Nest — Spring 2017
Blacksmith Shop to Artist Studio; Cohousing: A Living Legacy in Huntington; A Cutting-edge Twist on the Tiny House; Wood Works at Sam’s Furniture
An Upper Valley Jeweler Revives a Historic Blacksmith Shop
In January 2016, Stacy Hopkins entered into her own personal fairy tale. The jewelry designer — owner of White River Junction’s Scavenger Gallery — and her boyfriend, carpenter Mark Meyerrose, closed on a historic Hartland half-acre property. It includes a centuries-old barn and a blacksmith shop dating back to the 1750s. Though Hopkins has transformed…
Nest — Spring 2017
Come March, we’re all ready to Instagram some growing things and patches of green outdoors. But the truth is that Vermont hasn’t quite caught up to dreams of spring. In this issue we try to make up for it with a look at what’s blossoming in the housing market. These homesteads run the gamut from…
Energy Efficient Senior Living Apartment Building Opens in Milton
Sally Momaney chatted amiably with Brenda Bean in the light-soaked community room of Elm Place, a new apartment building for seniors in the center of Milton. The two women had just met for the first time during a residents’ orientation a few weeks before the building officially opened for move-ins on March 3. The ladies…
What’s the Story? How to Sleuth Your Home’s Past Lives
If you own, or are thinking of buying, an older home in Vermont, you may be curious about its history. But if your real estate agent or previous owners can’t tell you, who you gonna call? Sometimes, you needn’t look farther than your local historical society. In January, for example, the Norwich Historical Society held…
A Huntington Couple Plan to Turn Their Land into a Cohousing Community
Marijke and Mark Smith first met in the Peace Corps a half century ago, each trying to make the world a better place. So it’s only fitting that, as they enter their twilight years, they’re working to leave behind a cohousing community that perpetuates those values after they’re gone. The Smiths are co-owners of Windekind…
Avian Attraction: How to Bring Birds to Your Yard
Want to fill your backyard with flutters and sweet melodies? You don’t have to be an ornithologist to do so. Even better news: Birds like a yard that’s a little messy. So attracting them is easier than you might think. Whether you’re moving into a new home this spring or just trying to up your…
Going with the Grain: Sam’s Wood Furniture Rebuilds Itself
On Monday, Sarah Coates sends furniture orders to her builders from her office — or her yoga mat — in her Connecticut home. On Wednesday or Thursday, she makes the drive to Burlington. There the 37-year-old stays through Sunday to take care of her business, Sam’s Wood Furniture. The seventh-generation Vermonter was living in Colchester…
Norwich University’s Trailer Alternative Wins Awards and Fans
Mary, a 37-year-old Shelburne resident, had always imagined herself living in a small cabin. She started saving in high school, and, by 2015, she’d banked $30,000 to buy one. But Mary’s work — as a home caregiver — made her wary of taking on a mortgage. She was determined to find a house that cost…
