Nest — Summer 2025

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Summertime, and the livin’ is easy … or maybe not, but Vermonters embrace the short, intensely green season no matter what, right? To that point, this issue of Nest — Seven Days’ quarterly magazine on homes, design and real estate — profiles Julie Rubaud and her rapidly growing nursery, Red Wagon Plants, in Hinesburg. We also pay a visit to the furniture makers and potters at ShackletonThomas; the 37-year-old Bridgewater company has survived fire and flooding to thrive anew. Readers will likely find interior inspiration from a designer-curated home and B&B in Burlington’s Old North End. In the same neighborhood, we check in with landlord Stu McGowan. After decades of rehabbing and renting — affordably — numerous vividly painted buildings, he’s ready to, well, let go and live easier.

Related Stories

Home Tour: Linda Provost’s Unique Quarters in Burlington

In an 1867 house in the Old North End, the graphic designer and consultant has curated a distinctive bed-and-breakfast above her own serene living space.

The Old North End’s Most Distinctive Landlord, Stu McGowan, Is Getting Out of Real Estate

Having sold five buildings in the past several years, the entrepreneur says he’s now ready to sell off most of the remaining apartments. Rents may change.

Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg Thrives as a Biz and Local Hub

Over two decades, owner Julie Rubaud has nurtured her plant nursery into a diverse operation with educational workshops, fresh baked goods and food pop-ups.

At ShackletonThomas, Craftspeople Make Furniture and Pottery One Piece at a Time

The 38-year-old Bridgewater company, led by a husband-and-wife team, produces handmade home furnishings that have been gifted to popes and dignitaries.

This article appears in Nest — Summer 2025.

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