide-ranging and one example of a change ushered in by the war effort was the requisitioning of country houses and stately homes as seen in Season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small Mark Roodhouse of the History Department at the University of York shared insights with MASTERPIECE about the program that sent community stalwart Mrs from Pumphrey Manor to the estate’s cottage While All Creatures Great and Small’s Pumphrey Manor is requisitioned by the army as a convalescent hospital country homes were used for a variety of purposes “Some country houses became host to evacuees in large numbers Others were requisitioned by the government for civil servants—there was a policy of disbursing government departments out of London so that they couldn’t all be bombed so you sometimes got outposts in country houses.” Some houses were requisitioned by the government for military purposes Others might be used for the secret services those tended to be more in the south than our fictional Pumphrey Hall in the Yorkshire Dales Roodhouse cited a house closer to the world of All Creatures Great and Small with a particularly crucial wartime purpose was where the royal family was to be evacuated to if there was an invasion—they would be brought up out of London to the north and put in Newby Hall So that gives you a sense of how safe the area was thought to be where Alf Wight [the real James Herriot] was.” it wasn’t all bad for the owners displaced from their ancestral seats they might still live in part of the house And who’s paying the heating bills for the other bit it became really expensive and difficult to heat those big houses so if you can take out all your precious stuff and then let the military or someone else use the other part of the house and keep it warm it actually might be in the interest of the house Sign up to get the latest news on your favorite dramas and mysteries get updates on your favorite dramas and mysteries Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Subscribe to the free MASTERPIECE newsletter for updates on shows like Miss Austen No, thanks This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reaching 100 years in business is an extraordinary milestone reportedly achieved by less than half of one percent of companies United Country Real Estate proudly joins that elite group marking a century of innovation and dedicated service in lifestyle Chamberlain revolutionized the way rural properties were advertised and marketed he developed a groundbreaking approach to connect small-town real estate experts with urban buyers Chamberlain’s efforts included the creation of America’s first national estate catalog in 1928 an innovation so impactful it earned a place in the Smithsonian Institution United Country thrives in what’s known as lifestyle and rural real estate a segment of the industry that reflects working farms and ranches The company has grown into a network of nearly 500 brokerage offices and 4,000 agents across the United States and in select international markets United Country continues to lead the industry through advanced marketing tools and comprehensive support for its affiliates “The heart of United Country’s success lies in its people and its property focus,” said United Country Real Estate President Mike Duffy our affiliates and employees created a family-oriented culture rooted in collaboration expertise and a deep commitment to serving our clients Their passion has carried us through challenges like the Great Depression United Country is hosting a yearlong celebration that includes a 100-Year Anniversary Convention in Kansas City in late February The company will showcase its history through events promotional campaigns and features that highlight its remarkable journey United Country remains dedicated to its founder’s mission As more people seek refuge from urban life in favor of wide-open spaces and greater affordability the company will continue delivering unmatched service and expertise in lifestyle “The challenges we’ve faced over the last century have shaped who we are,” Duffy said and more committed than ever to helping new generations find their freedom in the country.” United Country Real Estate (at UnitedCountry.com) is the leading and largest fully-integrated network of conventional and auction real estate professionals specializing in lifestyle The company has been an innovator in real estate marketing since 1925 comprehensive national advertising program This exclusive program includes the highest-ranked and largest portfolios of specialty lifestyle property marketing websites the largest internal real estate advertising agency an extensive database of more than 1 million opt-in buyers and additional proprietary programs to advertise properties more broadly The 250th anniversaries of both the painter J W Turner and the writer Jane Austen will be celebrated with an exhibition at Harewood House This will likely be the question on everyone's lips when the venue hosts a Murder Mystery Evening in late June Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire will host a photography exhibition on Jewish country houses Leeds Castle in Kent will play host to a concert in July which will feature a Spitfire fly-over and a fireworks display Bear Grylls probably won't be allowed to go wild in one of the bedrooms at Holkham Hall in Norfolk when he hosts his 'Gone Wild Festival' in the grounds The Agria FEI Eventing European Championships will take place at Blenheim Palace in September Here are 40 events being held at country houses this summer birdwatching to motor-racing and horse trials May 2–4 BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, Beaulieu May 2–October 19 Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter, Harewood House May 3–5 Spring Fine Food Market, Burghley Doddington Hall was inherited by Colonel George Jarvis in 1930 and the owners are his direct descendants The Hall contains a rather marvellous library May 3–5 Hertfordshire Garden Show, Knebworth May 4 Bluebell & Wild Garlic Sunday, Pencarrow May 5 Dawn Chorus Birdwatch, Doddington Hall May 7–11 MARS Badminton Horse Trials, Badminton May 8 Old Time Sailors concert, Cambo estate May 17–18 Goodwoof, Goodwood May 25–26 Living Heritage Game and Country Fair, Burghley May 24–26 The Queen’s Joust, Leeds Castle June 4–July 6 The Grange Opera Festival, The Grange June 5 Twelfth Night, Athelhampton House June 5 Jazz on the Tea Terrace, Kelmarsh Hall June 8 LEAF Open Farm Sunday, Gaddesden estate June 21 Murder Mystery Evening, Picton Castle Until June 22 Discovering Jewish Country Houses: Photographs by Hélène Binet, Waddesdon Manor June 7–8 Homes & Gardens Fair, Boughton House June 21–22 Painting the Walled Garden Oil Painting Workshop, Holkham Hall The race track at Goodwood was once the perimeter road of RAF Westhampnett It was used to train pilots during the Battle of Britain July 3 Old Time Sailors, Hedingham Castle July 4–6 Paradhis Festival, Boconnoc July 4–6 GWCT Scottish Game Fair, Scone Palace July 10–13 Festival of Speed, Goodwood July 12 Battle Proms Concert, Burghley July 12 The Leeds Castle Concert, Leeds Castle July 12–13 The Flower and Garden Show, Belvoir Castle July 17–20 The Wild Gardens Festival, Port Eliot July 20 Cowdray Park Polo Gold Cup final, West Sussex July 25–27 The Game Fair, Ragley Hall August 2 Battle Proms, Highclere Castle August 3 Tudorly Terrible History, Berkeley Castle August 7–10 Gone Wild Festival with Bear Grylls, Holkham Hall August 9–10 Motors By The Moat, Leeds Castle August 9–10 Galloway Country Fair, Drumlanrig Castle It has been used as a filming location for but also the the Apple TV series The Buccaneers August 20 Romeo and Juliet, Beaulieu August 21–24 Leeds Festival, Bramham Park August 29–31 Chatsworth Country Fair September 4–7 Defender Burghley Horse Trials September 12–14 Goodwood Revival, Goodwood September 18–21 Agria FEI Eventing European Championships, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. Private country-house tours are also available Country LifeCountry Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online The spring sunshine has brought with it a slew of cottages and country piles for sale there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface this year that could result in a sunnier housing market for buyers hoping to sniff out a discount Dorset is available for £4.95 million with Strutt & ParkerHARBOUR VIEWMost English councils increased council tax for second homes by 100 per cent on April 1 and those buying second homes are now paying up to 17 per cent stamp duty for the most expensive properties since the government increased the tax last October This has opened up a window of opportunity for buyers of properties in holiday destinations A long-ago shift of a portion of seasonal home property taxes away from schools is messing with communities who has introduced legislation to replace a portion of the taxes DULUTH – A decades-old shift of some property taxes paid by cabin and second home owners has meant millions in lost revenue for lakes-heavy Minnesota school districts a portion of property tax that last year totaled about $42 million has been paid by seasonal property owners to the state’s general fund but it’s been especially devastating to school districts in northeast and central Minnesota cabin country he’s trying to push through a bill that would move some of the seasonal property taxes back to schools an easier request than shifting it all back to the school districts It’s intended to reduce the financial burden on residents asked to approve property tax increases for classroom costs including teachers and educational programs Hauschild said at a recent Senate tax committee hearing that these are property taxes paid by seasonal residents Some of the poorest communities in the state but they struggle to pass operational levies to raise money for their schools “It’s incredibly inequitable,” Hauschild said. “It’s the opposite of the Minnesota Miracle and regaining some of that tax revenue would help The Grand Rapids school district of 4,000 students has eliminated 70 teacher and aid positions in the past five years and in 2023 suffered a crushing rejection of an operating levy “Tax revenue from cabin properties in Grand Rapids should stay in Grand Rapids for our students,” said Grand Rapids teacher and former union president Carol Copp “The burden is falling squarely on the shoulders of community members who do not own million-dollar homes on the lake These are community members working two and three jobs.” With seasonal properties making up 30% of the city’s tax base that money would have been “a game changer,” she said for schools dealing with large class sizes and cuts to programs and jobs rural school districts fight to raise the kind of money that metro-area districts more easily can making ZIP codes determinants of a students' education To offer immediate relief to districts with levies already in place $8.8 million would need to be allocated this session a lobbyist for the Minnesota Rural Education Association A formula would determine how much of a “discount” a district would get for an operating levy More than 90 school district’s are without an operating levy A portion of the taxes paid by seasonal property owners continue to go to schools for things like debt service and building projects; the only carve-out is for the educational expenses operating levies pay for At a hearing last week he said aside from tax revenue loss the number of seasonal homes in northeastern districts means less year-round housing for people with families and kids attending area schools but I think that’s something we should consider The bill doesn’t propose changes to taxes that seasonal property owners pay and districts would still need voter approval to increase levies But it would give them more leverage to convince voters said Lake Superior School District Superintendent Gina Kleive whose district includes Two Harbors and Silver Bay and runs north to the Canadian border School districts lobbying at the Capitol in recent days said they’ve maxed out their various levies we have zero dollars in all those areas,’” Kleive said Jana Hollingsworth is a reporter covering a range of topics in Duluth and northeastern Minnesota for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new North Report newsletter. Minneapolis Minneapolis’ 2025 city elections will include Mayor Jacob Frey defending his post and all 13 city council seats on the ballot It’s a key step toward the opening of Minnesota’s marijuana market The Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct didn’t move to investigate or dismiss the complaint A yoga class at the Avalon Wellbeing Centre at Broughton Sanctuary Weddings — with the Nero String Quartet — are doubly joyful at Iscoyd Park pleasing the newlyweds and preserving the house for Phil and Susie Godsal country house owners are getting creative to keep their estates alive The question of how best to juggle commercial enterprise and still preserve the magic is nothing new for country-house owners as the minutes of a meeting held 60 years ago at Chatsworth drainage and Joseph Paxton’s greenhouses was estimated to cost up to £10,000 a year (nearly £200,000 now) yet those present agreed that the provision of a café to raise more money from visitors would be a jarring presence and encourage litter recorded in her book Counting My Chickens: ‘The idea was that it was unfair and greedy to expect people to part with more money than the entrance fee (five shillings) It only dawned on me slowly that people actually wanted to take something away to remind them of their visit and that they were hungry and thirsty as well.’ The Duchess was a pioneer of diversification she opened a farm shop in a building that once housed a Shire stallion Under the Duchess’s imaginative direction the shop led the way in tasteful yet unmissable branding — it has been seen as a blueprint the days of pulling up the drawbridge and merely ‘living’ in their gracious country house perhaps keeping the estate going through farming and peppercorn rents ‘Not a chance,’ says Roger Tempest He highlights the responsibility such a house has to the neighbourhood and what it can do for local finance and pride ‘With privilege comes responsibility and the custodian is the ultimate protector,’ he points out It’s a complex social tapestry and if only some of the woke could see that it’s not all about hierarchy but that it can be a force for good.’ Tempest founded the company Rural Solutions in the 1990s when diversification in the countryside ‘was not so much a thing’ the route through which ‘we respect the past — human endeavour which we all enjoy — but instead of the house being a relic of the past public fascination continues unabated post-covid; ‘Jane Austen’s England’ topped The New York Times’s list of 50 places Americans should visit in 2025 The cost of entry (generally about the £25–£30 mark but more at places such as Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire) doesn’t seem to be off-putting probably because the visitor experience is now so much more than a couple of hours staring at family portraits country fairs and other events held against these gracious backdrops continue to shore up funds; a law passed in 1994 that allowed marriage ceremonies to take place in country houses was a game changer; and many places now maintain a relentless year-round schedule with Hallowe’en and snowdrop openings Castle Howard in North Yorkshire reported its most successful Christmas as renovation costs soar and political bashing continues from the Conservatives’ dropping of VAT relief on repairs to Labour’s recent hikes in National Insurance and the removal of agricultural property relief New legislation designed to protect the public from aggressive digital marketing could have the unfortunate knock-on effect of imposing restrictions on membership and subscription schemes which at its November AGM will present a new diversification award calculates that its 1,450 or so member properties face a post-pandemic backlog of repairs costing more than £2 billion overall ‘It’s a worrying time,’ says Ben Cowell HH director-general and author of The British Country House Revival 50 years on from the Labour manifesto that threatened extra taxation [The then Chancellor] Denis Healey didn’t pursue his wealth tax in the end — he made it easier to live in your house through a waiver that you had to open it to the public — but these current tax changes do feel like an anti-growth measure I fear will have an impact on our members no matter how inventive and resourceful.’ Cowell previously worked for the National Trust and as a civil servant ‘The big revelation for me at the HH was this exciting world of entrepreneurism so much more dynamic than in the charitable or state sectors You get such a different feel with independently owned places We spoke to three owners who have shaken up tradition to keep their homes intact the Great Gaddesden estate in Hertfordshire which celebrates its 505th anniversary this year was kept afloat by traditional farming; today is a major contributor as a romantic backdrop to outdoor weddings floodlit house and teepees — that’s the vibe we offer,’ says Guy Halsey moved back home from London with his bride There are several rental properties on the estate — farmhouses Halsey’s parents began converting redundant Victorian model farm-type buildings into business units management consultants and The Stampede Stunt Company There are livery stables and local riders can buy estate-ride passes; the eight-mile route includes farm and woodland tracks ‘It’s brought the whole place to life and although it’s no longer a farming community whose family has occupied this part of the county since the 14th century He previously worked for Savills and was a social-housing consultant writing financial models — ‘about the only transferable skill’ he is a full-time farmer in the process of converting to organic ‘With that comes the opportunity to sell directly to farm shops and so on,’ explains Halsey but it’s the direction of travel.’ Half of the estate’s 1,900 acres is arable occupied by other people’s livestock and a Thoroughbred stud Great Gaddesden is part of the North Chilterns Farmer Cluster and a major hedgerow-planting exercise is under way I want to make it the best it can be without Disneyfying it The farm is the relatively poor relation on the estate — the days of the jolly farmer riding around the neighbourhood on horseback are over — but we’re lucky that demand for the things we can offer here is high and we’re in a good part of the country within a National Landscape [the Chilterns] sandwiched between busier places [Hemel Hempstead Our aim is to enhance the place without being stuck in aspic.’ home of the Tempest family since 1097 and the model for Annie Tempest’s famed Tottering-by-Gently cartoon strip is pretty much unrecognisable from her childhood when anti-freeze was poured down the loo during one arctic winter ‘My sister’s cartoon of throwing another dog on the bed is pretty accurate,’ says Tempest ‘Wearing three jumpers and an over-coat inside wasn’t unknown and we have a picture of the billiard table covered in snow.’ renewable energy and a state-of-the-art wellbeing centre offering activities such as moon bathing cold-water immersion and mountain biking — it is the UK’s only Accredited Healing Hotel Tempest lives in a small house on the estate and the 17-bedroom main dwelling can be rented out for parties The surrounding 3,000-acre landscape is tenant farmed and part rewilded — beavers were due to arrive this spring ‘What I’ve experienced is a radical change: the destruction of geography as IT has redefined what a place in the countryside can do how it is integral to the social fabric and how this extraordinary architecture is relevant to the modern age Broughton is all about that,’ says Tempest ‘The politics of envy of the 1970s was a deep wound [to country houses] but when Margaret Thatcher gave us a bit more freedom it changed from selling everything to a sense of purpose and the renaissance began plus many contractors and self-employed workers.’ He continues: ‘Diversification spirals upward — it benefits the church There’s nothing left [financially] at the end of the year but the house fulfils its function and is in beautiful condition class and hierarchy lurks in the background These places are here to be loved by all.’ Phil Godsal is the latest in a long line of Philip Godsals to have lived at Iscoyd Park since Philip Lake Godsal son of the leading coach-builder of his day bought it in 1843 (the house dates to 1737) Georgian house in Flintshire on the North Wales border as Iscoyd’s viability was precarious but its tasteful £1 million transformation into an atmospheric wedding venue — completed only minutes before the first bridal party arrived — is inspired and welcoming ‘My father [also a Philip Godsal] sorted out the deathwatch beetle in the roof and the collapsing outbuildings but we renovated everything else,’ he explains bathrooms added — and completely remodelled so that it worked for parties ‘I hadn’t even worked behind a bar,’ admits Godsal previously a contemporary-art dealer in London and the four of us were doing everything—cooking breakfast We were living in the attic above the dance floor and I came back at 2am one morning to find Susie in tears with three screaming children.’ Current projects are the restoration of the walled kitchen garden and an expansion of the coach-house restaurant which hosts supper clubs and Sunday lunches with a dance floor and bar: ‘It means we can offer a different wedding package; they don’t have to use the house and it will work for smaller parties and late-night bashes It also offers a nice way for couples to return The knock-on effect on the local economy is beneficial: the park employs about 55–60 people sees the current economic outlook as uncertain ‘I think hospitality will take a battering and Owners are not only keeping these national treasures going for themselves but for the wider community; there is a far higher level of access than in past years Yet if private owners can’t keep the roofs on the houses will either die or have to be kept by councils It’s makes for a difficult environment — but at least people are still getting married!’ Americans are buying up mobile homes — and flipping them for big profits she's saying it just takes $3,000 or $5,000 to start?'" Sellers remembers His passengers wanted him to switch to music earning a significant chunk of their income from mentorships and tutorials that help more people like them enter the field While they don't get a lot of attention, mobile homes — "manufactured housing" per marketing and policy wonks or "trailers" in other circles — are the country's biggest source of unsubsidized low-income housing they're becoming increasingly attractive to people who can't afford a traditional site-built home the number of new manufactured homes shipped across the country increased by over 60% and occupancy is as high as it's ever been," a report from the industry publication Multi-Housing News noted in December "They are the lowest cost of homeownership in nearly every market in America." But that's changing in today's housing market LendingTree reported that between 2018 and 2023 the average sales price of new mobile homes went up by almost 60% And the Urban Institute found that while there's more volatility in the manufactured housing market and location matters the homes generally appreciate much like site-built properties "We basically drive through these parks and if they look abandoned who flips mobile homes on the side with her husband We kind of pitch it to them to let them know we can make you all some money and get you a tenant in there if you allow us to fix it up.'" Over the past four years the Josephs have done about 20 deals and have earned about $250,000 They look to sell every home for double what they put into it spying out vacant mobile homes on private property The houses are often considered so worthless that many landowners will sell them for a song I got a mobile home and I want to get rid of it,'" says Michael Wiley "Sometimes they might put a decent little price on it but most of the time they just want to get rid of it." Wiley acquired one for a dollar; for another he paid $1,000 and then sold it for $30,000 Wiley worked in a factory and did graphic design before getting into mobile homes Investors say the downsides of the mobile homes business aren't much different from those of other real estate fields: homes that turn out to be in worse condition than the buyers had thought The sector's high returns are often characterized by desperation Facing a lost spouse or job or some other hardship sellers are often willing to dispose of a home cheaply because they need the quick cash They aren't looking to build equity; they're seeking shelter at a time when both conventional homeownership and rentals have soared out of reach for many Mobile homes exist in an alternate reality one where a home purchase can be completed in a day without the help of attorneys or appraisers where the cost of a used unit floats depending on its actual value to the buyer and seller "If you put a message on Facebook Marketplace saying 'I have a home to sell on payments,' you'd be overwhelmed," says John Fedro He's been in the field since 2002 and now owns several mobile home parks Like the other mom-and-pop investors interviewed for this story he sees himself as providing an important and helpful service that people will happily buy retrofitted homes built before 1976 the year the Department of Housing and Urban Development began regulating mobile homes The earlier homes were more shoddily built with cheaper plumbing and electrical systems Many subsequently raise the rent on the parks' mobile home lots who usually can't afford to move the units Small-scale investors say they're watching the phenomenon as rents climb The Instagram video starts with a drone shot that descends from above and lingers on a couple in matching black T-shirts who are standing in a mobile home park founders of Mobile Home Elite Investors," read the captions accompanied by Jay-Z's "Public Service Announcement." "We currently have five mobile home parks Follow us for mobile home and mobile home park investing." in part because the mobile home market there is so strong Byron realized they could make money teaching others how to do it paid online courses outlining the details of how to find and sell homes and one-on-one mentoring to respond to specific questions "I feel like it gives them the confidence to say Real estate investing requires an aggressive drive and a hustle Jenisha and DaVon Nelson took the Sellerses' online course in 2020 and began implementing their lessons shortly afterward grew up in a mobile home and was intrigued by the concept "It was as simple as taking doughnuts to a park manager to introduce ourselves But their business didn't really take off until they moved from Arizona to Spartanburg and they wear T-shirts sporting their logo wherever they go who leads the Innovations in Manufactured Homes Network at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy says her organization is focused on "addressing issues in the sector explicitly ban manufactured housing in communities all over the country — even though many modern units are indistinguishable from traditional homes And the classic image of a mobile home smashed to bits by a tornado isn't wrong; older homes or those that aren't securely fastened to the ground are vulnerable to extreme weather "Where else in America are you going to find a move-in-ready house for less than $30,000 to $50,000?" Amanda Abrams is a freelance journalist living in Durham From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox A striking timber-framed and Hornton stone house dating back to the 1500s. Main suite, 3 further beds, family bath, shower, kitchen/ recep, 3 further receps, garden, barn, folly. OIEO £975,000; Savills A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Subscribe Now A sweet renaissance in a century-old bayou retreat By CJ Lotz Diego February/March 2025 When Peter Patout craves a break from the bustle that rarely slows near his Bourbon Street home crossing the Atchafalaya River and cypress bayous until he reaches his family’s property thirty miles south of Lafayette in the hamlet that is called—no joke—Patoutville This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply who sells historic properties in Louisiana and Mississippi steps up to the house that his grandparents built sometime around 1925 a Mediterranean Revival with a columned porch anchored in a sugarcane sea “and the birds and crickets provide the background noise You can smell night-blooming jasmine and butterfly ginger along with citrus blossoms in the spring.” To the hum and beat of planting and harvesting the little Patoutville community thrums along in Iberia Parish the same one where peppers grow and become Tabasco sauce where James Lee Burke sets many of his novels where the Blue Dog artist George Rodrigue painted It’s also where Patout invites his many creative friends to steep in the mysteries of Cajun country Ory and Agnes Patout raised six children and ran a store here The entire sugar enterprise at one point included a doctor’s office and Patout’s relatives remain forces in the industry Sugarcane stalks decorate the dining table; views from the porch extend to the expansive farmland beyond Patout’s yard To a young Patout growing up in a sleek midcentury-modern house in nearby Jeanerette the rural retreat invited romps through both nature and family lore “But my first recollection of my grandmother’s house was sipping café au lait and eating biscuits after attending Mass at Old St Nicholas Catholic Church just across the street This church was founded by my family’s French immigrant ancestor who was buried underneath the center aisle.” told me he wanted me to have the house,” Patout says “he was sitting at the kitchen table in the exact spot where my grandmother had sat and where I now sit.” Patout took over the place I have poured my heart into its restoration and care.” And like many country homes this one is named for its matriarch: the Mrs After a family auction divvied up many of the odds and ends that had accumulated over the generations Patout set to addressing the most pressing upkeep needs and restoring the house back to its glory days “Everywhere there was this layer of smoke,” he says “I think someone had smoked in there every day since the 1920s.” He chuckles but then shudders as he recalls “the Sheetrock campaign” and the “synthetic floor with all the glue.” Patout pared those surfaces back to the original pine board walls and heart pine floors “I inherited a house with incredible integrity.” And he put oyster shells as ashtrays outside The sunny sitting room exemplifies Patout’s relaxed approach to hosting all meant for getting cozy with the Louisiana history books scattered about and a big map of the Bayou Teche region hung in a corner he layered in family mementos and treasures from his lifetime of collecting—nineteenth-century oil portraits of his French Creole ancestors and in the central room that he reconfigured into an entertaining hub an epic dining table ringed with ladder-back and rush-seat chairs or armfuls of the Louisiana irises he planted all around the property (Not unrelated: He installed an outdoor shower hidden in a bamboo patch a storybook spot for a post-weeding rinse.) The sun sets over sugarcane; the front sunroom shows off the home’s original pine board walls Four-poster Louisiana canopy beds fill the large bedrooms Patout uncovered a swatch of faded wallpaper in an abandoned manor house in neighboring St He sent it off to the experts at Adelphi Paper Hangings in New York who concluded that it was an 1830s French design The company re-created the print by hand and now sells it in four colors under the name Florence Place Foliate Lauren Buckholtz of Baton Rouge’s Perla Paperhanging covered one of the bedrooms with the pattern in blue The author Natalie Baszile shadowed the area’s sugarcane farmers while writing her stellar 2014 novel Queen Sugar which became a television series produced by Oprah Winfrey Baszile shuttled between her own home in California and both of Patout’s houses “I had never really come across someone who had that deep of a connection to the objects in their home,” Baszile says but it’s not like things are frozen in amber—he lives a rich and textured life He serves breakfast on the dishes; his guests sit in the chairs and sleep in the beds He has been a real teacher to me in the importance of visual storytelling.” Peter Patout; Adelphi Paper Hangings re-created this wallpaper from a faded swatch Patout salvaged Baszile says she’ll always remember watching golden hour on the sleeping porch that Patout transformed into a screened-in sanctuary “I would sit in a wicker chair with the breeze rolling in over the sugarcane fields with the mill in the distance,” Baszile says “When you think about the fact that sugarcane was one of the three crops that built this nation—sugarcane and cotton—you realize you’re at ground zero for the American story in all its beauty Peter’s generosity of spirit allowed me to access this whole world.” Tomatoes ripen on the windowsill above the deep enameled sink and glass-fronted cabinets hold blue-and-white dishes but everything has fulfilled its purpose time and again bearing witness to lifetimes of gatherings Patout still makes his aunt’s recipe for kumquat preserves here He also ages bottles of satsuma-cello liqueur from citrus picked around the property a treat introduced to him by the food historian Poppy Tooker and beloved by his dear late friend and longtime G&G contributing editor Julia Reed and worn cutting boards adorn the cozy kitchen and Field Trips for Letting the Good Times Roll she threw a midday get-together in his leafy Bourbon Street courtyard with Ramos gin fizzes arriving on silver platters before a gumbo lunch that ended with rum-pecan pie Then she devoted an entire chapter to adventures around Patoutville With Patout’s two properties as her examples Reed artfully connected the New Orleans party scene to the wider history of Cajun country Patout had hauled his grandmother’s old harvest table to the backyard and assembled Reed’s guest list of friends with wineglasses in hand and a black Labrador retriever smiling from the grass The next pages laid out the recipe for a heaping shrimp-and-potato spread with lots of garlicky dipping sauce “Since pretty much everything is meant to be eaten with your hands the platter encourages intimacy and camaraderie around the table,” she explained we were all good friends in the first place.” ending the chapter (and it’s only fitting that her spirit have the last word here “with his antiques-filled houses and love of the land honors the past and his own Louisiana history with more joie de vivre and élan than anyone I know.” CJ Lotz Diego is Garden & Gun’s senior editor she wrote G&G’s bestselling Bless Your Heart trivia game she graduated from Indiana University and now lives in Charleston where she tends a downtown pocket garden with her florist husband an award-winning songwriter and a team of interior designers created a haven for creativity a North Carolina family has propagated long lines of lilies and lotuses in their aquatic gardens The future of conservation in the South just got a little bit brighter—and not just for salamanders but they’re the craftsmanship of local crustaceans called lawn lobsters The drawls are receiving a lot of flak across the internet but a North Carolina linguist argues they’re actually pretty accurate The only thing that suggests our nation doesn’t have a housing crisis is the alarming length of time we’ve allowed it to persist without meaningful action we seem to have built little more than another crisis Record-breaking numbers of families are struggling to find affordable housing, with more than 7 million homes lacking for the nation’s 10.8 million extremely low-income families, according to the Low Income Housing Coalition there is no state or county where a full-time minimum wage worker can afford a two-bedroom apartment and 70 percent of extremely low-income families are severely cost-burdened spending more than half their income on rent Part of Jimmy Carter’s legacy includes his involvement with Habitat for Humanity International where his direct participation contributed to the construction of thousands of new homes for families the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project has touched lives around the world by inspiring more than 108,000 volunteers to help build renovate and repair 4,447 homes in 14 countries I’ve served as a keynote at numerous Habitat affiliate events I was honored to serve as the keynote speaker at the annual housing build dedicated to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter The former president was too infirmed to participate last year but I still hold that engagement as one of my highest honors Since Carter’s passing on December 29 countless reflections have emerged about his values The housing crisis is daunting and complicated by a fragmented regulatory environment we see solutions driven by goodwill and ethical leadership that can be replicated across all levels If we commit to building homes like Carter did we can begin to address some of deeper issues that keep us mired in a perpetuating housing crisis So many positive complements have been said about the peanut farmer’s character that should be applied to our collective efforts to address a complex housing market including restrictive zoning ordinances that reflect remnants of segregation a lack of federal policies focused on construction and an abundance of red tape that hinders development Any casual reading of housing policies in the United States will show its connection to segregation and discrimination society has grown to live with many past immoral policy positions tax assessment and lending practices that assume race and not racism is a risk factor Fractured race relations also help keep viable solutions at bay As I walked on the site Carter build in Minneapolis and dedication that truly mirrored the essence of what I’ve read about Carter’s character—qualities that are essential for effectively addressing the housing crisis and racial discord we face today I saw a diverse team of men and women of various races primarily distinguished by their sky-blue hard hats and protective goggles as they swung hammers In conversations with several volunteers and staff members I discovered that they are as diverse as the country itself varying widely in their political beliefs and views on racism their commitment to service and purpose appeared to bridge these differences fostering a sense of unity strong enough to literally build a neighborhood up Habitat for Humanity is undoubtedly providing relief to cities in lieu of a national agenda the nonprofit organization concluded its Cost of Home campaign a five-year advocacy initiative across the United States This campaign saw more than 400 state and local Habitat organizations come together to push for about 500 policy and system changes at all levels of government ultimately benefiting at least 9.5 million individuals by enhancing their access to affordable housing and stability Through the efforts of affiliates involved in this landmark campaign a remarkable $23.6 billion in government funding was generated or allocated Habitat’s Home Equals campaign is a five-year global initiative aimed at helping 15 million residents of informal settlements secure safe the campaign has already helped nearly 3 million people and has successfully led to more than 50 policy and system changes across 12 countries As a researcher who is dedicated to serving good policy I don’t want to minimize the complications and technical difficulties in increasing housing supply We need a suite of innovations that cut across jurisdictions and financial sectors But if we don’t live our basic values of cooperation continuing to hurt families across the country The good news is that we can build community by constructing homes I’ve witnessed how Habitat’s leadership has effectively made homeownership a bipartisan The organization has been able navigate a fractured political landscape that seemingly thrives on discord and tribalism we must commit to creating policy for those with fewer opportunities for homeownership and tackle the root causes of the problem said Carter at his Nobel Lecture in Oslo in 2004: “We can choose to alleviate suffering We can choose to work together for peace.” I will continue to work on federal and local policy and structural inequality but Habitat for Humanity and the example of Jimmy Carter provide real-world examples on how to work across differences Habitat showed me that building homes fosters a sense of purpose and connection to community while instilling pride and stability in those who achieve homeownership We can construct policy and research in the same spirit Andre M. Perry is the author of Black Power Scorecard: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close it, Available April 15, 2025. February 2009Save this storySaveSave this storySaveEarlier this year it’s actually called a “court,” but for me it’s both a holiday home and a twist of fate that feels straight out of the romcoms everyone loves to revisit once the weather turns There’s an over-the-top and overdressed fish out of water (me) a raffish Englishmen homesick for Great Britain (my husband Aidan who will be mortified to read any of this) legally binding) variety when it comes to any repairs or updates to historical homes in the U.K. as well as those rules of the more arbitrary class-driven kind around what is “proper” and “best” for a home of this sort and stature My husband is incredibly by the book when it comes to all things British have a naughty Commonwealth hooligan streak (I’m Canadian) that comes out when told I can’t do something by the powers that be Smack dab in the middle of the English countryside—a grade II* listed Tudor property built in 1596 on Henry VIII’s former hunting grounds it’s a stone’s throw from Aidan’s hometown of Dormston which inspired Bag End in JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit To say it’s idyllic as feck (Feckenham is the name of a nearby hamlet)—but also extremely overwhelming to embark upon—would be an understatement Writer Mosha Lundström Halbert surveys her new domain and interrogate all aspects of country house living while also learning to communicate in the terribly polite yet passive-aggressive style of British negotiation I leave most interactions knowing my ignorance and bluntness were either endearing or irksome and shall be discussed over the next cup of Yorkshire Gold tea Served piping hot with just a dash of milk the only way to drink it if you want to be taken seriously Regardless of the scale of your pile—be it a pied a terre or something a bit more grand—we all face the same obstacles when it comes to putting our own personal spin on a home with provenance One: hodgepodge must be embraced over seamless uniformity a fact which certainly applies to my floors I originally envisioned bleaching all the original herringbone on the first floor to match my icy hair it turns out each room has a different wood varietal and therefore different whims Shades of dirty blonde and honey brown it is Two: history doesn’t care that you’re not a bath person It’s easy to forget that showers are a relatively modern home flourish I wonder if it might have once been a bathhouse I’d like to rip many of them out immediately trying to design loos that feel both luxurious and fitting for a place that’s as long in the tooth as ours requires a lot of careful consideration This is not the setting for a techy shower or too many shiny hard surfaces All my favorite protagonists have a healthy dose of it These traits are essential when it comes to empowering others—be it skilled tradespeople and contractors—while also allowing them to be a little bemused and take pity on you It’s also the only way you can learn the traditional methods and decide if you want to abide by or break the rules a lot) rogue when it comes to the English ideals surrounding gardens armed with my moodboards and a pandemic summer school course in interior design from RISD My dream is to artfully amalgamate our two respective styles and heritage: his classically English tastes infused with my family’s Scandinavian sensibility (I’m still working out a name for this hybrid design approach: Ye Olde Hygge Anglo-Scandi?) I very much doubt HRH would approve of my desire to add a copper bathtub next to our bed (which I find much nicer than plonked next to a sink and toilet) but sometimes you have to ask for forgiveness not permission—and tumbling into bed straight from a hot soak sounds like my kind of heavenly sin I also have a contrarian need to buck the status quo of English countryside decor and am making my own law of the land: floral and chintz prints are verboten which I recently ripped out much to everyone’s dismay even though it was masking beautiful wide-plank wood floors underneath Our visitors worry: Won’t you be cold in the winter And neglected tennis courts closer to a prison yard than Wimbledon And a family room we plan to convert into a mini-pub And a sauna situation I’d like to Scandi-lize with a cold plunge There’s a lot of ground to cover—most of it covered in bird droppings The Danish Home Lighting Trend That Can Improve Your Mental Health In America’s Cities, Saunas Are Becoming the Hottest Social Spot Millie Bobby Brown Shares Her Favorite Paella Recipe—and Details About Her Wedding to Jake Bongiovi A Day-by-Day Guide to Hiking the Legendary Nakasendo Trail in Japan Never miss a Vogue moment and get unlimited digital access for just $2 $1 per month An official website of the United States government You are viewing ARCHIVED content published online before January 20, 2025. 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For current information, visit https://www.doi.gov/news/newsroom Funding from the Tribal Electrification Program will help close access-to-electricity gap in 13 communities Date: Thursday, September 26, 2024Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced a $71 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to electrify homes in 13 Tribal communities across Indian Country helping to close the Tribal access-to-electricity gap This investment from the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest ever investment in climate – is a critical step toward the goal of electrifying all homes in the United States with clean energy sources and advances the Biden-Harris administration’s work to reach a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 This second and final round of funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Electrification Program is part of an overall $150 million commitment to provide financial and technical assistance to connect homes in Tribal communities to transmission and distribution that is powered by clean energy; provide electricity to unelectrified homes through zero-emissions energy systems; transition electrified homes to zero-emissions energy systems; and support associated home repairs and retrofitting necessary to install the zero-emissions energy systems the program supports clean energy workforce development opportunities in Indian Country “Every family deserves to have access to reliable with historic investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda we’re honoring our commitment to deliver clean energy to Indian Country to electrify more homes,” said Secretary Deb Haaland resilient energy that Tribes and communities can rely on and advancing our work to tackle the climate crisis and build a clean energy future.”  “Indian Affairs’ Tribal Electrification Program continues to provide Tribes with the assistance they need to ensure their communities have safe which is essential to daily living,” said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland “Working with Tribal governments on developing clean energy sources and bringing the benefits of dependable electricity to their communities is part of our mission of service to federally recognized Tribes.”    Today’s announcement follows the program’s first round of funding of $72 million awarded to 21 Tribes and Tribal organizations, which Secretary Haaland announced in March during a visit to the Hopi Tribe in Arizona By recognizing that each Tribe has its own energy- and electrification-related needs and implementation capacity the Tribal Electrification Program is meeting the unique needs of individual communities In 2000, the Energy Information Administration estimated that 14 percent of households on Native American reservations had no access to electricity, which was 10 times higher than the national average. In 2022, the Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy issued a report citing that 16,805 Tribal homes were unelectrified with most being in the Southwest region and Alaska Funding through today’s announcement is going to the following Tribes:   The Tribal Electrification Program advances the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 initiative which sets the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution including federally recognized Tribal Nations For more information, visit the BIA’s interactive map for projects in Tribal communities funded through the Investing in America agenda Secretary Doug Burgum toured Range Resources’ frac site in Washington County Pennsylvania where he discussed how President Trump’s executive orders are driving domestic energy growth The Department of the Interior today announced it generated over $39 million in total receipts from oil and gas lease sales held in the first quarter of 2025 – underscoring the Department’s continued commitment to responsible energy development on public lands and American Energy Dominance the Department of the Interior announced the disbursement of approximately $353.6 million in energy revenues to the four Gulf of America oil- and gas-producing states – Alabama and their coastal political subdivisions such as counties and parishes Since 2009 when Interior began disbursing funds $2.35 billion has been shared with the states and their coastal political subdivisions are generated from offshore oil and gas production and support coastal protection This page was not helpful because the content: Are you looking to capture the English country style alongside interior designers versed in the style Having been born and bred in the heart of the Cotswolds I grew up in a chocolate box thatched cottage with a wrap-around garden that looked out onto rolling hills and fields As a young adult and a student of Art History I spent my days exploring the historic homes and gardens of the Cotswolds captivated by the beauty of the picturesque honeyed stone facades and the timeless interiors within Achieving a beautiful country interior centers around a few key principles Perhaps the most important is to draw inspiration from the rural setting and decorate with natural materials ‘Firstly, it's crucial to decorate with natural materials; think stone, wood, and woven textures that bring the outdoors in,’ says Cotswold-based interior designer Lauren Gilberthorpe ‘Layering warmth and texture through textiles such as wool creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere.’ The same advice can extend to color choices too – think about using shades that pay homage to nature’s palette If you’re lucky enough to have a period property or one with beautiful vernacular features then ensure these are restored and showcased as part of your design Often these can make a great starting point 'Respecting the architectural features of the space is another key element – embracing exposed beams and flagstone flooring helps maintain the authentic charm of the property,' explains Lauren Gilberthorpe In my case, I’m lucky enough to have beautiful original wooden floors When I started renovating I made it a priority to tackle the floor first sanding back the boards to their natural state before applying untinted Osmo oil to highlight the raw beauty of the wood Below I've rounded up my top tips for capturing the English country style with some help from the experts Opting for high-quality furnishings crafted from solid wood may be an investment but they are the best way to achieve a functional and timeless space Commissioning bespoke joinery will make the most of the awkward angles in country homes while handcrafted pieces like dining tables will make for a unique and practical focal point 'The brief for this project centered around honoring the cottage’s rich history while infusing it with modern comforts,' says interior designer Lauren Gilberthorpe 'The goal was to create a space that felt both timeless and current marrying the rustic elegance of the countryside with contemporary sensibilities.' 'We selected a handcrafted oak dining table reflecting the natural materials and craftsmanship synonymous with classic country style we placed contemporary wingback armchairs with an upholstered seat cushion in a heavyweight linen fabric for additional comfort.' 'We also incorporated bespoke shelving in what would have otherwise been unused space to house decorative objects and an antique speaker to play music when hosting dinner parties Oversized pendant lights create contrast and act as a statement piece to the room,' adds Lauren Gilberthorpe The charm of country homes often lies in their unique architectural features so it's important where possible that these are always preserved and highlighted as part of a scheme they can also make a great starting point for a scheme the beautiful beams are a natural focal point so a neutral palette and subtle prints have been chosen to allow them to sing we will always look to begin our designs with a focal point or an architectural element such as cornice details or fireplaces,' says Chloe Cutts 'Choosing a style and a focal point at the beginning helps keep the design cohesive and considered.' The kitchen of Lisa Mehydene, founder of interiors store Edit58 captures everything I love about country style and expertly marries vintage with modern Timeless shaker kitchen cabinets have been paired with carefully selected vintage pieces for a lived-in welcoming look which has an 'always been there' feel 'Whilst the cabinetry was new (British Standard by Plain English) we didn’t want the kitchen to feel as though it had just been installed as it wouldn’t feel right in our old Barn We therefore added a vintage shop counter from Belgium which we use to store all our serveware; a vintage Indian wall cabinet from our Local farm shop; a long vintage florists table that sits centrally in the space and around that sits a set of original 1930’s Thonet Bentwood chairs sourced via a dealer from an abandoned cinema in the Chez Republic,' explains Lisa Mehydene 'We also added vintage decorative pieces like artwork and ceramics as the standalone vintage pieces offset the ‘newness’ and let the eye travel.' and stripes are hallmarks of country style When it comes to window treatments consider curtains with a cottage pleat Sink curtains are also making a comeback and are a quick and easy way to obscure unsightly plumbing with pretty prints A few years ago I was privileged enough to style a photoshoot in the Cotswold home of Vanessa Arbuthnott From the moment I walked into her converted barn I was captivated by her relaxed dressers displayed an assortment of handcrafted ceramics and her vibrant ditsy fabrics were layered throughout resulting in a spirited feast for the eyes It made me realize that for a house to be a home it should be filled with the things we love – things that spark joy and happy memories Don't be too cautious about sticking to a strict style mix fabrics for a quirky feel and don't be afraid to mix artworks and furniture styles Wood wall paneling is synonymous with country style and something I'm keen to build into my project it is a great way to evoke a country look even if you don't have a country home 'We wanted to add character to this bathroom which is a new addition to the cottage We also needed a sensible backsplash for the bath to protect the wall so for both practical and aesthetic reasons we added groove panelling here We used MDF boards as they’re cost-effective to install and usually arrive waterproofed and primed which again is a great save on labor.' If you're looking to inject some heritage and history as well as beauty of nature into your home then look no further than beautiful Arts & Crafts prints The Cotswolds has a strong heritage of craftsmanship and has strong associations with the Arts & Crafts movement which championed principles of honesty Against a backdrop of industrialization and factory production including the 'godfather of Arts & Crafts' William Morris looked to the British landscape and traditional craftsmanship Several designers settled in the Cotswolds having been drawn to its natural beauty and rich crafting heritage with the hints of green and red drawn out as accent colors for cabinetry What better way to celebrate the beautiful surroundings of a country home than by decorating with prints covered in beautiful flora and fauna patterns If you're looking to embrace Cotswold country style then consider wallpapers by the Gloucestershire-based company Lewis & Wood who produce all their designs in an old mill turned printworks in Woodchester Here their Beech design infuses this bedroom with the calming powers of nature To channel English country style the key is to look to nature for inspiration Palettes that embrace myriad greens and earthy tones natural materials of wood and stone and nature-inspired prints are all characteristic features of the look when decorating any country or period home the most important thing to consider is preserving and showcasing the beautiful original features flagstones and original windows are all integral to the character of a property and should always be restored where possible Take them as the starting point for a scheme choosing colors and materials to complement Design expertise in your inbox – from inspiring decorating ideas and beautiful celebrity homes to practical gardening advice and shopping round-ups A graduate of Art History and formerly Style Editor at Period Living interior styling and writing about craft and historic homes She enjoys searching out beautiful images and the latest trends to share with the Homes & Gardens audience you’ll find her growing flowers on her yard for styling projects a Jewish foreign minister in the Weimar Republic Top right: Stars of David in a tiled floor at Villa Kérylos on the French Riviera who founded the first Reform synagogue in France Bottom right: Drapery at Strawberry Hill House All photos by Hélène Binet/Jewish Country Houses Abigail Green is nervous about Jewish Country Houses And her concern is understandable: At first glance the book could be perceived as an ode to wealthy Jews in a bygone European era fancy furnishings and manicured landscapes Jews were denied the right to own land and live where they pleased When those rights were finally granted — in 1831 in Britain; with the revolution in France later — Jews who could afford it manifested their newfound privileges by buying and building lavish homes across Europe Yet these houses were not merely symbols of material success They also cemented the social and political status of Jews who had until then been excluded from the upper classes even when they were wealthy enough to belong there all that changed when the Nazis took power and World War II began Which is why Jewish Country Houses is also “a book about the fate of Jews in Europe,” Green said in a phone interview from London with chapters and other material contributed by researchers and experts across Europe It was published by the National Trust and Profile Books in the United Kingdom and Brandeis University Press in the U.S detailed photography by Hélène Binet – showcasing Stars of David in a ceiling or floor or an architectural style reflecting an owner’s particular tastes – was particularly important Green said: “Photos of country houses where it’s always a sunny day with jolly flowers and a green lawn are not appropriate for these stories.”  one of Europe’s best-known Jewish families along with the Rothschilds “So it wasn’t news to me that Jews lived in the country and went hunting,” Green said because they are part and parcel of a Christian feudal system that ran through rural Europe and rural society when they were regarded as so alien that they couldn’t own land And the idea of a Jewish aristocracy is a very subversive thing.” Jewish country houses have also been criticized as “sites of assimilation The families are viewed as sellouts who became distanced from Jewish society.” Not only were the owners’ social circles and neighbors acutely aware of their Jewishness but often these wealthy Jews were major philanthropists supporting Jewish charities in their own countries as well as funds for Jews in Palestine and elsewhere who built homes for local woodworkers in a model village near her country home outside Kilkenny became the first Jew to serve as a senator in the Irish Free State their properties were seized and sometimes destroyed either intentionally or as the result of warfare Even homes that survived the war were often emptied of all traces of their owners or simply deemed unworthy of preservation because their aesthetics did not match prevailing tastes Among the many wartime tragedies is the story of renowned painter Max Liebermann whose success allowed him to build a retreat and villa in Wannsee Liebermann was kicked out of the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1933 and died two years later His widow was forced to sell the villa to the Third Reich  When told she’d be deported to a concentration camp “It’s very beautiful and the volunteers are very keen on the garden and that kind of thing but it belies the terrible experience of the Liebermanns,” said Green “It’s empty; there’s a few paintings but no furniture And that’s a common fate of these houses.”  Jews recovered their estates and even used them to help survivors the Warburgs used their German villa to house Jewish children liberated from concentration camps was the site of lavish parties in the 1920s and ‘30s attended by Winston Churchill as well as a love nest for the future King Edward VII and his American mistress Wallis Simpson Trent Park became a genteel prison for 100 German officers who were encouraged to stroll in the garden and play billiards They had no idea their conversations about Nazi weapons technology and concentration camps were being monitored by German-fluent Jewish refugees via tiny hidden microphones and a museum related to the war effort is being planned “most people don’t meet many Jews,” Green said “They just don’t know much about any of this.” So she and her colleagues have been pleased by positive reactions to a traveling exhibition related to the book along with presentations and training sessions for National Trust staff and volunteers about the homes’ Jewish history Even an exhibition about the houses in a National Trust garden was “completely unproblematic” despite fears of vandalism after the Oct Green hopes the book will also get a positive reception — and that it will help people see the properties as more than repositories of material wealth symbolize “the dream of belonging” held by European Jews But the houses also represent something that is irreparably gone as “sites of teaching about antisemitism.” Beth Harpaz worked at the Forward as a reporter and now manages the Bintel Brief advice column. She previously covered politics and breaking news for The Associated Press. Email: [email protected].[email protected]@literarydj I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association Wind gusts of over 50 miles per hour drove the flames with alarming speed eventually destroying more than 2,000 homes and buildings Surviving a wildfire still involves an element of luck, since even the best-prepared houses can succumb in extreme conditions. But IBHS researchers say building with wildfire in mind can make a difference, especially in places like Lahaina where the community is surrounded by flammable grass and sees plenty of dry Using some of these techniques to rebuild Lahaina will be key to preventing future disasters “There is no guarantee in natural disasters,” says Faraz Hedayati research engineer at IBHS who worked on the report “But the available science can go a long way to reduce the risk.” the land is packed with dense vegetation that grows quickly during the rainy winters and dries out during the hot summers Among many destroyed homes at the edge of town IBHS researchers found one that was still standing The house’s backyard separates it from an open hillside by about 75 feet. Prior to the fire, it was relatively clear of vegetation, containing only short grasses and shrubs. That means there was little “connective fuel” — the dense shrubs and trees that can carry a fire directly to a house. Fire experts recommend that homeowners create defensible space, reducing the vegetation “We saw in many cases that the grass was scorched but because there was no other vegetation there to sustain longer ignition durations the fire just stopped there,” Hedayati says Being the lone surviving house in a neighborhood still comes with hardship since structures can experience smoke damage and owners typically must move out until the area is made safe from dust and contaminants all the homes at the edge of a community would have defensible space in their yards Many homeowners gravitate toward wood fencing The flammable material can act like a conduit for fire carrying the flames directly to a house from neighboring homes It’s an even greater risk if the fence directly touches a house via a side gate or deck one of the homes that survived was surrounded by a concrete wall instead of wood fencing It also had little vegetation within 30 feet of the house meaning there was no easy pathway for the heat and flames to reach it several other homes that survived also used rock walls as fences “Those kinds of fences can limit radiation from the surrounding burning structures,” Hedayati says “The home is surrounded by that heat shield The fire is now compartmentalized so the fire doesn't rapidly jump to the next building.” After the fire, images of one particular house made the headlines a house with a bright red roof was dubbed the “miracle house.” The metal roof likely helped impede one of the main ways that a fire spreads: from embers winds carry small bits of burning debris in the air casting them far away from the fire itself When embers land on a wood shingle roof, they can ignite the house, spreading the fire to new neighborhoods. A metal roof resists embers, as does any other type of “class A” roof material "I think it's a combination of a commercial-grade corrugated metal roof, the stone [area] around the house, the palms around the house that absorb the heat — and a lot of divine intervention," owner Trip Millikin told NPR the smaller lots allowing for little space between the houses when the radiating heat from one burning house is powerful enough to ignite its neighbors one Lahaina house survived despite being only 10 feet from its neighbor The home was constructed with fire-resistant building materials that aren’t as susceptible to sparks and heat Its siding is noncombustible, which can be achieved with many commonly used materials like stucco or fiber cement. The roof was made with asphalt shingles. The windows are also double-paned with tempered glass. That helps prevent them from shattering under intense thermal stress, which provides an entry point for fire. (Check out more tips on building materials here.) Using fire-resistant buildings materials doesn’t mean a house is fireproof especially if high winds are pushing the flames directly onto it But a combination of building materials and defensible space can resist a wildfire under the right conditions and break the chain of fire spreading from house to house “If you don’t have connective fuel and use noncombustible materials we can give a chance for a building to survive,” Hedayati says “And the chain of conflagration or building-to-building fire spread will break after we see the first few homes resisting the high-intensity exposure from the other buildings.” Become an NPR sponsor The Channel 4 presenter is in hot water with planners for building without permission – and she did it all under the eyes of prime-time viewers The second guy objected to the Mendip stone; I can’t remember whether he thought she had used too much of it or not enough. Again, I figured, she is the expert; she will have thought of a way to charm her neighbours. it turns out she did some building work without planning permission including adding an extension to a 50-year‑old farmhouse that Her retrospective application for permission for this work was denied and the council may well ask her to knock it all down (she is appealing the decision) It looks as though she didn’t just start building before she had applied; she probably inked the TV contract beforehand This is a level of chutzpah far beyond “hiding in plain sight” – she was hiding on primetime telly Walls in Bird’s Egg; floor in Chrome Green, both by Benjamin Moore. Louis XVI dining chairs and dining table, both Doyle Auctions Bermuda outdoor side table and outdoor sofa, both Miles Redd for Ballard Designs Victorian bed; Chesterfield sofa; antique Mahal carpet, all Doyle Auctions. Aleppo Red wallpaper, Iksel Decorative Arts. Wall lamps, Visual Comfort & Co Bath, Randolph Morris. Rugs and desk, Doyle Auctions Willow Boughs wallpaper, Morris & Co. Custom headboard, Fine Arts Furniture. Wall lamp, Visual Comfort & Co L’Espalier wallpaper, Brunschwig & Fils. Custom daybed, Fine Arts Furniture. Table lamp, Arteriors. Desk and slipper chair, both Doyle Auctions This alluring former cabin in the Adirondacks has been redesigned for the owners to indulge in leisure time Lake Saranac in the Adirondacks is, according to Miles Redd, one of the two experts behind the house design of this property the ‘last vestige of unspoiled country like stepping back in time where life is peaceful and people just want to hang with their families’ And such is the vibe at this sprawling lake house, a 1950s former summer camp cabin, that Miles and his business partner David Kaihoi of Redd Kahoi have overhauled and perfect for the family who own it to use as a gently hedonistic vacation home ‘It has a warmth and a generosity to it,’ Miles says ‘It’s such a casual place but with a sophisticated and laid-back spirit.’ The designers carefully enhanced all of the principles of what it was built for: a place for homely fun ‘One of Miles’ great skills is his ability to tell a story through a space’s layout,’ David says. ‘He tells you how you’re going to live in a room – the reading nook spot He places pieces suggestively that call out to you in a way that helps you indulge in a life of wonderful pursuits.’ Nowhere is this more in evidence than in the large living room with its double-heigh ceilings ‘That serpentine sofa takes up a whole space where everyone can just hang out,’ David says Miles attributes his clever ability to come up with successful layouts to a formative stint working with the designer Bunny Williams ‘She just knows where furniture goes and she understands what you need to fill a space without taking it over.’ That knowledge has also been used by the designers to artfully play with mixing pattern to seemingly clash large rugs with detailed wallpapers in rooms that ‘You just have to follow a color palette,’ David explains adding that they almost always pick a rug for a room before anything else ‘And then the colors spring from that,’ he says Emerald green is a hue that appears repeatedly even used in high gloss to coat the wood floors in the kitchen ‘It’s a bright touch and a modern play on the classic camp colors,’ David says ‘It has a deep richness that suits a log cabin but it’s also a happiness-inducing shade taking the best of nature and adding a vividness that boosts your spirits.’ With its transitional style mixing antiques and classic contemporary fabrics filled with personality and pieces that make the designers and owners smile Take the antique zebra head in the great room ‘That was just a play on the house’s history of taxidermy,’ David says We found some old photos that hinted at a hunting past Miles always likes to include some unexpected idiosyncrasies in his work but they serve a purpose rather than being just for fun ‘They’re things that I find amusing or witty or stylish but they also help to take your eye up a level Many of the pieces for this home were picked up at auction houses ‘Auctions are just the best stomping grounds,’ Miles says ‘You’re buying from other people who love to collect so you can find amazing things at real value You can find good stuff everywhere if you know where to look.’ Miles describes this project as an English country house with a touch of the Palace of Versailles and that decadence is in evidence when it comes to flourishes like a bath in the study a sentiment that also applies to the ping-pong table and firepit by the lake ideas that show just how this home is a celebration of all the most uplifting elements in life Designer David Kaihoi shares the secrets of working with patterned and personality-filled rugs If there is no carpet and it’s just bare wood boards then fill the room – it expands the space A lot of the rugs we use are almost wall-to-wall and honestly the bigger you go Rugs are usually the first thing we source for a room and the rest of the space’s palette flows from them So think of them as a road map for your scheme using the shades in their patterns as directions for what colors to use elsewhere Don’t be afraid to mix patterns – just find a common thread in a colour and you’ll be fine It’s what most old rugs are made from anyway and this material is both comfortable and hard-wearing But for a more formal space with less traffic or for somewhere private like a bedroom or dressing room Pip RichSocial Links NavigationPip Rich is an interiors journalist and editor with 20 years' experience having written for all of the UK's biggest titles he was the Global Editor in Chief of our sister brand where he now continues in a consulting role as Executive Editor he was acting editor of Homes & Gardens and has held staff positions at Sunday Times Style He has written three books – his most recent looked at the homes of architects who had decorated with house plants he has interviewed pretty much every interior designer working today soaking up their knowledge and wisdom so as to become an expert himself you will then be prompted to enter your display name power and antisemitism head on","publisher":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","name":"The Jewish Chronicle","url":"https://www.thejc.com","description":"Founded in 1841 Abigail Green is Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford Abigail Green when Juliet Carey and I first began thinking about Jewish country houses at Waddesdon Manor minority heritage was only just becoming fashionable that the National Trust finds itself in the crossfires of the so-called “culture wars” and now we are living with the aftermath of October 7 Newspapers like this one are full of stories about how hard it is for British Jews to remain in the cultural mainstream: Jewish actors complain they are forced to operate in an increasingly hostile environment’ books about Jewish subjects are apparently struggling to find publishers and arthouse cinemas are reluctant to show films about British Jewish life Into this world comes Jewish Country Houses: a book that looks establishment but is in fact deeply subversive This is a book that plays with the country house genre It’s reassuringly weighty and beautifully illustrated which have been taken by the wonderful Hélène Binet are touring the country as works of art in their own right Instead of showing a collonaded Georgian mansion and manicured lawn Binet’s mysterious and beautiful cover image transports us to the darkly frescoed interior of Villa La Montesca in Italy A shaft of intense summer illuminates the stairwell It’s a book about what it meant to be a rich Jew during the age of emancipation - a book that takes us beyond the familiar world of high society hunting and croquet into the darkness of the Holocaust is one element in a much larger European narrative What sets it apart is that in Britain – more than anywhere else – these houses and their owners survived the British-based journalist Chaim Bermant famously described the network of elite families who dominated British Jewry into the 1950s as the “Cousinhood” it became clear that these families were also Europeans: they married rich foreign Jews as well as English ones; owned houses in different countries; and cultivated a sophisticated taste that reflected the cosmopolitan they also served as a model for Jewish elites in other places The Château de Ferrières in France was built for James de Rothschild by Joseph Paxton of Crystal Palace fame in a blatant attempt to outdo his English cousins Schossberger Kastely in Hungary  was inspired by Alfred de Rothschild’s Halton Hall When we first started talking about this subject Nobody talks about Christian country houses built and renovated these houses were not really that Jewish There was the Rothschilds and the Montefiores but there were also converts like Disraeli rationalists like Sir Herbert Leon of Bletchley Park and women like Lady Frances Waldegrave of Strawberry Hill House who were the Christian daughters of Jewish fathers – but never rejected the stock of which they came we realised this critique was based on a set of faulty assumptions like the idea that Jewishness is an exclusive identity Or the idea that “Jewish taste” – a 19th century antisemitic stereotype – is necessarily extravagant Jewish academics were dubious for different reasons Heritage theory posits that telling marginalised narratives promotes social inclusion but some Jewish heritage professionals felt we should stick to telling the stories of the Jewish poor – after all the overwhelming majority of society for most of British Jewish history they worried that telling the stories of rich Jews would simply confirm well-worn antisemitic stereotypes because I experienced the failure to tell Jewish stories in these houses as a kind of erasure It applies to countries like France and Germany where the owners were murdered in the Holocaust where attacks on the National Trust in recent years only serve to remind us how seriously we take the cult of the English country house Most people know Waddesdon belonged to a Jewish family – and doesn’t it look bling and foreign Surprisingly few realise something similar could be said about quintessentially English-seeming properties like Nymans I can see why Jewish Country Houses might prompt those anxieties Because this is a book that uses the country house as a medium to confront the uncomfortable relationship between Jewish money Now that Jewish Country Houses is out in the world I know there will be reviews that revert to familiar tropes about Jewish taste and the lost aristocratic idyll of the interwar years But I like to think they will encourage readers who rarely encounter Jews and don’t think much about them to buy a book that will fascinate and entertain – and teach them something they didn’t know about rich Jews and antisemitism along the way ‘Discovering Jewish Country Houses: Photographs by Hélène Binet’ is showing at Strawberry Hill House until 8 January 2025 and at Waddesdon Manor from 26 March to 22 June 2025 Jewish Homes is showing in the library of the University of Chester until late January 2025 Books Jewish country houses FranceChevron Save this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date You'll be sure to want to take plenty of pictures of the spectacular view and 19th-century home—and don't forget to take a dip in the pool All six bedrooms have air conditioning and en suite bathrooms and the master suite has its own personal living room for extra privacy it's also worth driving the short 20 minutes to St sitting in the shade on one of the covered terraces or taking a walk on one of the privately maintained trails there's plenty to do and see in the area the well-maintained gardens and vineyards are sure to charm you it's just a 20-minute walk from the nearby village where you can enjoy the beach and port as well as the local shops and restaurants If you're there on a Wednesday or Friday be sure to head to the local market to get a taste of all the amazing regional products We won’t be surprised if you end up wanting to move to the area after your stay ProvenceThis breezy country house is located within the Natural Park of The Luberon and surrounded by organic olive groves The building originally dates back to the 18th century although only the architectural details like the honey-hued wooden beams remain—the rest has been refreshed with all-white and warm tones All seven bedrooms come with en suite bathrooms and air conditioning The house has an ideal set-up for little ones including a bedroom in the annex apartment that can be set up with two single beds as well as another bedroom with a separate dressing room that has a cot There’s even a dedicated living room for kids to play in as well as a summer living room with direct access to the garden and a winter living room with a fireplace the small village of Ronion has a farmers market while the popular town of Gordes is about six miles away VaucluseThe smell of lavender lingers in the air outside this provincial country home In addition to the surrounding lavender fields the villa has an idyllic Mediterranean garden with a cobblestone pathway leading down to a hidden terrace The house is a traditional 17th-century maison with romantic sky-blue shutters on the outside and exposed stone walls and wooden beams on the inside all with equally large en suite bathrooms—some also have seating or dressing areas The littlest guests will love the dormitory-style bedroom with room for eight children to enjoy the ultimate holiday sleepover The location alone makes this villa is a standout the white five-bedroom house is equally impressive All five bedrooms come with en suite bathrooms and leafy views of the landscape garden or the sea In the primary bedroom is a supersized bathtub as well as a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean with room for the crew to curl up on cheerful yellow sofas by the fireplace as well as let loose in the games room complete with a pool table wedged between the rocky pinnacle of medieval Eze and the pebble beaches which may be why French rappers and prime-time TV shows have singled it out for shoots From the indoor/outdoor pool jutting out over the cliff you see a glorious medley of ever-changing sea-and-sky blues and a complete sweep of the coast The turquoise Mediterranean remains the star attraction in the open-plan kitchen There’s also a state-of-the-art fitness room where you can work out with a coach Villa Paradise’s unabashedly glamorous luxury sits neatly among what former Eze resident Friedrich Nietzsche found unforgettable about the site: the natural beauty of pastel pink and orange sunsets Sleeps: 10Price: from about $40,589 for a one-week stay or about $4,059 per person French RivieraFrom the ornate chandelier in the open-plan dining room to the vintage-style range in the kitchen and the slick wine cellar downstairs this chic villa has an impressive mix of modern and French provincial styles We particularly love the look of the boutique hotel–style bedrooms each with a different vibrant wallpaper and smart en suite bathrooms Early risers will love the bedroom in the glass house in the garden and with a glass roof so you can fall asleep under the stars and wake up to bird song leave the French doors open and embrace outdoor living—an outdoor dining area fits 12 and there are plenty of seating areas surrounding the Roman-style gardens and swimming pool The setup is particularly ideal if you have little ones with the first floor including two double bedrooms (one with a bath en suite) there’s plenty of room to run wild and explore along with a child-safe saltwater pool and climbing frame with swings in the garden adults can put their feet up on the spacious outdoor lounge with a glass of local wine—there’s an impressive collection of bottles on the dining room wall The nearby village has a couple of cafes and restaurants should you want to dine out the kitchen is well-equipped to cook a French feast for the whole family The sleek modern interiors of the seven bedrooms—which includes one kids’ room with three beds plus two bedrooms in the guesthouse—are uncluttered and unpretentiously elegant there’s an extensive gym for toned-body maintenance and a high-tech open-air cinema with a giant screen that springs magically from the ground Kids will love the two luminous garden suites carved out of the rock and embedded with sea-shell fossils Sleeps: 16Price: from about $15,075 for a one-week stay It's a sprawling waterfront property with a shaded dining terrace and living area Nothing rivals the tumble out of bed into the turquoise shallows location This was a glittery hotspot in its heyday—Edith Piaf held her engagement party here figures such as JFK and Churchill would drop in for a swim and trendsetting ’20s couple Sara and Gerald Murphy hosted picnics for Picasso There's also a cozy kids' bedroom in an under-the-roof space and an extensive concierge service while the minimalist constraints still add up to a breezy yacht-like feel making Villa Garoupe the perfect spot for a Mediterranean holiday without ever having to leave the shore This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK. up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world the property is an Americanised version of a French country house with a distinctive Mansard roof Originally built in the 1950s the property is an Americanised version of a French country house with a distinctive Mansard roof Located in the southwest of Fairfield County in Connecticut, a 45-minute train ride from New York City, Greenwich has evolved from a farming community into the largest town in the New England state’s affluent Gold Coast Read more: Home tour: A modern farmhouse in Connecticut filled with eye-catching art and vintage pieces Photo 1 of 2 The residence was originally built in the 1950s once part of the original Wilshire Farm estatePhoto 2 of 2 Nestled in dense greenery not far from the 13-acre Wilshire Pond The residence was originally built in the 1950s once part of the original Wilshire Farm estate Nestled in dense greenery not far from the 13-acre Wilshire Pond, the home that was once part of the original 60-acre Wilshire Farm estate belongs to a valued, long-term client of Marmol Radziner, a design-build practice led by architects and sunken formal and informal gardens within the 4.4-acre site See also: Inside Damansara Heights: 7 extraordinary homes in one of Kuala Lumpur’s most prestigious addresses Photo 1 of 3 The 4.4-acre site includes a reflecting pool in the expansive back gardenPhoto 2 of 3 The 1920s pool house transformed into an open-plan living and dining spacePhoto 3 of 3 The guesthouse cottage with two bedrooms and two baths The 4.4-acre site includes a reflecting pool in the expansive back garden “The client wanted a home where he could enjoy every corner [when he is not spending] the other half of the year in Tuscon, Arizona,” says Ashley Nath, studio director interiors at Marmol Radziner.  “He cared about creating a cohesive flow and see-through lines from room to room,” she adds. “Each section of the house should inspire delight–an immersive experience when transitioning from one room to another making each entry a memorable moment.” Don’t miss: Home tour: A colour coordinated holiday home in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts Above The circular skylight in the entry is a striking contemporary feature within an otherwise traditional home The circular skylight in the entry is a striking contemporary feature within an otherwise traditional home “The centre oculus is a striking contemporary feature within an otherwise traditional home,” Nath explains “The shifting light from the skylight emphasises the home’s connection to its site and the greenery outside dramatically changing the experience [upon entering the home.]” Read more: 7 gorgeous waterfront homes in Singapore’s prestigious Sentosa Cove Photo 1 of 3 An intentional neutral palette to highlight the lush greenery through the glass-panelled French doorsPhoto 2 of 3 The hidden bar in the living room with winged doors lined with de Gournay wallpaperPhoto 3 of 3 A blend of classic elegance with contemporary luxury through elevated tactile materials An intentional neutral palette to highlight the lush greenery through the glass-panelled French doors See also: Home tour: A tranquil retreat with breathtaking views of Hudson Valley, New York Photo 1 of 3 The open-concept kitchen area with dark custom cabinetry and warm oak flooringPhoto 2 of 3 Custom cabinets and shelving that look like original built-in elements of the homePhoto 3 of 3 A cohesive flow and see-through lines from the breakfast nook to the adjacent sunroom The open-concept kitchen area with dark Furthermore, the interior design marries classic elegance with contemporary luxury through elevated, tactile materials befitting a country estate French oak flooring, prized for its warmth and durability, provides a timeless foundation that complements lime plaster walls with subtle textural elements. Meanwhile, marble and stone accents add a sense of sophistication and visual interest in living and entertaining areas Don’t miss: Marble bathroom design ideas from interior experts Photo 1 of 3 Distinct design identities for each area of the home amidst the overarching minimal palettePhoto 2 of 3 Marble and stone accents add sophistication and visual interest in the secondary living areaPhoto 3 of 3 A mix of timeless vintage pieces with contemporary furnishings to create a soft yet masculine sun room Distinct design identities for each area of the home amidst the overarching minimal palette To create a soft yet masculine interior, the design team sourced vintage French designs from the 1950s, reupholstered them in contemporary textiles, and layered them alongside modern furnishings “We also designed and produced custom cabinets, storage, and shelving to look like the original built-in elements of the home,” Nath elaborates Read more: Home tour: A historical Ottoman home with Bosphorus Coast views in Istanbul Photo 1 of 2 The neutral-coloured main bathroom with marble accents at the vanityPhoto 2 of 2 The marble-wrapped shower room adheres to the overarching minimalist design narrative The neutral-coloured main bathroom with marble accents at the vanity See also: 8 beautiful home spas, gyms and wellness spaces to inspire your home interiors Photo 1 of 2 The open-plan living and dining space in the converted pool housePhoto 2 of 2 Vaulted wood-beamed ceilings in the minimalist living room corner The open-plan living and dining space in the converted pool house Don’t miss: Home tour: An interior designer’s wholesome country house in the idyllic outskirts of Moscow Photo 1 of 3 The refurbished guesthouse cottage echoes the overall design theme of the projectPhoto 2 of 3 A seamless flow through the archway from the kitchen and dining area into the living roomPhoto 3 of 3 Vintage pieces reupholstered in contemporary textiles layered alongside modern furnishings The refurbished guesthouse cottage echoes the overall design theme of the project “We also took into account the client’s practical concerns to quarter off a space for his dogs,” Nath adds. “We designed the layout of the home with added flexibility so that he could section off spaces of the house.” 8 enviable homes where every day feels like a holiday getaway Inside Audrey Hepburn’s Swiss villa, on the market now for US$20.8 million 19 beautiful luxury homes in Orchard, one of Singapore’s most coveted neighbourhoods Antique finds and fresh finishes are lively additions to any modern farmhouse exterior Andrea Crowley is a content creator and former writer for national publications including Martha Stewart and Better Homes & Gardens She currently holds the position of Content Designer at Meta Board and batten is the most popular type of siding used for farmhouses This style combines wide boards and narrow battens that will give the home a rustic charm that is also timeless The best colors to use for a modern farmhouse are warm and cool neutrals when it comes to choosing a color for the exterior of the house Modern farmhouse style mixes rustic farmhouse decor with more contemporary furnishings and designs It is an updated take on the traditional farmhouse style.