Category: Recipes

A Glimpse at the Cinematic Style of Nancy Meyers

Feast of the Seven Fishes Pie

Nancy Meyers

You are a nice Jewish girl who was raised on Philadelphia’s Main Line in the 1960s and you grow up to be:

  1. A Housewife
  2. A Schoolteacher
  3. A Divorced Housewife
  4. The Most Successful American Female Writer/Director/Producer in the History of Movies

If you guessed D then we are talking about Nancy Meyers, and you are absolutely correct.

There’s no doubt Nancy Meyers’ movies are phenomenally successful—the last four combined grossed over one billion dollars (2015 The Intern, 2009 It’s Complicated, 2006 The Holiday, 2003 Something’s Gotta Give), and her all-star filled casts are delightful, featuring such luminaries as Diane Keaton, paired with a feisty Jack Nicolson, and  Robert DeNiro, who gave a heartfelt turn as the oldest, most junior employee on earth mentoring Anne Hathaway’s beleaguered chief executive.

While none of this is big news – there has been many a story and blog written about Nancy Meyers – for the final project for my INTD 150 class, Design Elements for Interior Environments, I used interiors from her movies to illustrate the Elements of Design. Possibly because the set designers and decorators employed to produce these movie sets are well schooled in these concepts, and any fabulous interior has to have these elements in order to be fabulous, it was easy to make the connections. While I should make it clear Nancy Meyers did not design these rooms herself, as their writer, director, and producer it is her vision and her version we see.

The coziest living room in all of England–from The Holiday.

Briefly these are the Elements of Design: Line, Shape, Form, Color, Value–which actually refers to Light, Space and Texture.  I think you could argue that line may be the most important element. Lines are created by the furnishings and architecture of a room and actually guide us through space.

As does Nancy Meyers.  Erica Barry (Diane Keaton), the main character in the movie Something’s Gotta Give, is a divorced playwright in her mid-fifties. You only have to look inside Erica’s fabulous Hamptons home, glimpse the quality and beauty of the furniture and accessories to realize not only is she loaded (ergo successful) but she is classy and tasteful too… Note how the interior of the room pictured below speaks volumes about our heroine before even a single word is actually spoken.

While we have all drooled over this bedroom and wished this was our desk overlooking the ocean, Meyers is sending us a message loud and clear. This bedroom and office combo shows us that Erica is a single, independent woman. She can work late, or whenever she wants, because this is a room of her own.

The stage is set; so how does line play a part in this silent dialogue with the audience? We can start with the vertical lines: from the trim around the office area, to the floor-to-ceiling drapes, onto the mullions in the French doors and the bay windows.  They all direct our eyes upward adding considerable height and drama to the room. We’re impressed.

All these vertical lines are softened by the horizontal lines in the rug and the throw by the bed; their purpose is to ground the space, and enhance the expansive luxuriousness of the room. They give this room a tranquil and peaceful feeling–essential elements, one imagines, for an author. Then the curves (more lines) of the chaise and the upholstered armchair soften and unite those multitudes of vertical and horizontal lines. By placing the upholstery pieces on the diagonal our eyes focus inwards creating nearly a complete circle! Genius at work.

Shape

When lines come together they produce shapes…when you mix and match those shapes a designer, or in this case a movie director, creates a mood that showcases how your home—or movie set—feels.

Erica’s living room has a variety of shapes starting with the Mora clock’s sensuous curves, a natural, organic shape that contrasts with the hard lines and and angular edges in the rectangular windows in the transoms and stair railings. Is Meyers trying to show us that there is more than one side to our heroine’s character? Soft on the outside and hard on the inside—or maybe just the opposite–hard on the outside and soft on the inside?

Form

Form is a three dimensional shape.

We’re going to switch movies and meet a new Nancy Meyers’ heroine. This bedroom belongs to Jules, Anne Hathaway’s character in The Intern.

In interior design, form refers to the shape of the room, furnishings, décor—the three dimensional objects that occupy the space. 

So what do these objects tell us about her character? An eclectic mix of mid-century and modern items, it’s trendy, transitional, and yes traditional—we can just see that armoire holding the tv in the far left hand corner of the room. So she’s hip, she’s young, and she’s cool. The bed is humongous, ship sized and clearly built for two. Anchoring that is a midcentury slip-covered sofa that keeps the bed in check. These forms bring strength and structure to the room, which is balanced by the rounded edges of that fabulous chaise and curved ottoman. This is someone who can break a glass ceiling–while wearing heels.

Color

Color, of course, is definitely one of the key elements of interior design. It is used to create aesthetically pleasing combinations and also works on a psychological level. 

In It’s Complicated Meyers shifts west to California. Her character, our heroine this time, is 69-year-old Jane Adler, aka Meryl Streep. Long divorced with three, mostly grown children, she lives in a hacienda-ish home and owns and operates a thriving Parisian style patisserie in Santa Barbara.

While white slipcovers are a no-brainer these days, a predictable, washable option for a lived-in family room, Myers drops a bombshell when she accessorizes with intense orange contrasted with a pop of navy.

So what does this say about our heroine? Well, if we consulted Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist who founded analytical psychology, about the properties and meanings of color in our lives—colors have qualities that elicit emotions and influence people in various ways. In this case the color orange demonstrates optimism, enthusiasm, self-confidence and agreeableness. Whew. That’s Jane to a tee.

So why that pop of navy? Because navy blue evokes feelings of power and authority–rather than the sense of relaxation and peace associated with  lighter shades of blue. Darker shades of blue tend to denote authority and importance.  No doubt who’s the boss here.

Value/Light

Lighting is a critical element of interior design. It can be used in dozens of ways to change the size and mood of a space and different types of lighting vary greatly in how they define the ambience of an area.

In the movies, lighting takes on a whole new dimension. It is a science and an art to make a room or a scene visible in a way that is not only illuminating, but also contributes to the “mood.”  Without adequate lighting all the other elements would vanish.

In this photo from The Intern we can see various forms of lighting from task—the kitchen pendant in the background—to ambient,  the Lindsey Adelman light fixture that hangs above the dining table—to accent, where she uses a George Nelson Bubble lamp for illumination on the console. This is a design trifecta!

Space

Space is a fairly simple design element to understand—it refers to the physical boundaries of a room.

When you are Nancy Meyers you get to choose both the dimensions of the room you are filming and how to use that area’s space and layout to your advantage.

Meyers gets a lot of credit for the popularity of open concept floor plans. In an open concept plan the walls between rooms are removed—giving them a lofty or open feel—negative space, in contrast to the areas filled with décor, islands, sofas, and tables that represent positive space. I think that is a “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” situation, but there is no question that her kitchens are phenomenal and wide open. In Something’s Gotta Give note how the kitchen with its two massive islands opens into an equally massive family room.

Texture

Our final element of design is texture which is the feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface and can refer to rough or smooth finishes, glossy or dull surfaces, and soft or coarse textiles. Everything from fabrics and furniture to decorative accessories brings different textures into a space.  Texture is often used to provide an added dimension to a space.

While some may bemoan the neutral palate of many a Nancy Meyers’ flick, she always makes sure to shake things up with a ton of texture: plush rugs, linens, velvets…you name it, she’s got it in there somewhere.

For example, in Jane Adler’s cozy bedroom in It’s Complicated Meyers showcases mixed and matched antiques and finishes with aplomb. Then there are bamboo blinds layered under linen curtains, an upholstered headboard layered with Euro shams and snow white sheets and pillows, and what looks like a homespun linen khaki coverlet layered with a knitted tangerine colored throw. The result? A cozy and warm haven. What woman wouldn’t want that?

Meanwhile this woman had to come up with a new recipe for a Christmas Eve dinner that was easy to make but elegant to serve. Fortunately Melissa Clark, acclaimed food writer for The New York Times published this recipe just before Christmas and saved the day. And I mostly followed the recipe so it tasted amazing–it was meant to serve 8 and Keith and I nearly finished it off! Full disclosure I did not have fresh (or even dried) tarragon so I used a shake of thyme and we used regular pie crust instead of puff pastry because the latter was sold out. Next time (maybe New Year’s Eve even) I will make sure to have both on hand but honestly it was really good just the way I made it…

 

Feast of the Seven Fishes Pie

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 anchovies, minced
  • ½ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour, more for rolling out pastry
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup clam juice
  • 1 pound mixed mild fish fillets, cut into 1 1/4-inch thick cubes (such as cod and pollock)
  • ½ pound large shelled shrimp (16 to 20 count)
  • ½ pound large sea scallops, side muscle removed
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 pound puff pastry, thawed
 

PREPARATION

  1. Butter a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish or casserole. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then stir in leeks and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until soft, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and anchovies and cook 1 minute, until the anchovies dissolve. Add wine and bring to a boil, then let simmer until the wine evaporates almost completely. Remove from heat and scrape into a heatproof bowl.
  2. In the same skillet, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until pale golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken stock and clam juice, and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Simmer for 1 to 3 minutes until very thick (it will thin out as it bakes), then remove from heat.
  3. Pat the fish cubes, shrimp and scallops dry. Stir them into the sauce along with the sautéed leeks, peas, tarragon, parsley, capers and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
  4. Chill uncovered, for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
  5. Before baking, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together egg with 1 teaspoon water. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry dough. Roll it 1/8-inch thick. Use a fish cutter or paring knife to cut out a fish from the center of dough. (Alternatively, you can cut circles from the dough and overlap them on top of the pie to look like fish scales).
  6. Place pastry on top of pie and trim edges, but don’t seal them (sealing impinges on the puffing). Brush egg wash all over pastry.
  7. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

(Movie photos are the from the Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment)

Summertime…

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken

Who doesn’t long for summer, and those lazy days sprawled on the hot sand or immersed in the ocean’s salty brine? I hated the summer  I had to spend at my  landlocked Michigan college but rejoiced when I landed in Sierra Leone for my  mandatory foreign study–mainly because it’s summer year round in West Africa and the university was minutes from one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen.

Even though I continue to reside at the Jersey Shore, as I age I have limited my actual  beach days. Wrinkles, heat waves, wrinkles, traffic, wrinkles…I still revel in the sea air, the brilliant blue of the sky, a southeast wind but also take pleasure in the lush green leaves, stunning flowers and velvety lawns found on this verdant peninsula in coastal New Jersey.

And now it’s my garden that brings me the most joy in the summer. The neighbors look amazed (or possibly askance) when they see me toil: mowing, trimming, dragging and spreading loads of top soil and mulch, digging in new plants and ripping out old ones. It is hot; I am always sweaty and dirty and I am perfectly content.

Our property was horribly overgrown when we bought it. In fact, our house was actually being consumed by the surrounding vegetation. There was an enormous maple tree close to the house whose roots were growing into the basement while its branches had pierced through the roof and into the attic.

It all had to go–all of it. There was mold and damp and bugs and cracks so the tree guys came, the bulldozers came and in the end we weren’t left with anything green.

It was hell: you can see it looks like we went through a war. Several truckloads of top soil, hundreds of pounds of grass seed, and a couple of thousand spent on plants, and  three years later we have a garden.  Proving that old adage true–all it takes is time (and more time) and, of course,  money.

I heeded the advice of our friend, a landscape designer, who, noting the uniqueness of the lot, very long and narrow, with no backyard to speak of, suggested that we make a series of room-like spaces throughout the garden. Areas that would look nice but also function like interior spaces and be amenable to lounging and dining–just outside–not in.

We started by creating a paved area (okay patio) off the great room, with antique bluestone set in a random rectangular pattern that looks like it might have built when the house was, 100 years ago. See how I’ve anchored the assortment of vintage and antique benches, tables and urns I’ve acquired over the years with a Century Furniture outdoor sofa. 

Who would have thought ten years ago that we could have upholstered furniture outside in the northeast? The secret is in the wide range of weather resistant fabrics (Perennials, Sunbrella, Inside/Out) that are made from solution-dyed acrylic.  These fabrics, when combined with quick drying foam inserts, means you can leave your cushions outside all summer long. 

There’s a second bluestone patio off the kitchen that leads to our potting shed and the driveway. We partnered a zinc-topped table we bought years ago at an antique warehouse in Holland with new teak chairs, that will weather to a soft, silvery grey. I think the secret to outdoor furniture is to choose natural materials that are not harmed by the elements and, even better, enhanced by a bit of weathering. For the record, outside furniture does not need to be plastic.

In the side yard there was just enough room for a a pocket size vegetable garden and a small lawn. We planted a hedge of arborvitae (never my favorite evergreen) but in a year or two it should give us less exposure to the street.

And finally, we made sure to include an area in the front of the house to perch and enjoy the moment.

As we all know there is nothing is better after a long, summer day than an ice cold glass of wine and a fabulous meal dining al fresco. This summer I’ve become very fond of spatchcock chicken. All white meat gets too dry and all thighs is getting boring so spatchcock gives you a bit of both. Actually spatchcocking a chicken is beyond my skillset so I buy my chicken already split from Sickles Market.  I’ve had great luck with this recipe from that accomplished tastemaker–and master gardener herself– Martha Stewart.

Full disclosure, we jazz up the marinade with a splash of maple syrup and a teaspoon or two of Coleman’s Mustard (it’s a British thing) but you can’t go wrong following Martha’s version exactly.

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken with Dijon and Rosemary

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_5858-2-768x1024.jpeg

 

Ingredients

 

Directions

  • Place chicken on a large cutting board, breast-side down. Using kitchen shears, cut along each side of backbone and remove (reserve for stock, see cook’s note). Flip over; press firmly with your palm in center of breasts to flatten.

  • Whisk together mustard, mayonnaise, rosemary, and lemon juice. Season chicken generously all over with salt and pepper; slather both sides with mustard mixture. Cover loosely and let stand while you prepare the grill, or refrigerate in a resealable bag up to 1 day (return to room temperature 1 hour before grilling).

 

  • Heat grill to 350°F for direct and indirect cooking. Oil grates over indirect zone, then place chicken, skin-side up, on it, with legs facing direct zone (this helps keep the breast from overcooking before the legs are done).

  • Cover and cook, maintaining a temperature of about 350°, until skin begins to brown and a thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast reads 150°, 45 to 50 minutes.

  • Oil grates over direct-heat zone. Using tongs, carefully flip chicken skin-side down over direct heat. Cook, moving occasionally to avoid flare-ups, until skin is charred in places and chicken is cooked through (thermometer should read 160°), 5 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to a tray; tent with foil. Let stand at least 15 minutes before carving.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow…

Parker’s Fish and Chips –

It’s been nice to have a real winter this year with lots of snow. Activities in a pandemic are on the limited side so shoveling snow has had its merits and you have to admit there is nothing prettier than a fresh fall of snow.

In January we looked forward to the Super Bowl. And we even had a party–for two.

And of course now that the weather is mostly inclement we have had quite a few deliveries of furniture and accessories that were ordered what seems like eons ago but thanks to Covid disruption their arrival was delayed. However the good news is everything looks great. Like this fabulous sofa by Hickory White, the higher end, design driven division of the mighty Sherrill Furniture.

Hickory White Grand Sofa with a new, wider arm option.

And we were thrilled to finally get our artwork order that was meant to arrive in December…and, once again, the good news is it was worth the wait. Everything is magnificent, starting with this JJ Audubon print of an Ibis…which somehow  manages to be vintage, yet modern, clearly meeting that transitional genre we were hoping for.

And we have been dining well. One memorable dish was Fish and Chips. Keith is a huge fan and I don’t fry anything but we gave it a whirl one evening and enjoyed great success.

The recipe I used is by Ina Garten:

Parker’s Fish and Chips

Ingredients

Baked Chips

Directions

  1. Lay the cod fillets on a cutting board. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Cut the fillets in 1 1/2 by 3-inch pieces.
  2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 1/2 cup of water and then the egg.
  3. Pour 1/2-inch of oil into a large (12-inch) frying pan and heat it to about 360 degrees F.
  4. Dip each fillet into the batter, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place it very carefully into the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pieces. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil between 360 and 400 degrees F. Cook the fish on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the “chips.”

The Bobbin Chair

Recipe for Turkey Chili – 

The Bobbin or Spool Chair

While 2020 will not doubt be remembered as the year time stood still, happily we made some progress here at British Cottage. One thing we did was go long on the Bobbin Chair. You’ve seen it at the store from time to time and you see it in books and magazines all the time.

Like in this gorgeous room by Barbara Westbrook. The Bobbin Chair is derived from  the heavy, lathe-turned furniture common in the 1700’s that over the ensuing centuries evolved into  something significantly lighter and far less medieval looking. Some of you might have seen a spool bed in your grandma’s house, but other than that this style did not get much play until this particular style chair worked its way into the twenty first century mix.

I love them. We get most of ours from Hickory White Furniture, the higher end, designer-driven division of Sherrill Furniture in Hickory, North Carolina. They sit like a full-blown upholstered armchair but look much lighter, and the wood frames provide architecture without looking unfinished, like those silly  deconstructed armchairs Restoration Hardware was flogging several years ago. 

In contrast the Bobbin chair is pretty and graceful. Don’t you just love how they look in this gorgeous room by Erin Gates?

In the fall we did them in a bold, blue animal print in a dark, practically ebony finish:

And from our December shipment this bold, geometric print with a white frame:

And just last week this snazzy version in a dark walnut finish and a geometric ogee pattern fabric arrived.

Along with this one in a Lillian August striped fabric:

Make sure you come in soon to test one out–before they get sold. While we are happy to order one–or two–for you in the fabric and finish of your choice–we are equally as happy to sell off the floor. 

Meanwhile I have to hurry home. Can you believe it someone is coming to dinner? (Don’t worry, she had the vaccine.)

TURKEY CHILI:

I plan to make Turkey Chili–and before you all start whining and saying really, you are starting off the new year with Turkey Chili–just hang on a minute. Our daughter popped in for two weeks at Christmas and established herself as family chef. Who was I to argue? After nearly 10 months of home cooking I was ready to hand over the mantle. Although when Laird said it was Turkey Chili for dinner I was first seriously underwhelmed, then concerned when I arrived home at 5:30 and saw she had not even started to cook.

I needn’t have been. This goes together lickety split and tastes scrumptious. Here are her notes:

As the instructions say, “a combination of dark and white meat really adds depth and richness of flavor, so try to find a mix, but all white meat (or a mixture of ground beef and turkey) will yield a stellar batch too.” We went with ground white meat – with a bit of ground beef thrown in for good measure!
 
I didn’t use chicken broth (because we didn’t have any). Instead, per the comments, I didn’t drain the beans and also added a little turkey broth. Also I dislike kidney beans, so we had pinto and black beans instead. And no bay leaves, because they were not in the cupboard. No jalapeno because I forgot to tell Dad to buy it. Green bell pepper instead of red. 
 
But otherwise, mostly followed the recipe, at least in spirit! And it’s so fast! 
 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground turkey, white and dark combined
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped onions
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 large sweet red pepper, cored, deveined and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, cored, deveined and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 tablespoon, dried
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3 cups canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups chicken broth, fresh or canned
  •  Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 15-ounce cans of red kidney beans, drained
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream (optional)
  •  Sliced lime for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION

  1. Heat the oil over high heat in a large heavy pot and add the turkey meat. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, chopping down and stirring with the side of a heavy kitchen spoon to break up any lumps.
  2. Add the onions, garlic, sweet pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, oregano, bay leaves, chili powder and cumin. Stir to blend well. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
  4. Add the drained beans and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes longer. Serve in bowls with cheddar cheese, and sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.

 

130 Shrewsbury

How cute is this?

Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups With White Beans and Arugula

Back in 2005 Keith and I bought the building right next door to British Cottage, 130 Shrewsbury Avenue. The front area was a storefront and in the back was a small, two story, three bedroom house. Renovating the store section was easy; we just put in a new hardwood floor and replaced the existing windows. The house part was a bit trickier with three teeny bedrooms and bath upstairs complete with the original plaster and lath crumbling hither and yon. In the end, we decided to gut the whole thing right up to the roof and create one large lofty bedroom area.

When we moved from our house in Rumson to the apartment above the British Cottage store after Sandy in 2012 (we did not flood but our neighbors did and the people who bought their property built a Tuscan mansion literally on top of us which meant it was time to bid adieu), the space at 130 became a perfect spot to park visiting children and friends. We never really decorated–just filled it up with stuff. Some stuff we liked but could not use in our current situation, other items were just too valuable to leave in the warehouse, and the rest was just clutter.

Fast forward to this benighted Summer of 2020 when we invited one of our long time customers, stuck between rentals in the red hot Jersey Shore real estate market, to crash there for a couple of months. Yikes! What were we thinking? And they needed to be in by August 1!

Some people have junk rooms–this had turned into a junk house. We needed to get it cleaned out and cleaned up–stat. One good thing is we pretty much know what furniture our lodger is bringing, seeing as we sold it all to her in the first place. Her antique pine table with extensions would be perfect for this spot in the kitchen area; then we added one of the pine cupboards we have made at our factory in Hungary to serve as a pantry/storage cabinet.

Sadly her navy blue Hickory White sofa won’t fit through the narrow doorway into the living room so for now we left the Biedermeier sofa we bought at the fabulous antique store, Green Square, in Copenhagen. (The map above the couch is an original 1900’s map of the area our Maine cottage was located.)

Directly opposite the sofa is a long wall  for her 84″ pine sideboard also from our factory in Hungary and above that she can hang the tv. (I am hoping there will be a Part Two to this blog when we see how the lodgers put their own stamp on our little abode).

In the corner is an armchair from The Best Slipcover Company, a leftover from our first foray into upholstery sales. For years and years I never wanted anything that was not slipcovered but now, with the new performance fabrics, upholstered furniture is a breeze to care for and certainly easier on the eye.

Up the stairs is the loft bedroom which will be shared. Here is the little girl side featuring an original British Cottage pine bed from the very first factory we worked with in England way back when, and an antique pine chest of drawers, also from the UK, that Keith fished out of the depths of the warehouse. Hopefully he will find the knobs soon.

With everyone working–and studying–from home we thought this corner would make a perfect work/study area. We grabbed the table from the store, mostly it is used as a console table behind a sofa or in an entryway, but in this case it should be just the right size for a lap top–or desk top for that matter.

Then we made a little sitting area in front of the great kas–also purchased from Green Square many years ago–that we cannot bear to part with. A kas, (pronounced kaz) is a massive cupboard of Dutch origin similar to an armoire that was popular in the 17th & 18th centuries. Used to store linen, clothing, and other valuables, they were status symbols and family heirlooms in the Low Countries. (Thank you Wikkepedia). We knew we would never find another one we could afford so stashed it up here until the right room comes along. 

Tucked snugly in an adjacent alcove is a queen bed in a matte, black metal finish from the Californian company, Wesley Allen.  We find a metal bed fits into most decorating schemes and like to have one on hand to show customers when our British Cottage beds are not a go. The photos over the bed are from a series of black and white images of our daughter and her friends and their ponies taken years ago. (This is a great thing to do if you are looking for artwork; everyday images, when enlarged and printed in black and white become much more visually interesting).

The bathroom area is not huge so it was lucky we had this shelf, originally purchased at Schwung Home for the Maine cottage. Then it didn’t fit into the Fair Haven house either; happily it works perfectly here.

Over the years we have sold dozens of  benches but there was something about this homely antique, Hungarian bench in the original paint that was charming so we held on to it. Above it, on the gallery wall is a set of botanical prints we bought at our neighbor and renowned local artist, Barbara Cocker’s yard sale 35 years ago that Keith discovered in the painted armoire where they’d probably been languishing for at least a decade. Surprise!

So what happens if all you have is mismatched curtains, furniture and artwork? Try taking a deep breath and tossing it all together. As long as your walls are bright and your floors clean, anything can happen.

So it is boiling hot and who wants to cook? Not me. Fortunately Laird surprised us with a mid-summer visit from Seattle and she is more than happy to take charge of the kitchen. On the menu tonight courtesy of The Washington Post:

Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups With White Beans and Arugula

 
 

Here, grilled zucchini is served up in an exciting new way: Rolled into bite-size bundles filled with lemon and garlic-seasoned mashed white beans, peppery arugula and floral basil. Light and fresh, the roll-ups taste of summer and are filled with garden flavors. With the substance of creamy beans, you can savor them as a snack, starter or as a spread of small plates.

SERVINGS:  
 

Tested size: 4 servings; makes 12 roll-ups

INGREDIENTS
  • 3 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic (1 clove)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium canned white beans, such as cannellini, drained and rinsed
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups (2 ounces), lightly packed, baby arugula
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
DIRECTIONS

Trim the tops and bottoms off the zucchini, then slice them lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices using a sharp knife or mandolin. Set aside the outermost slices of zucchini for another use. Brush the center slices on both sides using 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the zucchini until tender and grill marks have formed, about 3 minutes per side.

Place the garlic onto a cutting board and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using the flat side of the knife and dull edge of the blade, mash the garlic and salt together to form a paste; transfer to a small bowl. Add the beans, lemon juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Using a fork, smash the ingredients together to form a chunky mash.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the bean mixture 1/2-inch from the end of a zucchini slice. Top with a few arugula leaves and 1 small or 1/2 large basil leaf. Roll the zucchini slice up and place seam side down on a platter. Repeat with the remaining zucchini, beans, arugula and basil.

Barley Point

Sausage Ragu

Not many people know about Barley Point, a private island that resides alongside the tony town of Rumson and the Barley Pointers are committed to keeping it that way.  The island is gated and if by some means you manage to gain access it will be only a matter of minutes before someone, anyone asks “What the heck are you doing here?”

Recently, however, we were granted a private tour by a friend whose dream house on the island was nearing completion (and a good thing too because construction on Barley Point is prohibited between Memorial Day and Labor Day).  Her new home is quite literally a stone’s throw from the Navesink River and the view is breathtaking. The lots may be tiny and the houses too, but architects, like our friend, Matt Cronin, who has designed many of the newer homes on the island have made it their mission to access and utilize every square inch of allowable living space.

Matt and Keith and that incredible view

The original houses on Barley Point were by and large fairly modest bungalows that served as summer refuges for working-class escapees from Jersey City and Hoboken.

Then along came Hurricane Sandy and a lot of those original structures were clobbered and most ended up being demolished. The new houses are designed to withstand tidal surges and gale-force winds and come in all shapes and sizes.

What they share are multiple views of the sky and river, salt air and sandy beaches that seem far removed from the manicured lawns and asphalt jungles that reside just a channel away.

After so much fresh air and sunshine touring the ins and outs of this adorable island we were starving and needed to eat dinner right away. If you don’t dawdle you can bang this dinner out in 25 minutes flat. I thought I had figured out every which way to combine hot sausage, tomatoes and pasta but this recipe from our friend, Chef John, is terrific.

Sausage Ragu

12 oz. penne, 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed, 1/2 c. dry white wine, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped, 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, 3 sprigs fresh basil, 1/4 c.  grated Parmesan, plus more for serving, 4 c. baby kale (I used swiss chard and spinach works too)

  1. In a medium bowl, combine sausage and wine, making sure all the wine is incorporated; let sit at least 5 minutes. (Don’t skip this step!)
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook until garlic is sizzling, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add sausage mixture and cook, breaking it up with a spoon into very small pieces until it’s no longer pink and half the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Roughly chop up tomatoes. Add them to the skillet along with basil; simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions; drain it and return it to the pot.
  6. Discard basil and stir in Parmesan. Toss pasta with sauce, then fold in kale. Serve with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Suddenly it’s Summer

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Welcome back!

Spring 2020 was a blur. Locked down, shut out, not home bound because I still worked my regular hours (sort of) you’d think by now I’d be all organized and ready and raring to get going but mostly I feel like I need a nap. Fortunately Keith and Bentley are much more energetic!

And the good news is that British Cottage is officially open to the public again and we can get back to doing what we love most, schmoozing, and, hopefully selling some stuff. We have tons of new products which should get your creative juices flowing and inspire you to new decorative heights.  We can’t wait to hear about all the interesting projects and plans you’ve been making to refresh and renew your homes.

Lillian August for Hickory White Bobbin Chair and Grand Sofa

Fortunately too, I have lots of new recipes. But the one I want to share first is an oldie but goodie, Chocolate Mousse Pie. Keith’s cousin Mark, who is now pushing fifty, was the first to make this when he was about ten and since then it has been a family favorite. I hadn’t made it in years until this Mother’s Day when feeling a bit underwhelmed I thought I deserved a special treat–and it was well worth the effort.

The original recipe came from Bon Appetit and it is is by far the best Chocolate Mousse Pie I’ve ever made, or eaten. The secret ingredient is the much revered (or reviled) Oreo Cookie and the best thing is there are no eggs involved here, so one less thing to worry about in these oddly fraught times…the notes in italics are mine.

YIELD
Serves 8 (More like 12)

INGREDIENTS

  1. Crust
    • 21 Oreo cookies 
    • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
  2. Mousse
    • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (buy the best chocolate and add a handful or two extra and you won’t be sorry)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch of salt
    • 3 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • Chocolate shavings (optional)
    • YIELD
      Serves 8 (Really more like 12)

        • PREPARATION

          1. For Crust:
            1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process until mixture is evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan to form thin crust. Bake crust 5 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool completely.
          2. For Mousse:
            1. Combine chocolate, vanilla and salt in processor. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. With processor running, gradually pour hot cream through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. (It is easier to just add the chocolate mixture to the hot cream in the pan and not have to wash out your food processor twice). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
            2. Beat 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour mousse into prepared crust. Chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
            3. Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream in medium bowl to firm peaks. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around edge of cake. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
          1.  

Heads Up for 2020

Pancetta-Wrapped Roast Turkey Breast (Turketta) Recipe

Last week the Wall Street Journal, after consulting over 100 experts in the design field, reported they had identified 6 new decorating trends “that are winning and waning” for the upcoming year. Some I agree with, like buying disposable furniture is out–I’ve never understood why people buy crap just because it’s cheap, or figure their kids will wreck it anyway so why even bother buying something nice? 

Rather than mention that perhaps children should always be taught not to wreck anything–let’s focus on the thrift and environmental angles. This is why secondhand stores, garage sales, and your parent’s attic exist; they are all great sources for cheap furniture that is well made and fairly kid proof. Our landfills are too full and our resources too stretched to keep buying junk. So enough of not taking your parents’ hand-me-downs. Man up. Or save up and buy something worth keeping. We started in the antique business and like to think even when we sell something brand new we are selling tomorrow’s heirlooms.

The next item on the list was a bit discouraging. Evidently  light or bleached floors are out–I’ll just have to concede that I may never be in because this is my house in the photo below. I have never had dark floors and really tried to give them a go in this house but there were just too many different woods involved (five) and no one darker stain would work on all of them.

Also I am fairly certain floor color has to relate to what is going on in your house–not the world at large. I think in my case dark floors would have sucked the life out of this room.  The ceilings are low, the room isn’t huge and I am trying to carve out separate but equal prep and dining spaces.

Next up was wall color. The chief decorating honchos have been trying to dislodge grey as America’s go hue for several years now–unsuccessfully. Now they are all about deep olive greens (and clearly too young to remember the avocado kitchens of the 70’s) earthy reds and ochres–which is code for mustard–so beware. 

The color I noticed most towards the end of last year and hope to see much more of in the future is blue. Perhaps my most favorite house I visited last year was a rhapsody in blue. Take a look at Gloria’s Rumson living room:

And I love this beautiful blue that Lori used in her west coast Florida condo.

And how can I ever forget David’s vibrant dining room in Tinton Falls?  Trust me, you cannot go wrong  with blue!!!

Their next observation was one I definitely agree with–straight edged ultra modern furniture is out: “We’re embracing the feminine touches and a soupçon of the romantic,” said Ms. Huh, a renowned NYC designer. Like Lori’s, Gloria’s and David’s rooms in the photos above, why shouldn’t furniture be pretty? But I also must confess mid-century modern (which was all there was in my youth and seems to be all the rage now) never floated my boat.

But there is hardly any antique period: Victorian, Queen Anne, Edwardian, you name it, that I don’t love–in moderation. And you can see all those influences in the furniture I chose for my living room.  Note the antique Biedermeier secretary, the oak drop leaf table that was Keith’s grandmothers, alongside a glamorous classic Chesterfield sofa and the delightfully  proportioned high hoop-backed wicker and wood Chippendale influenced armchair. Whew.

All of the upholstery is by Hickory White, the higher end division of Sherrill Furniture, and what we carry in the store. Full disclosure–I originally had planned on a navy and white scheme for this room but by the time the house was ready for furniture we had already sold it all! Fortunately we found these Hickory White showroom samples at the spring High Point Furniture Market and now, I think, they look like they were made for this room. Kudos to the great designers at Sherrill who made this all work!

Meanwhile back to the out list: colorless stone is totally over. But I adore my practically white faux marble quartz so much that I will just have to dare to be square. Like many of you I’d had it with the dark, swirly granites and really wanted to go with a more subtle Carrara marble but knew that ain’t happening with me, the original messy chef, at the wheel.

Next was slipcovers. Frankly I see nothing wrong with slipcovers and just picked up a Century sofa for the store in a dark navy and white seersucker slip that would look amazing in a small family room or beach house. But the point of the article was who needs slips when there’s tons of wonderful performance fabrics available now?  Providentially I do have a fabulous Century sectional in off-white performance fabric on the floor as well…

So, in conclusion, I think the point of the Wall Street Journal article is kind of well–pointless. What matters in home decor is not what anyone else, no matter how famous, thinks is in–or out–it is about your taste and what you like. 

It just makes sense to buy the best furniture you can afford, with an eye towards value and longevity, and don’t forget about comfort.  Please sit on that sofa before you buy it–all couches were not created equal. My advice would be to remember that paint is relatively cheap so go ahead and experiment with color on your walls, but floors and kitchen counters are expensive to redo so proceed with caution.

And in the end, let’s face it, the whole point of having a home is to have a place of your own to feast in and be festive. One of the best dishes we had all year was stuffed turkey breast wrapped in pancetta.  We’ve been trying to wean ourselves from beef and pork (not easy) and had already done the whole roast turkey thing for Thanksgiving and were beginning to despair of ever finding a meal worthy of Christmas when our daughter, Laird, found this recipe from Saveur .  Try it; you’ll love it!

Happy New Year.

Pancetta-Wrapped Roast Turkey Breast (Turketta)

Pancetta-Wrapped Roast Turkey Breast (Turketta)Matt Taylor-Gross

This preparation is inspired by porchetta—an epic Italian pork roast, the modern version of which often features a tenderloin capped with herbs and seasonings and wrapped in a layer of crispy, skin-on pork belly. The lean turkey breast is coated with a garlic and sage compound butter and layered with smoky cheese, enhancing the meats juices. And a thin layer of pancetta locks in the flavor and browns to a crispy exterior.

What You Will Need

Yield: serves 4-6
Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp. (2 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1⁄4 cup minced fresh sage leaves
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp.)
  • 1 tsp. fennel seeds
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 whole, single boneless turkey breast, skin-on (2 lb. 2 oz.)
  • 2 oz. smoked mozzarella, diced
  • 8 oz. pancetta, sliced about ⅛ inch thick, then unrolled slightly
  • 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, add the butter, sage, garlic, and fennel. Mix well with the back of a spoon and season the mixture with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  2. Use a long, thin knife to butterfly the turkey breast, carefully slicing it along the longer side, and unrolling it until it is a long, even strip, about 1½ inches thick. With the skin side facing down, spread the turkey breast evenly with the compound butter, then top with the smoked mozzarella in an even layer. Starting with the narrow end, tightly roll up the meat so that the skin is once again on top and the seam is on the bottom. Neatly layer the pancetta slices over the skin side and use cotton kitchen twine to tie the turketta tightly 3 times crosswise and once lengthwise. Refrigerate the prepared meat (unwrapped) until you are ready to cook it, up to 24 hours ahead of time.
  3. 2 hours before you plan to serve, preheat the oven to 375°F. Set the turketta in a large cast iron skillet or medium roasting pan and brush it all over with the olive oil. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130°F, 55–60 minutes. (The lean meat will continue cooking in the hot skillet for several minutes out of the oven, so we prefer to pull it out a few degrees before it is fully cooked to around 150°F.) Remove from the oven, tent the turketta and the hot skillet loosely with foil, and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  4. Immediately transfer the roast to a cutting board; cut away the twine and discard. Thinly slice the roast crosswise, and serve hot.
  5. This last note is from me. Do not fret about butterflying the turkey breast–have the butcher do it! We had great luck with the team at Sickles Market in Little Silver. And try to find smoked mozzarella–not easy but worth the effort.
Laird and Keith and our Christmas feast.

The West Coast Florida Condo

Clam and Sausage Stew Recipe

I first met the woman who owns this spacious west coast Florida condo over ten years ago. One of our vendors had just started importing French Country antiques–made in China–and the quality and design were amazing for the pricepoint. (That that vendor later surfaced as one of the new RH’s leading suppliers is a tale for another day). Long story short it was this country French look that first inspired Lori, a pharmaceutical executive living in Westfield, to visit British Cottage.

Lori is at the corporate executive level that enables her to keep her digs at home intact when she is moved to a new state–so she basically needed everything. While Westfield is one of New Jersey’s premier stockbroker belt towns, the houses, though pricey, are not huge. The table you see in the photo above is just 48 or 54 inches round but with both leaves in it jumps to a respectable 90 inches. Since her Westfield days I think this table moved to her new house, and job, in Philly but now looks right at home in the sunshine state.

Heaven knows where the console table in the background was in Westfield; I think possibly behind a sofa. We loved selling this table because closed it was just 14″deep but with the hinged leaves open it was 30″ wide and could seat eight. I think the moral of the story may be if you buy wisely in the first place, you will have bought well in the long run.

When Lori was in Westfield she covered all of her walls in fabulous patterned Thibaut wallpaper in the most vibrant of jewel tones; I’d never seen anything like it before. Some of us might get adventurous in a powder room, or two, but Lori did the whole goshdarn house! So I was not surprised to see all these saturated colors in her Florida digs. Go Lori.

The condo is basically a great big concrete box but you hardly notice that with all the layering Lori has going on. The tile (limestone or marble?) is a sea of big beige but when topped with what looks like sisal and another layer of boldly patterned carpet you can see the living room take shape. She picked up the coffee table and the end table along with a few other pine pieces when she whizzed by in October and just now sent me these snaps to show how she pulled an entire decade of purchases all together.

The cabinet anchoring the television is from our factory in Hungary where they take antique pine doors and cut them down to repurpose into cabinets of varying sizes.

The antique pine and elm mule chest from Ireland in the photo below is one that Keith originally bought maybe 25 years ago when all we did at British Cottage was import antique English and Irish pine. I hated to part with it but there is only so much furniture a woman can hang on to and not be deemed a hoarder. 

This cabinet, in what looks to me to be the foyer is from our French country collection (sadly bygone) and Lori bought most, if not all, of the blue and white lamps and ginger jars you see scattered throughout at British Cottage too. I will have to ask her what the wall color is; I love it.

Too much blue you say. Pshaw I say–this is just the right amount. But Lori is no one-trick  pony. Her bedroom is the softest of greens punctuated by the perfect amount of pink. The bed is king sized and part of our British Cottage bedroom collection and the lamps are from us too.

Sadly that’s all the photos I have. I’m sure there is more to come: window treatments, artwork, and more–so let’s just say–“To be continued…”

While we wait for Lori to send me a recipe (you just know she has to be as fantastic in the kitchen as she is everywhere else) I’ll share this recipe that I saw in the Wall Street Journal last week. Full discretion I have not actually made it yet but may tonight. I mean clams and sausage, how can you possibly go wrong?

SHELL GAME The combination of briny clams and spicy sausages makes this comforting one-pot stew a winter classic. PHOTO: JAMES RANSOM FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, FOOD STYLING BY HEATHER MELDROM, PROP STYLING BY NIDIA CUEVA

ByKitty GreenwaldDec. 4, 2019 2:22 pm ET

THE CHEF: JOHANNE KILLEEN

ILLUSTRATION: MICHAEL HOEWELER

Her Restaurant: Al Forno in Providence, RI

What She’s Known For: Cooking that applies an Italian sensibility to Rhode Island’s bounty.

THOUGH THE COOKING at Al Forno in Providence, R.I., typically skews Italian, certain dishes veer in a different direction. This clam roast, for instance. “The idea behind it is definitely more Portuguese,” said chef-owner Johanne Killeen —a reflection of Rhode Island’s rich Portuguese heritage.

In Ms. Killeen’s third Slow Food Fast recipe, clams and sausage stew with tomato, onion, endive and minced chiles. Once the pot boils, it shifts to the oven to roast until the clams pop open and their brine cooks down along with butter and white wine. The chef recommends parboiling the sausage links before adding them to the clam roast, to remove excess fat. As the sliced sausages finish cooking with the clams, they release their flavor into the briny broth.

This delicious one-pot meal has remained on Al Forno’s menu for almost 40 years—a testament to the area’s exceptional local seafood as well as its vibrant Portuguese community. “Rhode Island’s clams come from clean waters,” said Ms. Killeen. She’s sourced them an hour from Al Forno since 1980. In wintertime, when little else grows that far north, the clams, and this warming stew, are at their best.

Clam and Sausage Stew

TIME: 30 minutes SERVES: 4

Kosher salt

4 (about 1½ pounds) hot Italian sausages

48 littleneck clams, cleaned and scrubbed

3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 Scotch bonnet chile, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

2 medium endives, sliced into ½-inch rounds

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¾ cup white wine

1½ cups canned chopped tomatoes

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 scallions, julienned

1 lemon, quartered

Crusty bread, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Fill a small pot with salted water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add sausages and parboil until they partially cook, about 5 minutes. Drain and set sausages aside. Once cool enough to handle, after about 8 minutes, slice sausages into ½-inch rounds.

2. In a wide, heavy pot, arrange clams in a single layer. Top with onions, garlic, jalapeño, Scotch bonnet, if using, endives, red pepper flakes, white wine, tomatoes and butter. Bring everything to a boil over high heat. Add sliced sausages, and transfer pan to oven. Roast until clam shells just begin to open, about 8 minutes. Turn clams and roast until shells fully open, about 7 minutes more.

3. Distribute clam roast among 4 large heated bowls, and pour broth over top. Garnish with scallions and lemon wedges. Serve immediately with bread.

The Holmdel Farmhouse

Roasted Lemon Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Kalamata Olives Recipe

Keith and I have owned our store for 33 years and during that time our customers have had babies, moved, had more babies, moved again and then, the next thing you know, everyone flies the coop and the nest is suddenly empty.

However, for one family in Holmdel, that did not happen. With their kids mostly grown up they downsized from a more or less mansion to a relatively modest farmhouse on a couple of acres down the street–but no one is budging. The upstairs is chock full and there are a couple of more kids living over the barn. Luckily Mom and Dad are happily ensconced in their downstairs suite and convinced the more the merrier.

I can’t remember when they first came to British Cottage but I do remember toddlers, and lots of them. The young family had just spent a couple of years in London and were happy to fill their spacious home with British pine furniture. They bought hutches and armoires and large farmhouse tables and lived happily ever after until it was time for a change…

And what a change! On a gorgeous fall day I popped in to see how they transitioned to the new house, which they transformed from a chopped up, timeworn, century old building into a seamless home perfect for modern living. And it was immediately apparent that what they lost in square footage they gained back in charm and function. And I am pleased to say that they managed to reuse most of their British Cottage furniture–kudos to them. (We like to think we sell forever furniture but in this day and age of mid-century modern minimalism I am not so sure about that).

Take for example this television armoire. We still get calls from people who bought one of these  in the eighties asking if we want to buy it back. (The answer is no). But I always say repurpose it; use it to store your office equipment, tools, scuba gear, golf clubs whatever. In this case this cabinet,  from their former gigantic master bedroom functions as the hall closet and is chock full of all the stuff they don’t want to see but need to have. Is it big? Sure. But a built-in closet would take up just as much space, and it wouldn’t be as near as architectural.

Now, in their much smaller master bedroom, the television is mounted on the wall (over the British Cottage double dresser). Perfect.

They were able to use their British Cottage bed and nightstands in the new bedroom. Love this modern farmhouse look with the shiplap wall–which is what you might expect to see from a Joanna Gaines fan, and who isn’t these days?  Not so typical is the Century Furniture loveseat in the chic chinoiserie print–clearly this homeowner has her own ideas about color and design. Although I have no clue how she got dogs to match the decor; maybe this will be the start of a new trend!

And boy do I love the master bath!

They were able to use the large (nine foot maybe?) zinc top table from their old house by building a banquette into a nook.

Even though the old house had a kitchen three times larger and a formal dining room, the homeowners like this arrangement much better. You don’t need to walk six miles to get to the fridge–everything is one step away–and, like many of us, they hardly used their old dining room so why bother to have one?

The narrow cabinet from the foyer (I think) in the old house makes a great anchor for the tv –which seems to be an essential element of the modern kitchen.  Cool screen saver!

And look how the flip top table that functioned as a server in the old dining room makes a great desk here in the kitchen area.

Fortuitously a new leather sofa from Century fit perfectly in between the two matching cabinets that used to be in the second living room in the old house but look like they were made for the new family room.

As does the armless wing chair from Hickory White tucked into the corner. Clearly you can see how there is nothing cookie cutter about this house! I love how the rooms ebb and flow every which way. I don’t know who the architect was but the builder was Kurt Connor from Fair Haven and he did a fabulous job–this could not have been easy.

Here we combined two oak demi lune tables by the gang at Schwung Home to make a round table in the center hall for stacks of books or games or dining. I wonder if this was the original kitchen space from 100 years ago?

Everything about this house is unique; note the half doors to the kitchen and pantry areas–what a great way to corral all those pups–as opposed to the horrible looking and impossible to maneuver baby gates. And in this day of all white kitchens (guilty) when did you last see a Wedgewood blue pantry? Gorgeous.

Too much fun. Well almost too much fun. The most fun may be in the barn that the owners turned into a music room complete with a full bar and lounge area. No wonder the kids aren’t moving out!  Note how the slipcovered sofa and oriental rug from the old master bedroom look great and add some warmth and texture to the space. 

And did I mention the yard yet? The house came with several paddocks and multiple outdoor spaces. So not the ultra-manicured lawn they were used to,  just a great space with room to run around, or sit and enjoy a few brews.
But at the end of the day big kitchen, small kitchen, banquette or none someone has to get dinner on the table. Even with their crazy busy schedules this is one family that makes sure that at the end of the day they all sit down together for a family meal. This recipe for oven roasted chicken thighs is one of their favorites, and now mine too. Just when I think I will never find something new to do with chicken, voila!

Printable version of recipe.