W INTER 2017
A
Winter Visit
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Adirondack inspired country house style
Nora Murphy Founder and Editor in Chief
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Welcome
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A Country House lifestyle can express itself in so many ways– that's what makes it so real and so approachable. The feeling is always comfortable, relaxed, warm, inviting, collected. And, among collectors, there are always such stories to hear and tell. My Connecticut Country House inspired me to share these thoughts and ideas with you…and the more I've shared, the more people I meet who share my passion—our passion! Valerie and Tim are two of those people. I'm so happy to introduce them to you, and I hope you enjoy our tour of their own wonderful, woodsy Adirondack-style Country House. As I've said from the start, Country House isn't a place on a map. It's a feeling, a way of looking at the world—and it's also all of us, together, who embrace this simple, thoughtful POV. Our community grows every day, which is as exciting and full of possibility to me as a garden in spring. (Did I mention this issue also has chili recipes? It does! Enjoy!) Love,
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Contents NORA MURPHY COUNTRY HOUSE style winter 2017
welcome 2 A winter visit 6 winter wonderland 10 hunt club 74 country house chili 90
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All design, photography, and copy on NoraMurphyCountryHouse.com is original, produced year-round at Connecticut Country House and on location. Nora Murphy Founder and Editor in Chief Carol Hubner Art and Features Director Deborah Golden Copywriter/Copy Editor Criana Web Producer Robyn Szarka Roos Content Producer Duanne Simon Nora Murphy Contributing Photographers Aida Kiernan Styling Assistant
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Follow Nora Murphy Country House on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. Please direct all inquiries to: contact@noramurphycountryhouse.com. © 2017 Nora Murphy Country House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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You turn onto the driveway from a quiet country road in Connecticut, and then you start to climb. The switchbacks take you up and up, until somehow, wonderfully, at the end of the driveway, you're in‌the Adirondacks? What magic is this? Welcome to Valerie and Tim's. "We love the Adirondacks, but we didn't want to live there through the winters. Our home is close to our friends and less than two hours from the city, but a world away," explains Tim. And nestled in the woods, which influence this Adirondack mountain lodge-style home inside and out, what a beautiful world it is!
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Winter Wonderland
This home in Connecticut blends the warmth of an Adirondack camp with a touch of nostalgia.
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Meet my dear friend Valerie. She and her husband, Tim, designed and built a new Arts and Crafts-style house deep in the woods of western Connecticut. Their wonderful assortment of authentic Native American antiques, 20th century camp memorabilia, and midcentury rustic souvenirs imbues the whole home with warmth, charm, and a distinctly Adirondack feel.
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Like me, they're passionate collectors! How passionate? The toboggan on their front porch was made at least a century ago. They found it at a small shop in the Adirondacks and secured it to the roof of their car for the ride home. Traveling with great care, it took nearly a day to cover the distance, and the toboggan's brass bells rang all the way.
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The oak pack basket is also an antique; Valerie and Tim cut greens from the pine forest that surrounds their home and fill it for a look that's dramatic, seasonal, and beautiful. (Of course, it smells divine, too.) The fallow deer antlers are ever-changing thanks to the squirrels and chipmunks who gnaw on their tips! 14
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The entry cabinet holds treasured collections. The blue and white pyramid in the middle of the top shelf was their first, a discovery in 1975. (Light the candles and the propellers turn!) The smokers (bottom shelf) come apart to hold and diffuse incense.
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Textures
found outdoors
find a home indoors as well.
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The first floor is wide open space. Light pours in through a giant window with southwestern exposure. When the leaves are down, Valerie and Tim watch the winter sunset here; in summer, their view is a canopy of green. N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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A family friend made the rustic scalloped table that holds a log cabin from the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market. The darling little fleece-covered polar bear comes from Norway and is nestled next to a pair of copper-bladed Olympic Clipper skates from the '30s or '40s. N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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Stone, metal, wood, rattan and woven
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rugs are elements of Adirondack style.
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Clever curating of the natural and
the found gives this home layers of interest.
Valerie and Tim collect antique Native American snowshoes. Hand-crafted of wood and hide, many of them had bright, decorative textiles on the outer frames when they were made – you can see tufts of wool on some of them now, and one pair still has a silk wrap in place. This pair was the only one Valerie and Tim have ever encountered that still had the previous owner's boots fastened in place, clearly repaired over time and very well used. 26
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A photo of Valerie's father from the 1950s is the center of this sweet tableau in his honor. The thermos was a gift from him to her, vintage when she got it. "He would have loved our house," Valerie says fondly. Opposite, the large antique six-sided game table is where Valerie and Tim usually dine. They had originally designed a window seat for this space, but are quite happy with the change in plans! 28
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Behind the weirdwood clocks and canisters, the hide footwear, and the baskets, a pair of little boys' boots holds a special place on this shelf and in Valerie's heart. "There's a pocket stitched to the side of the boot for putting a little knife in. My father told me a long time ago about a pair of boots that he had wanted as a child, but that his parents couldn't 32
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Everywhere you look a story of history, travel or adventure seems to unfold.
afford‌boots with a little knife pocket. About ten years ago, long after he had passed, I spotted them in a shop in the Adirondacks and burst into tears." When she explained her emotional reaction to the shop owner, the owner said that had been the exact reason her husband had bought them for the shop! "Well, they had to come home with me." NORA N O RMURPHY A M U R PCOUNTRY H Y C O U NHOUSE TR Y H OHoliday USE.C OM 2015 33 33
the home's
palette
was
inspired by the property around it, the earth, rocks, and trees.
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What grand scale! The dining table is 12 feet long, its top a single plank of wood. It seats 10 easily, and its size isn't imposing at all in the airy, open great room. Rather, it defines the space well. 36
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Sculptural glassware adds
sparkle & light to the table.
Artisan-crafted glassware from Simon Pearce in Vermont makes the table shine. Shown here, the Nantucket hurricane, Barre tea light, and Essex wine glasses. N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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From glassware and plates to flatware and textiles, everything on the table is from the amazing craftsmen and craftswomen of Simon Pearce. (Well, everything except the antlers!) The vintage antlers are from DC Kingswood, adding a rustic natural touch to the table's glimmering glasses. Love how they hug the Simon Pearce Nantucket hurricanes— organic, sculptural, and beautiful! The place cards are designed by Nora Murphy Country House. (Download the template here or go to noramurphycountryhouse.com and look under Goodies!) N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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Attention to detail
makes this hardworking kitchen shine. 48
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The countertop is stunning. Valerie recalls, "I started looking for something I invented in my head. It had to have the colors of the lichens, the browns, the outside—and no one had it, until finally someone did." The granite, which she found at the Galleria in central Connecticut, is blue-green with a leather finish—not shiny, not flat. Valerie and Tim scored the copper farmhouse sink—several copper sinks, in fact!—for a song at a Waterworks warehouse sale. "We bought them before we even had a plan," Valerie laughs. "The prices were just too good." 50
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The frosted trees come from various collections at Michael's. Valerie and Tim keep them out all winter—what's outside the window is inside it, too!
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A cozy place
when snow is on the ground. Dinners start and end out on the patio with wine, music (Tim cleverly wired the space for sound), a crackling fire, and room for up to 20.
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Yet another fabulous find from the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market in New Milford: A hooked chenille on muslin pillow from the 1940s or '50s has kept its wonderful colors and is right at home here. 62
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The hot cocoa bar: what an easy way to turn something simple into something special. Arrange a few pretty jars of add-ins like candy canes, marshmallows, caramels, and cinnamon sticks, and let guests stir away. Above, Valerie makes these wonderful mittens from well-loved sweaters that are, in her words, "looking for a second chance." Check out her website, deforestlakedesigns.com, to learn more. N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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Handmade mittens
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offer whimsy and warmth. N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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The skull fragment with one very long antler and one stubby one was a gift from a friend. "I haven't seen another one like it," Valerie says. Opposite, a pair of antique owl andirons mind the fire, with orange glass eyes that glow with the flames behind them (a treasured find from the Farmington Antiques Show 35 years ago). 68
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Opposite, Valerie and Tim and their dear friend Joseph found giant hoops after Christmas a few years ago, which inspired the creation of this wonderful, oversized canopy of greens. They start gathering boughs for it each year after Thanksgiving. As large and protected as it is, robins have built their nests there overwinter!
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“I wonder if the
snow loves the trees
and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” — Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass 72
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Hunt Club A
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TRUE
COLLECTOR
Valerie has a true collector's eye: A find is a find, and she knows in her heart when something she spies is asking to come home—whether she has a place for it or not! She knows in time, there will be a way for it to shine. The hunt "is a passionate thing! It's what gets you excited." True words, my friend! Above, birds of a feather. Assorted engravings, most from the 18th century, all hand colored and collected over time. N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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Just part of Valerie's small collection of toy-size tom toms; some are vintage souvenirs, but she has another (not shown), full size and, she says, "more authentic," that was owned by the Boy Scouts in its previous life.
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Camp pictures! The large one in the middle was her first, a find at the Elephant's Trunk 25 years ago. Most are from the 1910s and '20s—the "youngest" is from the 1940s. The collection is charming beyond belief and so much at home in this "camp-style" home. "I even have a pair of shoes, sneakers from the Goodyear Rubber Company, identical to shoes that the girls wear in two of the photos," Valerie shares. Below, trader blankets are cozy and soft and add color. 78
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If you stopped in a tourist shop in many places in America in the mid-1900s, you probably would have seen beaded souvenir belts like these. But there's something quite special about the belt on top: it isn't made of beads at all. "Our dear friend Joseph made the Adirondack belt – it's needlepoint, and he designed a stitch especially to look like the beads and their threads."
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The art of the collector's eye: A Navajo squash blossom necklace circa 1950s; a new concho belt; a wooden dog pin; an antique nut stick pin; a silver pin from Camp Trip Lake in Maine, which Valerie often wears together with the pewter canoe pin; Ralph Lauren shoes from Marshall's.
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At the far end of the dining table you'll find this tableau of pronghorn; I love the contrast of the gold-rubbed frame! The cabinet below is the bottom half of a burled wood linen press, probably English, that offers discreet storage for Tim's stereo equipment. Opposite, more vintage photos! "The Native American girls have such wonderful dresses and bags," Valerie says admiringly. N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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"I have about five or six pairs of teeny tiny moccasins, like doll shoes –they're vintage tourist shop items. Sadly, the moths love the fur they were lined with, but that's another story!" says Valerie.
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A handmade yellow birch bark etagere holds treasures from many eras. Valerie's especially fond of the shoe box on the bottom shelf, with its variety of decorations on each side. N O R A M U R P H Y C O U N TR Y H O USE.C OM
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Country House
Chili
Beef or chicken, both will tempt your tastebuds and warm your soul.
Marta's Chicken & Green Chile Stew is light, flavorful, and wonderfully satisfying. Chicken soup with a south-of-the-border twist! A favorite recipe of ours from a dear friend. 90
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Family traditions: It could not be winter at Connecticut Country House without my husband Murph's smoky, peppery, hearty beef chili.
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Marta's Chicken & Green Chile Stew Serves 12-16 Ingredients:
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh Mexican oregano, chopped
2 medium onions, diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 shakes of Tabasco (or to taste)
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Suggested toppings: Serve with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, peeled and freshly sliced avocado, and shredded Mexican cheese.
8 cups chicken stock 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, undrained 1 (16 ounce) jar of salsa verde, preferably organic
Directions: Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot set to medium heat. Add in the garlic, onions, salt and pepper. Cook until onions have softened. Place the chicken breasts into the pot, and continue to cook over medium heat, being sure to sear both sides. Pour in the chicken stock and cook until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board. Allow to cool slightly, and then, using two forks, shred the meat. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, followed by the beans with their liquids, salsa verde, dried oregano, fresh oregano, cumin, and chipotle pepper. Stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour. Add the Tabasco and adjust seasonings to your taste. Serve with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, fresh avocado slices, and shredded cheese. Can be served right away, but the next day, it's even better. Time is one of the best ingredients in any stew! 94
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Click here TO DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE
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Murph’s Country House Chili Serves approximately 12 Ingredients:
20 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds ground beef
2 (28-ounce) cans, whole, peeled tomatoes, undrained
3 lbs. yellow onions, chopped
1 pound bulk Italian sausage (sweet, hot or a combination)
1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
2 large sweet bell peppers, seeded and diced (red, orange or yellow)
½ cup chili powder
5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 large, fresh poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced 1 to 3 jalapeño peppers (or similar hot peppers) seeded and finely diced*
¼ cup ancho chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon celery salt Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ounce of milk or dark chocolate 2 teaspoons liquid smoke Suggested toppings: Sour cream, shredded sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, diced avocado, crumbled bacon
*Consider incorporating the hot peppers gradually. You can always add more, but you can’t take them out! Murph makes this chili at least a day or two before serving to allow the flavors and heat to develop. Tasting it multiple times throughout, he makes adjustments to the seasoning, adding more heat, or salt, etc., to suit the preferences of his chili-adoring fans. 96
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Directions: Heat the oil in an 8-quart pot. Add the onions, sweet bell and poblano peppers. Add some of the jalapeĂąo peppers if you like.* Cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables have become softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the beef and sausage to the pot, breaking up any large chunks of meat as it cooks. Stir in the chili and ancho chili powders. When the meat is mostly browned, add the cumin, oregano, celery salt, salt, and pepper, stirring to blend well. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chocolate and liquid smoke. Stir to combine, and set heat to low. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, occasionally stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Serve hot with the toppings of your choice.
Click here TO DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE
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Our gift to you! The Nora Murphy Country House 2017 Calendar
Our delightful desktop calendar is more than a thank you to our readers old and new. It’s my wish for you to have a wonderful, beautiful year! Love, Nora
Click here
to download the Nora Murphy Country House 2017 twelve month calendar.
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JANUARY 2017 Sunday
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“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” - Edith Sitwell
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