Timeless Beauty

Visitors to Essex know the town offers antique treasures, historic buildings and timeless landscapes. Step inside Walker Creek Furniture on Route 133, and these same elements combine for a visual sensation where Robert Hanlon showcases his one-of-a-kind pieces created from old wood. Named for the adjacent tributary that once powered a colonial sawmill, Walker Creek Furniture is an inviting complex of yellow and white buildings that comprise the galleries, workshops, gardens and living space of Hanlon...

Essex Tea House

Japan is home to exotic traditions in keeping th its ancient oriental roots. Among them is the tea ceremony, which is observed as a special culture that draws on facets of Japanese architecture and gardening. An understanding and respect for the balance of such elements is essential when transplanting the unique form and function to the American residential terrain. Evidence is in a Japanese-style tea house and garden in Essex, the triumphant result of pairing an...

Reinventing a Farmhouse

What happens when you take a 1910 farmhouse and put it into the hands of a gifted artist who learned about architectural design when building a house with internationally acclaimed architect Michael Graves? Take a look at the masterwork that Elaine Pura, of Ipswich, envisioned and created with some local talent. The renovated house has a creative energy that bespeaks Pura’s approach to design: a blend of contemporary and formal, of practical and elegant. She...

Begin at the Entryway

We all have heard the maxim: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Your front door is the first impression people will form about your home. This subtle exposition reflects how youmaintain your house, your family and amyriad of other personal aspects of your life. THE BASICS Front doors come in three styles: wood, metal and fiberglass. Wood doors are the traditional choice, are a great insulator and a renewable resource. They can be stained or...

How Does Your Garden Grow

SO, YOU WANT TO GROW ROSES? Follow a few basic practices and start out with the right rose in the right spot, and a healthy rose bush should last 25 to 30 years. Seeking advice from a master rosarian is the best way to learn. Select the correct rose, one that thrives in your climate and suits the level of care you can give. Prepare the soil. It should be friable, well drained and rich in...

The Era of the Screened Porch

Screened porches and New England homes complement one another both aesthetically and pragmatically. They are a perfect way to enjoy the outdoors while escaping the heat and bugs New England summers bring. Whether you own a Cape, Colonial, Victorian - whatever the design - a screened porch, if built properly, will enhance its beauty. It will also allow you to enjoy the outside while reducing the threat of “EEE” mosquitoes or other annoying insects. Bob...

Nightscaping

Enhance the grounds of your home with different lighting options.