What would you give to call this lane your driveway? And how would your life change if you enjoyed this beautiful expanse each day of your life? A view that some say is the best view in Vermont as it covers four mountain ranges in four different states. I, for one, cannot imagine such a thing as I can see hundreds of homes from my living room window. Perhaps that is what makes this "
real life home" so precious to me. That, and the lovely woman who calls this converted barn in Vermont, home sweet home.
I only met
Nadia a few months ago when she accompanied
Aran and I to France
for the workshop, to act as Aran's assistant. She was a stranger to me at the beginning of the week, but a friend to me at the end. Her heart is as welcoming as the home she shares with her husband, Kevin, and I'm so excited to share a slew of images with you today.
Imagine Nadia driving home from the local farmer's market with a big basket full of locally-grown produce (Nadia owns the best market basket!). She walks inside, drops down her bags, checks on the kittens and sits down for a moment to enjoy that gorgeous view. How could she not? Oooh, but it's a bit chilly so perhaps a fire is in order. Especially
these days...
Now that the fire is crackling, it's time to unload those market bags and start thinking about dinner.
{I'm loving that red stool peeking around the corner. What a great way to mix "old" and "new". Oh and that green armoire!}
Time to check on the chickens...in fact, an egg or two would be delicious poached over one of those gorgeous garden tomatoes.
{Anyone else experiencing chicken coop envy? And backdrop envy for that matter. This setting is about as surreal as the driveway!}
{Love Nadia's signature felted wool jewelry collection. She wore one of her favorites a few times in France and looked so beautiful.}
Miss Nadia loves her reds and she'll take it any way she can...pretty apples, an iron chair, a stool, a pillow and paintings.
Nadia has quite the menagerie...she's rescued several animals over the years--horses, ducks and chickens to name a few--and lovingly cares for them everyday. This one clearly appreciates the view, as he should!
And those creamy, white dishes all stacked up on the shelf. Simple yet so pretty.
Aaah, and now the inspirational writer's shack settled down in the most exquisite of settings. Something so many of us dream of, yes? I died when she sent me this image. My first thought was, `is this for real?'
So now I have chicken coop envy AND writer's shack envy :)
Those who are lucky enough to stay with Nadia get to rest their pretty little heads on this sweetly adorned bed upstairs in the attic. I know my kids would jump up and down with joy over the chance to slumber here.
"How are the horses doing?", Nadia wonders as she peeks out the window.
Idyllic.
Nadia's own respite (I just realized we have the same chair from IKEA...who else has that uber versatile chair?!). Vintage paintings, that awesome market bag I referenced earlier, and a collection of books about subjects she loves. A tasteful, well-edited collection is always something I appreciate in others' spaces.
I love what Nadia says about the antiques in her home, including the artwork on the wall here, "I love paintings and often buy them because I feel as if I cannot leave them behind; others I find in antique shops piled behind junk. I feel as if the pieces I have at the house have come to me with purpose. I know that I am the curator of these things for a period in time and one day someone else will be."
It's only apropos to conclude today's tour with another pop of red and a painting of blueberries--a wild fruit that takes over the state in the Summertime. When we lived in Boston we slipped away to visit my brother-in-law and his family as much as possible. One such trip was during blueberry season and I"ll never forget the millions of blueberries lining the highway. Oh how I wished we could just pull off the interstate and eat, eat, eat. I have no doubt that Nadia enjoys these sweet, little treats all over these rolling, green hills.
She writes in appreciation for this home, "I love how bright the stars are at night, how the sunsets and sunrises take my breath away every time. I love that I can take long walks in the forest, snow shoe for hours, pick apples, pears and berries from our yard and make fresh bouquets from acres of wild flowers. I love the quietness of living in a secluded place and the noises that come from a big variety of birds and wild life- not to mention dogs barking, cats meowing duck quacking and horses galloping!". Now that's what I call a "real life home" indeed. Thank you for sharing your home with us Nadia~
You can catch up with Nadia and her life on 100 acres in Vermont over at her tranquil blog,
La Porte Rouge. Again, that "red" comin' through :)
More lovely, well-edited spaces for your viewing pleasure:
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